This facilitator's module, part of the staff training for the "Rural America Series," presents the means for setting the keystone of successful program development, i.e., the establishment of appropriate, concrete, and measurable objectives. A distinction is made between behavioral (student) objectives and program objectives, and…

To meet the need for trained teachers for rural special education, especially for teaching the severely/profoundly handicapped, the Severe/Profound Handicaps Training Program was established by West Virginia University. The program consists of 20 hours of coursework and 9 hours of practicum experience, leading to a Master's degree and/or teaching…

This practicum was designed to improve parents' skills in managing the behavior of their elementary/middle school behaviorally disordered children in the home setting. The goals were: (1) to train parents to act assertively and communicate in a more positive manner with their children; (2) to teach parents the techniques of basic behavior…

The Early Referral and Follow-up Project of the University of Nebraska Medical Center was designed to facilitate developmental assessment and intervention with long-term or repeatedly hospitalized children from birth to 3 years of age. Developmentally delayed children, handicapped children, and children at risk for delays were eligible for…

This guide provides an approach to assist public schools and adult service agencies in designing programs that will maximize the ability of severely disabled students to function in non-sheltered vocational environments. The guide is composed of a list of questions to be used in a self-evaluation process; the questions concern needs assessment,…

Because of a consistently high failure rate of freshmen in a required introductory biology course, numerous strategies to improve the success rate of students without compromising academic standards were explored. The major underlying cause of lack of success was perceived to be the level of thinking skills possessed by the incoming freshman. The…

The Special Education Program at West Virginia University offers graduate degree/teacher certification programs in mental retardation, learning disabilities, and behavior disorders. Practicum experiences are included in the program, and have created a need for faculty supervision that could not be met by existing resources. A program was designed…

A guide to the planning and implementation of elementary school foreign language (FLES) programs presents statements of opinion and experience in various aspects of program development by a number of experts. An introductory section outlines basic program planning considerations, and a second chapter describes the work of the American Association…

Experiences in systems-development for state information systems are summarized for eight pilot-test state agencies, as part of the State Level Information Base project. Attention is directed to the evaluation of information needs; hardware and software choices; survey administration; data organization, storage, and linkages; and staffing…

Results of an open-ended, five-question inquiry sent to sample members of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) are presented and discussed. The questionnaire sought to probe into how AACTE members feel about the concept of an extended or five-year program for preparing prospective teachers. Questions concerned: (1)…

The mission of the Mid-continental Regional Education Laboratory (McREL) is to improve practice and increase academic performance in the schools of the seven-state mountain-plains region. McREL's principal approach to the dissemination and utilization of the effective schools research has been training teachers to use research. Based on the…

Materials for planning, organizing, and scheduling community activities for National Women's History Week (NWHW) are provided. The purpose of the week was to help male and female students become aware of the wealth of women's history that has been left out of the standard U.S. history texts used in most schools. Section 1 summarizes a sample of…

The behavior of universities is considered from an economic perspective. It is assumed that both the administration and the faculty pursue goals consistent with their own self-interests. In addition to reviewing studies from other disciplines, the market in which institutions compete is described, and a formal model of the university as a…

The career development program for students with mental disabilities should be integrated into the total special education curriculum, should provide training of specific skills needed in particular jobs as well as a general orientation to the world of work, and should relate academics to activities of daily living. The program should begin at the…

In 1988, a survey of British Columbia's community colleges and institutes was conducted to assess the need for human resource development programs and services. Human resource development was defined as experiences that help college/institute personnel effectively perform their functions. The study consisted of visits to 22 campuses, during which…