This article delineates several problems confronting preparation programs for teachers of the visually impaired and explores possible remedial actions. The basic premise is that personnel preparation needs in blindness and visual impairment fields cannot be met by traditional, inflexible training programs. Six recommendations for changes and five…

Reports on observations of the guidance and counseling services offered in nine schools in the San Francisco Unified School District, California. Provides a history of the development of these programs, discusses the role of the counselor, sets forth the expected tasks of the counselor while comparing these with the actual work being performed,…

In developing evaluative methods within the field of mental handicap services, evaluators should be more explicit about values they adopt and about lifestyles that services should be enabling people to achieve. An approach is described for evaluating the "All-Wales Strategy for the Development of Services for Mentally Handicapped…

The "Ziegarnik effect," a learner's tendency to recall uncompleted tasks longer than completed ones and to remember failures more easily than successes, is applied to improving programs for the subgroup of students with emotional/behavioral disorders who show little benefit from special education interventions, and to teacher…

Examination of the treatment program for learning-disabled adolescents at McGill-Montreal Childrens Hospital Learning Centre (Quebec) suggests intervention can mitigate effects of even severe learning disabilities if it addresses consequences of prolonged stress and failure and affective and social competence as well as cognitive and academic…

This article reports results of a peer jury system to deal with inappropriate behaviors among residents of a community-based residential treatment program for offenders with mental retardation. Comparison before and after program implementation indicated statistically significant improvement in 7 of the 8 behavior areas and for 11 of the 12 adult…

Results of a survey of planners at 133 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada are summarized. The study gathered information on (1) which problems tend to get solved, and which do not; (2) factors contributing to success in planning; and (3) planners' suggestions for improving the planning process. (MSE)

Advice to help a college or school development officer work effectively with a new chief executive officer includes participating in the search, making early contacts with the new administrator, coordinating working styles, keeping staff informed and comfortable with new processes, and launching new fund-raising initiatives as soon as possible.…

This review analyzes data-based studies dealing with self-management procedures (self-monitoring, self-evaluation, self-reinforcement, and self-instruction) used by individuals with mental retardation in public school settings. Although support is found for the positive effects of self-management, questions regarding efficient implementation of…

The nature of schools and science education in Korea are summarized and the Ohio State program conducted for the Korean Ministry of Education is described. The program emphasized laboratory experiences and the development and evaluation of instructional activities. (KR)

A telephone registration system for first year students implemented at Alma College (Michigan), involves having freshmen confer with advisors during orientation week, then having the registrar's office contact the advisors. Despite limitations, the low-tech solution works well at extremely low cost. (MSE)

Reports results of a study that examines (1) the extent to which colleges have institutional policies requiring collection of outcome assessment data; (2) which outcomes measures are being collected; (3) which measures are considered most useful in political science departments; and (4) future institutional plans. Concludes that all measures are…

Evaluation of an instrumental enrichment program with 80 gifted children (ages 10-12) from culturally disadvantaged backgrounds and a follow-up study 4 years later showed: (1) generalization effects on verbal and nonverbal thinking tasks, and (2) durability of effects on thinking tasks and broad generalization in school achievement. (Author/DB)

Discusses the change in kindergarten from an emergency or welfare institution to an integral part of family life and early education. Argues that, although the nature of kindergarten has changed, the training of kindergarten teachers has not. Suggests that future kindergarten teachers be trained in teaching theory rather than just personality…

Three major factors contribute to the success of a college campus master plan: (1) engaging in strategic planning for the future; (2) involving user groups within each administrative unit and academic department to work with the architect/master-planner; and (3) hiring a planner who understands how colleges and universities work. (MSE)