This publication describes several national initiatives focusing on the need for cultural pluralism among professionals and support services for parents of young children with disabilities. The publication begins with a discussion of new laws, funding initiatives and programs, and special projects of the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S.…

This theme issue on gifted high school students presents several feature articles, a California legislative update, and an editorial. In "Summer Seminar '93--California in the 21st Century," Janis Van Dreal describes a 2-week residential program in which gifted high school students examined California's future. "Visiting a Gifted…

This newsletter issue's feature describes difficulties the special child faces in acquiring social skills, and ways in which families and teachers can help. It outlines the socialization process beginning in early infancy, with eating habits being one of the first ways an infant is socialized into his or her culture. In early childhood, the…

It is estimated that there are over 10,000 non-governmental groups and initiatives in West Germany devoted to improving the quality of life of people in the developing countries. Many of these projects consist of churches helping churches, such as Misereor, the charity organization of German Catholics, or Brot fur die Welt (Bread for the World),…

Two influential theories of intellectual development are reviewed and analyzed: the psychometric framework, based on the factorial composition of intelligence, and the Piagetian model, based on assimilation and accomodation through four stages of intellectual development. A third concept is the componential theory of intelligence, based on…

Analysis of recent developments in vocational education and training in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe brings out certain common problems. On the economic level, Hungary, Poland, Estonia, and Lithuania are undergoing a profound crisis. Consequences for training have included the closing of many company schools or workshops, absence of…

This quarterly publication serves as a medium for the exchange of ideas regarding the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of professional development practices at two- and four-year colleges. The four issues in volume 14 feature the following articles: (1) "A Home-Grown Faculty Development Program," (Jane T. Rauton); (2) "Creating…

Issues pertaining to thinking skills are discussed in an attempt to clarify what thinking skills are and their components, how they function and how they can be developed in the teaching-learning environment. Chapter 1 reviews the definitions of thinking skills. These definitions are selected from the current literature on education and…

This newsletter describes development projects that utilize varied media, including microcomputers, videotape, and print materials, and discusses development communications issues. Specific articles are as follows: "Microcomputers for Education in the Developing World" (Kurt D. Moses); "Social Marketing: Two Views, Two…

The impact and effectiveness of various faculty development programs is the focus of this report from the Association of American Colleges. Twenty faculty development programs around the country are examined. Faculty development is defined in this study as all activities designed to improve the performance of faculty as teachers, scholars,…

Noting that linguistic, social, emotional, and cognitive development are complementary processes that ultimately work together to shape a child's literacy growth, this article discusses the relationship between children's development and their social interaction with knowledgeable others on the selection of children's literature for the promotion…

A collection of articles on the lifelong process of motor development focuses on: (1) neural changes in lifespan motor development; (2) the effects of developmental memory differences on learning motor skills; (3) physical growth and motor performance; (4) motor development in children with learning disabilities; (5) a motor development program…

This theme issue on the role of networking in improving services for gifted individuals presents two feature articles and several regular columns. "A Network of Scholars" by Jerry Flack describes efforts of a group of professional educators and researchers of gifted persons in Colorado who worked cooperatively to create the Colorado…

The various aspects of community development are discussed including place, population, socio-cultural organizations, economic structure, and political structure. Ideas for bringing new money into the community are presented. Suggestions for building an economic plan are given along with a success story of one community's efforts. The booklet…

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a regional economic development agency representing a unique partnership of federal, state, and local governments. Established by an act of Congress in 1965, the Commission is composed of the governors of the 13 Appalachian states and a federal co-chairperson. Grassroots participation is provided by…