When the Model Work Standards were first crafted more than two decades ago, they were built on the premise that quality child care jobs are the cornerstone of high-quality services for children and families. The intent of these standards is to make it possible for those who choose teaching young children as a career to reasonably and responsibly…

Over the years, careers have transformed to be flexible and changing rather than stable, life-long commitments to an organization. As such, making work meaningful, controlling the work environment, and taking the opportunity to get required training for the next job are as important as the financial advantages. Educators' careers cannot be…

In this book, award-winning educator Cathie West teaches readers how to confidently prepare for and respond to the challenges that come with being a school leader. Derived from professional experience and extensive research, the strategies can be put to work exactly as described or adapted to fit the unique situations that educators face in their…

America's productivity and prosperity depend on the education system's ability to meet the challenges of the 21st century. This guide highlights six providers of academic course work that are going beyond the convention of brick-and-mortar schools by delivering rigorous curricula to students through Internet technology. These providers, along with…

Maintains that technical communicators can retain their place on product development teams by re-engineering project environments. Describes an experiential learning strategy in project management to help technical communicators work with other information technology (IT) practitioners. Examines the solutions the teams produced for three projects…

Many school districts lack the resources to hire a full-time risk manager and often assign risk-management duties to a manager with other responsibilities. Offers steps that can help with risk-management procedures. Cooperation, communication, and, most important, the support of top management are critical for risk-management effectiveness. (MLF)

Presents suggestions to help teachers who must work with difficult principals, offering 10 ideas for how to make meetings with such principals more effective. The paper also notes what to do if the principal is unreachable and describes how four teachers handled their own problems with difficult principals. (SM)

This paper examines a vareity of individual, group, and organizational communication skills for dealing with job burnout. Primary emphasis is placed on techniques for: (1) gaining perspective; (2) resolving substantive and affective conflict; (3) developing social support systems; and (4) increasing constructive feedback and employee control.…

Effective assessment of job-related social skills of mildly handicapped workers should consider three components of social competence: context, cognition, and performance. A comprehensive profile of social competence is best obtained through use of several assessment tools, such as: rating scales; role play; problem-solving tests; applied…

Guidelines to keep conflicts from wreaking havoc at staff meetings, parent conferences, team meetings, and PTA functions include confronting tensions early, attacking problems not people, examining oneself, choosing issues carefully, requesting feedback, building trust, working together, and being prepared. (SM)

This issue of "Linkages" addresses the need for adult literacy programs to go beyond teaching basic academic skills to adults with learning disabilities to teaching skills in goal setting, problem solving, and self-advocacy that will assist adult learners in their transition into the workforce. Articles include: "Transition: Adult Literacy and…

This program guide is intended for use by mentors of women who have completed the preemployment training component of the B-WEST (Building Workers Entering Skilled Trades) project and who are now entering a trade or technical occupation. The first section contains a definition of mentoring and mentor, protegee, and trainer profiles. Sections 2-6…

Today's principals face unique challenges--demands of time, knowledge, and organization, which take their toll on even the most flexible leader. A complement to the insightful "Survival Skills for the Principalship: A Treasure Chest of Time-Savers, Short-Cuts, and Strategies to Help You Keep a Balance in Your Life" (ED495598), this ready-to-edit…

Today's principals face unique challenges--demands of time, knowledge, and organization which take their toll on even the most flexible leader. This compilation of resources offers practical, ready-to-use solutions to the issues and dilemmas facing principals every day. These valuable resources can be consulted for years to come as a long-term…

This document introduces the underlying principles and components of Ohio's Integrated Technical and Academic Competencies (ITAC) system of career-focused education, which combines high-level academics and technical skills with a real-life context for learning that maximizes students' present and future academic and career success. The document…