This digest examines the ways in which self-talk, or inner speech, can help change people's health states. The digest first examines research theories that underpin the concept, then discusses the development of a positive mental attitude, and finally offers some conclusions as to how individuals can best face challenges through taking an active…

Positive Uncertainty is a flexible, ambidextrous approach to managing change, which encourages the use of both the rational and intuitive mind, and incorporates techniques for both making up one's mind and changing it. Positive Uncertainty, as a new philosophy for counseling, will require a paradigm shift for counselors. It is possible that a new…

The purpose of the digest is to review the research on institutional transformation as it relates to institutional culture. The discussion of organizational culture's importance in institutional transformation is organized around three primary aspects of the change process: (1) readiness and responsiveness; (2) resistance to change; and (3)…

Academic departments across the nation must reinvent new forms of collegiality and become more outward-oriented, more focused on results, and more entrepreneurial. They must develop new systems to reward their members, enhance productivity, and assure the quality of their work. Change strategies in the literature fall into six categories: (1)…

The theme for the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) 1993-94 was to promote professionalism, collaboration, and advocacy. To facilitate these goals, the ACES president, Barbara Griffin, engaged the members in a dialogue about change--a change supportive of collaboration and advocacy, a change that called for a strong…

School counselors have always considered themselves to be change agents. Historically, that change has been related to helping an individual become aware of behaviors or attitudes that might be affecting his/her success and then guiding that individual into new ways of acting or thinking. This skill is transferable to affecting change in the…

At-risk students are often poor and members of minority groups. Solutions to the dropout problem are inseparably tied to combating poverty and could stimulate far-reaching educational change. Researchers have identified several elements of successful dropout prevention programs, including the need for early prevention; aggressive leadership;…

The digest is based on a full length report on academics and athletics in higher education. The full report provides a definitive review of the literature and institutional practice on the topic. Three sections consider: (1) business and politics of college sports (e.g. most budgets for athletics programs show signs of precarious fiscal fitness,…

This ERIC digest focuses on school restructuring as the central issue in the school reform movement by answering five questions: (1) What is "restructuring?" (2) What characteristics of the current educational system are the objects of reform? (3) How can restructuring attend to new skills students will need? (4) How can individual…

Language planning is official, government-level activity concerning the selection and promotion of a unified administrative language or languages. Language planning initiatives arise in response to sociopolitical needs and attempt to meet those needs by reducing linguistic diversity. Several stages occur in the language planning process. The first…

This digest in Spanish explains why public-school governance is receiving increasing scrutiny. It identifies who is held accountable for results in the current governance system and describes recent proposals for transforming governance structures. Since many reforms of the past decade bypassed the school board and district office, reformers are…

This digest explains why public-school governance is receiving increasing scrutiny. It identifies who is held accountable for results in the current governance system and describes recent proposals for transforming governance structures. Since many reforms of the past decade bypassed the school board and district office, reformers are now…

Because of the economic and cultural changes that are currently taking place in society and the workplace, many adults who had their career and personal lives planned to retirement are finding those plans no longer viable and are recognizing the need to readjust their career expectations. Many adults who had always viewed life as a linear,…

In order for educational reform to be effective and lasting, teacher education must undergo a transformation, from preservice training to lifelong professional development. Tomorrow's teaching environment will bring new challenges and possibilities, as schools undergo curricular, structural, and cultural changes in order to meet the needs of an…

As school populations decline and costs rise due to inflation, rural and small schools are turning to shared services in order to keep community schools open, meet federal mandates, and improve educational opportunities. Sharing ventures may be for limited purposes, such as sharing a physics teacher or having a joint drama production, or for more…