Review of claims for the effectiveness of the gentle teaching philosophy with people having severe problem behaviors and mental retardation finds that the methods were unsuccessful with seven of nine individuals. Although more research is needed, the review suggests that gentle teaching cannot be considered an ethically defensible treatment…

Arguments in favor of and against the Regular Education Initiative (REI) are presented. Lack of appropriate qualifications of regular classroom teachers and a lack of empirical evidence on REI effectiveness are cited as some of the problems with the approach. (JDD)

This is a progress report for a project attempting to gather and share information about effective dropout prevention strategies in action at the middle school and high school levels around the Northwest region of the United States. Introductory material reviews current views of the dropout problem, recent reports which address the issue of…

The study compared two special education models, resource and self-contained, to investigate the effects of delivery systems on academic achievement of 170 educable mentally handicapped (EMH) students (8 to 12 years old) and to determine which of the two models is more cost effective. There was a significant effect of educational setting on the…

Outlines a study determining which of two career guidance methods was most effective. A didactic and structured guidance approach proved more effective in promoting career maturity than the more flexible method. Results reveal students' need for structure and suggest beneficial effects of using career guidance in the academic curriculum. (JAC)

There is an increasing interest in the practice of teachers staying with a group of students for more than one year. This is referred to as looping in educational practice. The problem of constant uncertainty or change of a new teacher year to year, creates less academic time and student anxiety. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects…

A survey of a number of small elementary schools in the Nevada Western States Small Schools Project (WSSSP) provides a descriptive review of promising teaching practices and an assessment of additional needs. Promising practices observed include high teacher interest and pupil involvement; creativity; individualized instruction; and use of…

Two studies were conducted to determine the usefulness of the Sampling Organization and Recall through Strategies (SORTS) test and the effectiveness of teaching grouping strategies to young handicapped children (mean ages 9 and 6 years). In both studies, SORTS was used to develop and implement instruction in organizational strategy. In the first…

Describes one elementary school's experience utilizing undergraduate nursing students as an alternative resource for providing health education. Nursing students observed in the classroom, prepared teaching plans, and presented topics. Participants reported that the experience was effective in relation to the levels of achievement attained by…

This article describes a program linking American and Japanese schools that reveals the ability of international collaborative projects to knock down traditional barriers to learning. At Callisburg Independent School District, located 70 miles north of Dallas, near the border of Texas and Oklahoma, students are no longer limited by geographical…

This document presents a literature review on effective educational programs for students with severe behavior disorders. The literature review's scope includes definitions of relevant terminology, statistics on prevalence, descriptions of several conceptual models and how they affect perceptions of the etiology of behavior disorders and thus the…

Discusses four educational methods designed to deal with the risk of kindergarten failure. Methods include increased provision of prekindergarten programs; adoption of a later school entrance age; a developmental placement system; and a continuous progress plan with multi-age groupings. (BB)

Helping novice teachers both improves their effectiveness and increases the likelihood they will remain in teaching. Ignoring the needs of novices is costly, in terms of both student achievement and teacher turnover. This brief discusses the strategies used by districts as they strive to offer high quality induction programs in an environment of…

Objectives: This meta-analysis evaluates treatment effects for nonpsychotic major depression during pregnancy and postpartum comparing interventions by type and timing. Methods: Studies for decreasing depressive severity during pregnancy and postpartum applying treatment trials and standardized measures were included. Standardized mean differences…

Editor-in-chief James Morrison talks with organic education proponent Hugh Osborn at the 2005 World Future Society conference. The current school system in America is inflexible and not conducive to technological innovation; a complete reform of American education, Osborn feels, is required. Osborn calls for a move to organic education, a…