Offers suggestions on the selection of office equipment and support systems for schools, including multifunctional products that incorporate equipment and applications to better coordinate office technology and control costs. (EV)

Notes that English teachers have to do their part in teaching literary-cultural literacy, but they also have a responsibility to expose students to the wide range of literature that exists outside of the de facto Young Adult Literature perpetuated by school curricula. Presents annotations of 10 new or overlooked Young Adult books worth reading.…

Discusses approximately 25 instructional materials to give ideas for after school enrichment programs. Lists 10 resources for finding such literature. (SG)

Presents annotations of 30 exemplary books selected from every genre. Notes that the titles--diverse in genre, content, and style--are notable for their potential to enhance language awareness for K-8 children. Considers how these books focus on: expressive language; language that informs; playing with language; language and culture; rhythm of…

Examines the differences in environmental attitudes and ecological beliefs among 1st-year university students in different disciplines. Suggests that although most university students hold positive attitudes toward the environment, different disciplines attract students of a particular attitudinal orientation. (Author/MM)

Considers if Anne Frank's diary is still viable or if it has been too far removed from its original author or its original context. Concludes that the book "Anne Frank and Me" offers historical accuracies about the Holocaust while placing its readers squarely at the millennium. (SG)

Presents descriptions of 7 adolescent novels that examine the specific experience of the motherless daughter. Acknowledges that the discussion of the death of a mother causes discomfort and resistance in some. Suggests that these titles are powerful in reducing the threat of the situation and prompting meaningful dialogue. (SG)

Presents brief descriptions of 39 illustrated children's books that deal with questions about identity, organizing them according to: sense of self, sense of family, sense of change within self, sense of place, and sense of culture. (SR)

The state of Maine redesigned the process of hiring child welfare case workers. The new process calls for prescreening candidates, weeding the database of old register, and establishing valid screening criteria and a standardized statewide process. The new method resulted in a more efficient process. (JOW)

Discusses the genre of fantasy novels, noting its popularity with adolescent readers (especially boys). Notes sources helpful to teachers and school librarians, and lists a few personal favorite fantasy novels. Offers a brief note on whether the Harry Potter books can be considered young adult literature. (SR)

Proposes a new multistage adaptive-testing procedure that factors the discrimination parameter (alpha) into the item-selection process. Simulation studies indicate that the new strategy results in tests that are well-balanced, with respect to item exposure, and efficient. (SLD)

Discusses the selection process when using outside professionals for school construction projects. The drawbacks of using competitive bidding for professional services are highlighted followed by tips on using a qualifications-based selection method that includes work-experience evaluation and conducting interviews for professional services. (GR)

Interviews with 50 female expatriate managers addressed the lack of women in international management positions and focused on processes of selecting, training, and developing female executives for international assignments. Strategies for internationalizing female managers were developed. (Contains 28 references.) (JOW)

Studied the maximum likelihood estimation of unknown parameters in a general LISREL-type model with mixed polytomous and continuous data through Monte Carlo simulation. Proposes a model selection procedure for obtaining good models for the underlying substantive theory and discusses the effectiveness of the proposed model. (SLD)

Suggests a possibility of resolving the problem of reading motivation for some students. Considers that children and adults like to read about familiar places such as their home state with people and settings that they know about written by authors who live or have lived in that state. Includes a list of 50 books (arranged by state) for the upper…