Discusses industries that are vital to the nation's economy and the numbers of skilled workers they will need to keep moving ahead. Industries profiled are aviation, automotive, allied health, trucking, paralegal, electronics, and computer-aided drafting. Also looks at proprietary schools that are educating the work force of the future. (JOW)

Social and economic problems facing U.S. children are reviewed, including poverty, hunger and homelessness, gaps in health and mental health services, infant mortality/morbidity, child abuse, drug use, and violence depicted in the mass media. Risk-taking behaviors that are children's responses and suggestions to remedy these problems are…

Presents a historical overview of the development of junior high schools for young adolescents, focusing on the unique physical, emotional, and social needs of that population. The article examines the views of James Conant, the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, and a junior high school teacher. (SM)

Describes levels of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) knowledge, condom use, self-efficacy, and intentions to practice HIV-safe behaviors among 52 young incarcerated African-American males. Although overall knowledge and intent to practice safe sex were moderate, transmission knowledge was low. Peer and subjective norms support condom use. (SLD)

Offers activities for educating middle school students regarding the importance of lifestyle. Activities cover eating patterns, physical exercise, and potentially hazardous behaviors. (MDH)

Illinois' academic summer enrichment program, the Principal's Scholars Program (PSP), enables minority high school students to reside at the university and prepare for the transition to college life. PSP balances academic pursuits with opportunities for personal exploration and leisure involvement. PSP's Lifestyle Enhancement Program promotes the…

Studies suggest that computer work stations may induce high levels of physical and psychological stress. Advises school districts to take a proactive stance on ergonomics. Cites laws and pending litigation regulating computer use in the workspace and offers guidelines for computer users. (MLF)

Middle schools must place high academic emphasis on health education and critical thinking skills which are developmentally important for young adolescents. Reasons why young adolescents should apply critical thinking to health issues include enhancing cognitive development, making health risk decisions, and preparing to be informed citizens. (SM)

Active Living is a unique Canadian approach in which physical activity is valued and integrated into daily life. Active Living will have an increasing impact on the health, physical education, and recreation fields. The article describes the development of Active Living, its effects on Canadian society, and current initiatives. (SM)

Reports on a study of 15 doctoral students who were alcoholics' daughters. It examined family origin and elementary-secondary schooling, plus data from the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test. Findings indicated that children survived by hiding their parents' problem, masquerading as normal, and actively working to avoid being discovered. (SM)

The six articles of this special section address the organizational context that shapes utilization of mental health services, the relevance of data elements and results to decision making, and assuring the validity of evaluation results. Theoretical and practical concerns are considered. (SLD)

This study of an online search strategy based on word frequency found that it provided 98% sensitivity in retrieving systematic reviews of health-care interventions in MEDLINE, while retaining a low (20%) but acceptable precision. Presents other strategies with other levels of sensitivity and precision and discusses factors that may affect the…

Discusses the experiences of developing and implementing an online course in health policy for graduate nursing students at Southeast Missouri State University including going online, nature of the course, Web design/development, student support, and lessons learned and recommendations. Contains a table of criteria for discussion…

Describes the Vermont Community Adjustment Tracking System (VT-CATS), which utilizes four behavioral instruments to allow intensive, ongoing, and interpretable behavioral assessment of a service system's most challenging children and adolescents. Also explains the adjustment indicator checklists and the ability of VT-CATS to address agencies'…

A project created tasks and tools to investigate quality and nature of 11- to 14-year-old pupils' reasoning with quantitative and qualitative computer-based modeling tools. Tasks and tools were used in two innovative modes of learning: expressive, where pupils created their own models, and exploratory, where pupils investigated an expert's model.…