A questionnaire survey canvassed the views of 72 New Zealand educators, in order to identify gaps or deficiencies in services and to establish priorities for development. Respondents were asked to comment on special education system strengths, growing points, desirable policy directions, and special interests. Four issues emerged as central to…

This presentation describes three preventive and skill building counseling programs implemented by school counselors in an attempt to share their skills beyond the traditional counseling-on-demand role. The Counselor-Directed Relationship Enhancement Training of Underachieving, Poorly Communicating Students and their Teachers program matched in…

Seymour Papert's vision for early childhood education involves using Logo, a child-friendly computer language. He envisioned a discovery, or self-directed, method of teaching and learning. This article describes three observational studies conducted in classrooms that were attempting to implement Papert's vision. Data from 9 kindergartners and 5…

This publication marks the first volume of what is intended to be an annual showcase of outstanding research papers from the College of St. Thomas' (Minnesota) Masters of Arts in Gifted/Creative/Talented Education program. Section 1 focuses on gifted programs and teachers' perceptions, and includes "Taking Care of the Affective Needs of…

The problem of high school dropouts has generated increased interest among researchers, policymakers, and educators in recent years. This paper examines the many issues involved in trying to understand and solve this complex social and educational problem. The issues are grouped into four areas, related to the incidence, causes, consequences, and…

In 1987, the Board of Education of the Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) Public Schools set goals for reducing the achievement gap between black students and white students and improving the educational outcomes of all low achievers, regardless of race. This paper summarizes programs, most involving parents, community leaders, and the corporate sector in…

This special report briefly presents information about innovative programs targeted toward at-risk youth in the United States that are provided by many institutional members of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). Twelve model programs out of 250 were selected for the report. Among the issues the programs address…

A review of studies of at-risk students is presented in this document. Two recurring themes that occur in the studies reviewed are structured involvement and high expectations of students. The following items are reviewed: "Sex, Race, and Grade Differences in the Locus of Control Orientations of At-Risk Elementary Students," by Beverly D. Payne…

This volume contains papers presented at a symposium on public policy and educating handicapped persons. Included are: (1) "Public Policy and the Special Education Task for the 1980s: Report of the Wingspread Conference" (M. C. Reynolds et al.); (2) "The Emerging System for Educating Handicapped Children" (L. E. Lynn, Jr.); (3) "Effectiveness of…

The phenomenon of gang rape as it sometimes occurs on college campuses is described, with attention to causes, impacts on the victim and other students, responses the college should take, and prevention. Consideration is given to the role of alcohol, drugs, and pornography in fraternity gang rape; successful model programs for rape prevention…

The Student Tracking System (STS) at San Antonio College is designed to increase retention of high risk students, and primarily students enrolled in developmental education courses. In addition to identifying students experiencing difficulty in the classroom, STS alerts educational support services personnel to these students, provides a system of…

Part I of this report describes processes used to develop and implement the 2-year Multidisciplinary Institute for Child Sexual Abuse Intervention and Treatment Project. The underlying focus of the 5-day training sessions is a team approach to investigation, intervention, and treatment. A process description discusses the impetus for the project…

The Family, Infant and Preschool Program (FIPP) is an outreach unit of Western Carolina Center located in Morganton, North Carolina. Using a needs-based, social support approach, it provides and mediates child- and family-level resources and services for approximately 300 families of handicapepd and at-risk children, 0-6 years old. The conceptual…

Project KIT (Kids in Transition) of the Northern Trails Area Education Agency in Iowa assists in preparing for children's transition from early childhood special education programs to elementary regular/special education programs and transition from special education home intervention services to the preschool special education classroom. This…

Project R.I.D.E. provides support to regular education teachers to help them deal effectively with inappropriate social and academic behaviors and to eliminate false referrals to special education. A classroom teacher survey in the Great Falls (Montana) Public Schools determined the 20 most significant classroom problems. For each problem, five…