A coordinated school health program has numerous mutually reinforcing components: a healthy environment; comprehensive health education; physical education; health services; counseling, psychological, and social services; nutrition services; staff health promotion; and family and community involvement. Program implementation steps are outlined. A…

During a meeting of the Ohio Education Association, teachers raised concerns about a pending state mandate requiring school districts to provide mentoring programs for beginning teachers. Concerns relevant to teacher unions/organizations included funding for adequate teacher release time, the mentor role, mentor selection, training, scheduling of…

Describes the development and testing of a model to help schools assess their likelihood of successfully implementing health education innovations. Illustrates the model, developed using an integrative group-process technique that captures experts' qualitative and quantitative judgments as a subjective Bayesian probability model, with 100…

Analyses some of the difficulties involved in implementing the recently approved Basic Education Program for primary and secondary education in Sierra Leone. Discusses issues such as funding, training, and retention of teachers, curriculum reform, language development, equipment and supplies, and evaluation. Concludes that political stability is…

Identifies indicators of excellence in educational technology including hardware, software, integration, on-site support, administrative support, conference participation, use of emerging technologies, home and community connections, technology planning, and educational reform. (DB)

Asserts that updating teachers' technology skills is crucial to enhancing the excellence of Catholic schools. Delineates the careful planning and system of evaluation that must be set up for staff development and the implementation of training objectives. (VWC)

Exploratory programs provide stimulating and enriching experiences that help young adolescents realize their strengths and weaknesses before deciding about future educational directions. A survey of teachers and principals at two Southeastern middle schools underscored exploratory programs' articulatory nature. Implementation problems and…

By exploring the nature of school cultures and how they affect daily classroom encounters, this article illustrates how critical incidents can be analyzed to help educators understand themselves and influences shaping their practice. Critical incidents methodologies can transcend external monitoring systems to help schools develop self-review…

A UK study shadowed and interviewed 32 secondary-school department heads to identify their leadership/management styles; sense of empowerment; and initiatives for and obstacles to improving teaching, learning, and achievement in classrooms. Shared power among senior and middle managers in UK schools is rare; training must change radically.…

Recommends institutionalizing curriculum policy initiatives for gifted learners at state and local levels that are compatible with new state standards and assessments and also consider flexibility, differentiation, and articulation in planning and implementation. Support structures such as grouping and teacher education must also be incorporated.…

Inspired by tips from a Motorola Corporation executive, the superintendent of an Illinois district initiated strategic- planning and total-quality practices to improve student performance, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency. Teachers have also successfully implemented quality and continuous-improvement practices in their classrooms.…

Durham (North Carolina) School of the Arts' transformation in 5 years from a run-down, segregated facility to a highly desirable magnet school is proof that a school accessible to the whole community can succeed. Students are chosen by lottery and are showing appreciable academic growth on state tests. (MLH)

Describes the community of Sarasota County in Florida (Tampa) as one in which the arts are highly valued. Explains that the Sarasota County School Board eliminated the arts program devastating Sarasota County and the surrounding areas. Introduces three articles that discuss the elimination and renewal of Sarasota County's arts program. (CMK)

Addresses the role of the professional arts community in reestablishing the arts programs in the Sarasota County's schools and their interaction with the school district. Identifies how the Arts Education Task Force, a committee of arts organizations in Sarasota County, assisted in the development of the Community/Schools Partnership for the Arts.…

Describes a culturally congruent intervention in which Afrocentric concepts are applied in single-session counseling for African American drug users. Called the Engagement Project, the intervention attempts to engage clients in a psychosocial process conducive to recovery. The client, counselor, and a former drug user (peer) see a video and…