The latest manifestation of the decentralization trend is a push to redefine state education agencies' duties. Kentucky, Virginia, and other states are turning toward a helping rather than a regulating role. Bureaucracies are being dissolved, reorganized, or compressed to help districts struggle with local restructuring efforts. Numerous examples…

When successful teachers were interviewed concerning strategies for helping students believe in themselves, they suggested that teachers break through minority students' skepticism and distrust, use peer recruiters, welcome everyone, generate class participation, set high expectations, use attention-getting projects, look beyond the classroom, and…

Microanalysis of data from videotaped responses of 96 preschoolers presented with an opportunity to help a peer in a familiar preschool setting provided a picture of the behavioral sequence of young children's helping responses and the contextual factors which contributed to the prediction of helping behavior. (BB)

Nurses' inability to describe and interpret the caring practices that are the foundation of the work they do with patients has seriously inhibited agreement on a valid definition of clinical competence and has restricted the understanding of the rich and powerful knowledge and skill embedded in the practice. (MLW)

The nature of existing professional approaches to working with people with mental handicaps is explored, focusing on traditional medical and educational approaches and emerging styles including self-advocacy and normalization. Development of a range of lifestyle opportunities for people with mental handicaps is supported, and implications for…

The role of peer counselors has become increasingly important as time and resources of professional counselors grow scarce. One midwestern institution recruited peer counselors to conduct a training program on the issues of intimacy. Students who participated in the program had favorable attitudes toward the peer counselors. (BF)

Family preservation services to decrease the use of foster care and to preserve maltreating families at high risk of child placement are examined, in the context of studies of the helping alliance and its relationship to treatment outcome. (DB)

Parents (n=280) of young children disabled or at risk assessed help-giving practices of early intervention/human services program personnel. Sources of variation in parents' assessment were related to differences in program models and not parent or family characteristics, and differences in parents' personal control appraisals were attributable to…

Reports a study that examined the types and amounts of assistance desired by beginning teachers. Surveys of beginning secondary teachers suggest that mentors must consider beginning teachers' desires when determining the types and amounts of assistance provided. Data support the need to vary the quantity and type of assistance for novices. (SM)

A study found the incidence of psychological trauma in the families of 116 social work master's degree students to be significantly higher than in 46 counterparts in a nonhelping profession (master's-level business administration). Implications are seen for effective social work practice, education, and professional responsibility. (Author/MSE)

Provides a list of read-aloud books that are designed to help children make their own discoveries and choices in life. Books are offered under the categories of accepting responsibility, honesty and self-respect, and helping others. (GLR)

Describes the implementation of a peer helping program at a middle school and its evaluation. Discusses evaluation of program which included pre- and posttraining surveys of trainees (n=22) and untrained comparison group (n=22) on acquisition of helping skills, personal development, and changes in self-concept, as well as surveys of parents,…

Suggests ways mothers can strengthen communications with their daughters during puberty to remain a positive influence and describes how to communicate the realities of living and working to reinforce the idea that girls can be anything they want to be. (SM)

Empowerment evaluation is the use of evaluation concepts and techniques to foster self-determination, focusing on helping people help themselves. This collaborative evaluation approach requires both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. It is a multifaceted approach that can be applied to evaluation in any area. (SLD)

Discusses cultural, socialization, gender-related, and psychohistorical reasons for the resistance to, and low participation in, therapy for African-American males. Development of a trusting relationship is a critical first step in the treatment of African-American men. The therapist must acknowledge and respect the skepticism the client initially…