This paper explores and highlights the importance of social, cultural, and behavioral contexts in the effectiveness of mentoring relationships. A first section looks at growing up in American and the varieties of personal and social development that are found. This section argues against viewing adolescents as similar across the boundaries of…

This paper attempts to answer questions about the role that non-related adults may play in the lives of adolescents, particularly who the non-related adults are that adolescents turn to; how helpful do adolescents find these adults; and how these patterns change by race, socioeconomic status, and gender. The paper draws from the research…

This manual is intended to assist in the establishment, facilitation, leadership, and evaluation of support programs for fathers of children with disabilities. The manual begins with a foreword written by a father of a child with severe disabilities and a preface by the project director of the National Fathers' Network. An introductory chapter…

This module presents the philosophical perspective that the fostering of family/professional partnerships is an integral part of effective service delivery to young children with disabilities. The module addresses the issues involved in nurturing the development of dynamic working relationships with families. The issues include: (1) understanding…

Innovators in supported employment for individuals with severe disabilities have made important conceptual shifts by broadening their understanding of the resources that they assess and organize as they assist a person with a disability to do a competent job. There have been two important shifts in the service perspective in evaluating what it…

This case study represents an attempt to develop knowledge and understanding of "community supports," those formal and informal supports necessary to enable people with disabilities to live in the community and participate fully in community life. The individual in the case study is a white man with severe cerebral palsy born in 1912. The study…

The state of Indiana mandated a Beginning Teacher Assistantship and Professional Development Plan. Training for 63 mentor teacher educators was conducted at 4 locations in 4 days in August 1989. A 2-hour videotape was produced using the original training sessions for training or reinforcement of training. The advisory committee developed a…

Sixteen expert educators participated in a working conference on the first years of teaching. The proceedings included two commissioned papers, a panel discussion among three persons engaged in on-going induction programs, and large and small group discussions following each presentation. Kenneth Zeichner's paper, "Individual and Institutional…

The design and features of a model minority retention program are discussed. Components of successful retention programs include: commitment to attract and retain minority students, ongoing sessions to sensitize the campus community to minority students, academic involvement, tenured minority faculty and staff, support services, and minority…

The occurrence of breast cancer creates psychosocial stress for both the patient and her family. Because of the threat to the patient's life and frequent disfigurement that results from breast cancer, interpersonal relationships, particularly the marital/sexual relationship and the mother/daughter relationship, are adversely affected. The related…

The contribution of the humanities to medicine is considered, with attention to the classic view, existing programs in medical school, and obstacles to continued or increased participation by the humanities. A shift is occurring in medicine toward a primary concern for sick persons, instead of disease alone. Specific values of teaching literature,…

Recent critiques of education in the United States have all too often been simplistic in their solutions and punitive in tone. American education has historically been concerned with providing equality of opportunity and accomodating individual and group differences, yet calls for excellence often devalue these fundamental elements of democracy.…

This booklet for dropout prevention team members is part of a series of program materials for a school-based intervention process to help at-risk students stay in school. Team members may include teachers, health care workers, parents, counselors, community volunteers, employers, or other caring adults. An introduction lists specific…

This instructor's guide is part of a series of program materials for a school-based intervention process to help at-risk students stay in school. This instructor book, a related student book, and a videotape called "A Time of Choices" comprise the classroom component of this set of materials focusing on awareness and commitment. It addresses the…

A handbook for improving the skills of academic advisors, and specifically advisors at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (UWM), is presented. Attention is directed to four main topics: philosophies, goals, policies and procedures of the university; job-specific knowledge of the school/division; ethical concerns; and advising skills and…