As a practicum project, an elementary school counselor developed and implemented a parent education program centered on the use of parents as models and peer facilitators for other parents. Based upon a survey of parents' self-professed needs, the program focused on parenting skills designed to help children avoid such high-risk behaviors as…

In an effort to address the needs of the increasing number of children who are coming to school with physical and emotional health conditions that prevent them from learning to their full potential, school systems have begun to alter the scope and nature of their school health services. Given their direct access to children, families, and school…

This newsletter issue focuses on the twin themes that, together, represent the ways that programs to strengthen families also contribute to a better society. The newsletter includes the following articles: (1) "Family Center Planning Project: Family Support, Public Policy, and Community Development"; (2) "Pulling It All Together for…

This paper describes education reform as an integrated effort to modify not only the structure and elements of the education system but also the culture or belief structure of that system. Central to any discussion of school reform are the elements of restructuring, empowerment, and change. Current reform efforts in restructuring revolve around a…

This book applies quality management, an organizational theory that has been successful in business and industry, to education. Chapter 1 describes the basic elements of quality management (QM)--continuous improvement, client satisfaction, positive return on investment, and doing it right the first and every time. Ways to implement Deming's 14…

This paper addresses what characteristics of institutional approaches to change succeed in achieving stated institutional aims within a higher education context. It asserts, through an examination of two case studies, that successful organizational change depends on context-laden feedback-driven processes that result in steady incremental…

According to a national survey, about 80% of American Indian and Alaska Native youth have experimented with alcohol or drugs, compared to about 50% of youth nationwide. Particular risk factors for Native youth include low self-esteem, post-traumatic stress, and culture conflict arising from differences between traditional Native values and values…

The ideal school cafeteria includes a salad bar and serving tables with healthy food items. Certain cafeteria pitfalls, such as a noisy or stuffy atmosphere, can be avoided by good administration. Specific guidelines on campaigning for better school food consist of building a community coalition that holds public meetings, learning about the…

This training guide is intended as an aid for agencies and professionals in creating interagency efforts to provide comprehensive care to children and youth with serious emotional disorders and their families. It is not a generic concept but a specific approach to providing care. Section I addresses the key assumptions that undergird the model,…

Changing the school environment to enhance student motivation and achievement is described in this paper, which focuses on broad structural change within the school. Current motivation theory is applied at the school level for lasting school reform. A collaborative project among university researchers, school leaders, and school staff in one…

A task force from a high technology company recently conducted a nine-month study to determine the attitudes of older workers toward work, management, technological change, and productivity. Data were gathered from personnel files; an age audit was undertaken, and 4,000 employees were randomly interviewed. The workers were asked to offer opinions…

This guide provides specific information and resources for course and curriculum development, beginning with an outline of the basic elements of a curriculum and a listing of exemplary curricula in computer science education from other colleges. The definition of, need for, and essential and secondary features of a goal are presented, as well as…

Instructionally, schools tend to be "weakly normed" organizational systems in which teachers bring relatively little pressure upon each other to change and/or improve their classroom performance. Because teachers tolerate a wide range of behavior among their colleagues and are reluctant to offer criticism of each other, those responsibile for…

A retention plan was developed to quantify and qualify the attrition problem and to establish action plans to improve retention for a regional university serving many nontraditional students. Cameron University, a state institution in Oklahoma, provides both associate and bachelor degree programs. The attrition problems were difficult to identify…

The role of integrators, individuals who facilitate communication and understanding, in facilitating the use of computer technology was explored, based on five case studies. It is suggested that a major obstacle to successful academic computing is getting faculty and students to use available computer resources effectively. In addition to helping…