Presents data on the extent, nature, and consequences of adolescent substance abuse. Definition of substance abuse is considered. Discusses primary and secondary prevention programs, including programs targeting high-risk youth, school and peer group, families, and communities. Outlines tertiary prevention efforts and emphasizes the need for…

In European countries, postcompulsory general education programs leading to higher education have traditionally been separate from vocational training programs leading to employment. Recent reforms have led to cooperation and sometimes integration between general and vocational programs and their school-leaving certificates. (KS)

On the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Swedish comprehensive education, it is concluded that the system has attained some of its social and academic aims fully and approached attainment of others. Areas for further improvement include increased local governance, more clearly articulated goals, and curriculum development. (MSE)

The Head Start community has recognized that the mental health program has been a weak spot in the program's comprehensive services strategy. A brief telephone survey of 101 programs identified the services most desired and resulted in recommendations for strengthening this aspect and making the program a laboratory for innovative practices. (SLD)

Current research on students' experiences in encounters with their classmates in school is explored by using the narrative of a 25-year-old nursery school teacher in Sweden about her own experiences as a quiet and well-behaved student. Her story illustrates some of the built-in conflicts of the comprehensive school. (SLD)

Winters Mill High School is a typical comprehensive high school in most respects. Situated within the city of Westminster, Maryland, the school opened its doors to students in grades 9 and 10 in the fall of 2002. Historically, the Westminster area has had an agrarian culture that has coexisted comfortably with merchants and the McDaniel College…

This paper, second in a series of papers on alternative education, examines the academic programming in alternative education programs by reviewing the literature specifically focused on the academic programs in alternative education and summarizing a survey of fifteen alternative education programs. It suggests options for further research on…

Afterschool programs are rich with educational opportunities. Programs can make what is learned during the traditional day vibrant and relevant to the lives of children. Comprehensive programs that are integrated into the regular school program and draw on resources within the community can yield positive outcomes for children. Key to this…

Brain research has strengthened our understanding of the first five years of a child's life as a critical period. Quality early care is important to the healthy development of young children, and their later success in school. Concurrently, many families depend on childcare outside the home. Programs that have knowledgeable and skilled staff,…

There is no doubt that the Internet has made a profound effect on everyone's lives. It has also begun to liberate education from the confines of traditional time and space. The first incarnation of what everyone think of as K-12 virtual school appears to have been launched in the summer of 1995, with the CyberSchool Project in Eugene, Oregon.…

This descriptive study investigated two areas: (a) perceived changes in gifted and talented (G/T) programming in Iowa from the time a state mandate was implemented to the time of the study, and (b) perceived effects of the mandate on G/T programming in Iowa. Perceptions of middle-level teachers of gifted and talented students (n = 111) were…

East Carolina University has one of the few comprehensive substance abuse counselor education (SACE) programs in the nation that offers an undergraduate, master's, and doctoral level of preparation in substance abuse counseling. This article describes the evolution of this SACE from its beginning in 1972 to its current status. This comprehensive…

The guidance and counseling profession is evolving from a collection of crisis-oriented services to a comprehensive program with a curriculum emphasis on student outcomes linked to social/personal, educational, and career success. Ways in which school counselors and administrators can move from an ancillary service mode into a comprehensive…

With developments such as the overcrowding of universities and the student revolt of the 1960s, traditional ideals of German higher education based on the ideas of W. Von Humboldt, were reassessed. Concepts which had once been inspirational in the Humboltian ideal had become perverted. In the post-war period a reform tradition was pioneered by…

The people of the City of Boston have made a commitment that, during the Winter of 1988-89, no homeless person will be denied a warm bed, a hot meal, quality health care, and transportation to shelters. This document comprises a progress report on Boston's efforts to address the needs of the homeless. The following summary points are discussed:…