This study examined the attitudes of 33 female and 28 male students who had completed a Mentor Connection program in high school. Attitudes regarding the effect of a mentor on the students' lives, career/work focus, personal confidence, skill development, networking, and long-term goals were analyzed. (Author/DB)

Although equal numbers of highly gifted boys and girls are found from early childhood until about age 12, 98% of the preeminent adults are male. This may be because, during preadolescence and adolescence, girls receive societal messages that undermine gifted girls' confidence and motivation. A vigorous campaign is needed to establish gender equity…

Schools can utilize community resources and the family to nurture the student with exceptional talent. Programs such as the Student Leadership Development Program in Dade County, Florida, identify community resources, facilitate the engagement of these resources with students, and integrate these extended educational experiences into the total…

Observations of interactions of mixed-ability groups revealed three persistent challenges (inclusiveness, enacting the ideal, and monitoring growth) in which gifted students can develop and exercise leadership skills. Specific student strategies are proposed for each challenge. The role of teachers in developing leadership skills of gifted…

Surveys about student teacher and student counselor supervision examined whether student practicum progress and supervisory strategies were consistent with a developmental model. Progress was consistent with a developmental model for student counselors but not student teachers. Supervision strategies for student counselors and student teachers…

Describes a prevention program, the Peer Group Connection (PGC), which uses peer influence to help teenagers cope with the problems associated with becoming adults. Discusses peer leadership training, the goals and objectives of PGC, teacher selection and training, student leader training, and also provides evaluations of the program. (RJM)

Describes social skills training procedures that can be used in group formats. Procedures provide a systematic approach to teaching social skills to children between the ages of 6 and 16 years. Presents a system for classifying social skills deficits based on acquisition/performance deficits and presence/absence of interfering problem behaviors.…

This business/school partnership program uses adult volunteers from a local business to facilitate the personal and emotional development of students at high risk of dropping out of school. After a 30-minute training session, volunteers eat lunch with an assigned student partner once a week for 14 weeks. Benefits of the program are seen for both…

A survey of 180 social work master's degree students in 1 school at the beginning and end of an academic year found that most students are still attuned to social work's traditional mission, but that graduate education does have significant influence on practice interests and self-identification with social work, particularly among beginning…

Effects of inclusion programs in grades two to five were examined in a three-part study focusing on academic and affective outcomes of fifth-grade students who had specific learning disabilities (SLD) or normal achievement (NA), teacher and parent perceptions of SLD and NA students' growth in an inclusion context, and an analysis of anecdotal…

The value of the social context present in some specialized education environments to promote the optimal development of children who are gifted and talented is discussed. Issues and variables that might be considered when conducting research on social context in specialized environments are also considered. (SW)

Faculty need more general institutional information and training if they are to perform effectively as academic advisors. Three key elements in their preparation for this function are: a conceptual understanding of student development and of the advising process; institutional and curricular information; and relational skills and knowledge to…

This article on the integral nature of guidance and counseling among services provided to gifted students focuses on: curriculum modification to promote self-realization; use of parent education programs and group counseling; and discussion of gifted females, culturally diverse gifted children, and gifted children with disabilities. (Author/JDD)

Comparison of primary grade students (n=67) with mild mental retardation in Croatia (Yugoslavia) receiving either a special program designed by special and regular educators, regular class services but no special educational help, occasional special educational help, or special services in a special school found that students in the first group…

This study identified factors related to the timing of first visits to school-based family planning clinics by 144 female adolescents. Analysis of self-administered questionnaires indicated that school-based clinics provide services which reduce delay time for first-time visits. Students tend to use such services earlier when they are available at…