Designed to help local government officials, agency personnel, and members of citizen groups involved in the planning process for a rapidly growing community, this introduction to community needs assessment provides background information on the reasons for conducting community needs assessment, guidelines for determining which techniques are most…

The authors present the results of a multi-year qualitative study of play-based teachers in the USA. These teachers were often under pressure to alter their curricula in order to conform to more rigid and traditional educational approaches, pressure which has only increased under the present federal administration. The contextual factors…

This booklet provides answers to questions that may arise when learning or socially disabled children are placed in regular classrooms. The introduction gives the background of classifying students in the New Jersey school system and lists the twelve classification categories: (1) emotionally disturbed; (2) neurologically impaired; (3) trainable…

This fourtheenth of 14 curriculum modules in the Family and Community Services Occupational Education Modules series deals with the identification and resolution of morally confusing situations which arise in service occupations. A suggested Code of Ethics for Family and Community Services is included. Discussion of case stories and other…

In 1997, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) published the first edition of "Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide" to share the latest NIDA-funded prevention research findings with parents, educators, and community leaders. The guide introduced the concept of "research-based prevention" with questions…

This book documents the "brave new world" of teacher, administrator, school, and student accountability that has swept across the United States in recent years. Its particular vantage point is the perspective of dozens of new teachers trying to make their way through their first months and years working in schools in the New York City…

Natural disasters (droughts, earthquakes, epidemics, floods, wind storms) damage wellbeing, both in their immediate and long-term aftermath, and because the insecurity of exposure to disasters is in itself harmful to risk-averse people. As such, mitigating and coping with the risk of natural disasters is a pressing issue for economic development.…

When Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast of the United States in August and September 2005, it was arguably the worst calamity to strike the region in history. Less well known than the loss in life or property from these storms are the effects on early care and education. Those who work with or on behalf of young children found in…

This book reports two scientific studies of the frequency of discrimination against women and the physical and mental health impacts of discrimination. The preface and introduction contain an overview of the studies, which examined a sample of women selected to represent educational, racial, economic, and age diversity, and a summary of existing…

This book approaches school reform from the perspective of high school students and their individual views of life within their high schools. Included are essays from students who have behavior disorders, attention deficit disorders, and learning disabilities. The introductory chapter suggests that administrators, teachers, and students all live…

Noting that the conflicts arising daily for young children provide an opportunity for adults to model and teach skills for handling conflict peacefully, this guide provides tips for preventing unnecessary conflict, offers "first aid" for conflict moments, and provides resources for addressing common situations that can cause conflict.…

Although support for parents has been common in Dutch policy and practice since the early 1990s, recent efforts are focusing on improving the match between supply and demand, improving coherence, and making it easier to identify and to access relevant support agencies; efforts are also focusing on prevention. This article examines how the…

The effects of career-related factors and ethnic background on career resilience were examined in a study of 467 graduate and undergraduate students (68 African American, 42 Hispanic, and 357 Anglo American). The students ranged in age from 17 through 56 years and were predominately from middle- to upper-middle-class homes. The 102-item Career…

This collection of three issues focuses on competencies for teachers of learners who are deaf-blind, living with deaf-blindness, and resources in Australia for parents and families of students who are deaf-blind. Articles include: (1) "Research-to-Practice Focus: Competencies for Teachers of Learners Who Are Deafblind" (Marianne Riggio),…

The Write for Your Life project allows students to examine life events that affect their health and well-being by creating spaces for them to inquire into the circumstances of their lives. This paper examines Write for Your Life in a Texas middle school with a diverse student population, focusing on three students' writing projects. (SM)