Discusses the importance of teaching communication skills to individuals with severe disabilities and reviews the development and evaluation of Developing Communicative Interactions, a data-based staff training program that supports the development of a prescribed set of interaction skills by interacting communication partners. (Author/CR)

Fund-raising professionals explain why private fund raising is important for metropolitan public universities, and describe the beginning of a $50-million campaign at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, a 33-year-old institution that had never mounted a major fund-raising effort. Development of campaign strategy, key campaign elements, and…

Argues that process evaluation is needed to validate prison-based substance abuse treatment effectiveness. Five groups--inmates, treatment staff, prison staff, prison administration, and the parole board--should be a part of this process evaluation. Discusses these five groups relative to three stages of development of substance abuse treatment in…

Explores how human resource professionals, with above average offer/acceptance ratios, streamline their recruitment efforts. Profiles company strategies with internships, internal promotion, cooperative education programs, and how to get candidates to accept offers. Also discusses how to use the offer/acceptance ratio as a measure of program…

Discusses the danger in producing showy events that appeal to the media and get positive attention and budgetary support for gifted programs, rather than focusing on the substance of those programs. Questions that professionals and parents should consider before embarking on a project or competition are provided. (CR)

Four formal outdoor education programs in Newfoundland and Labrador are briefly described: Brother Brennan Environmental Education Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, and College of the North Atlantic. Cooperation among these formal environmental and outdoor recreation programs, informal community outdoor…

Presents findings of a study of the effectiveness of drug-abuse-prevention programs. Included a survey of 5,000 students and interviews with 249 students in 40 focus groups. Outlines components of effective drug education. (three references) (LMI)

"Countering society's negative messages requires a planned, comprehensive approach that involves students, support staff" and the community, says Linda McKay, director of the Personal Responsibility Education Process (PREP) for St. Louis, Missouri, schools. Area schools have selected 49 different values as a focus for character…

Examines the library's efforts to refashion its bookmobile services. User studies convinced the staff of the Memphis/Shelby County (TN) public library system that its bookmobile fleet should be expanded with smaller, multipurpose vehicles, service child care centers, visit housing authority properties, and provide literacy training. Includes a…

Examined perceptions of teachers and principals regarding the effect of the North Dakota BRIDGES Project on reform efforts in middle level education. Found that funding of staff development, local study groups, networking among teachers and principals, external coaching, and a shared understanding of effective middle level practices were perceived…

Describes the Science on Wheels program developed by the chemistry department at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez (UPRM). The program combines science demonstrations with grade 7-12 science teacher training in a mobile unit that transfers resources from the UPRM campus to schools around the island. Contains 39 references. (DKM)

Describes the current state of evidence of effectiveness for replicable programs available to elementary and middle schools serving many students placed at risk, and provides Title I schools with information on the instructional outcomes of programs they might consider to meet student needs. Characteristics of programs identified as effective are…

States PUSH-UPS was developed to align Title I lessons in a pullout setting with the developmental reading program. Analyzes effects of PUSH-UPS and no PUSH-UPS on decoding, vocabulary knowledge, and story recall with five grade 3 subjects. Finds that PUSH-UPS increased decoding ability in four of the five subjects; improved recall occurred for…

Interviews the directors of university theater programs to find out about course offerings for K-12 educators who want to brush up their theatre skills. Finds that graduate programs are rare--most colleges concentrate on undergraduate theatre education programs; some sponsor certification programs. Discusses Masters programs at Roosevelt…

Discusses problems associated with accepting assumptions about the universal applicability of developmentally appropriate practices. Questions the need to separate the "developmental" from the "academic." Encourages early childhood educators to reassess issues pertaining to inclusion, exclusion, process vs. product, cultural…