Presents a model for the analysis of the potential for computer-based instruction in the education and training systems of developing nations and applies the model to Bulgaria as an example. Highlights include economic and sociopolitical conditions; cultural sensitivity; workforce requirements; teacher skills; available technology; and support…

Provides a brief description of a distance education program applied to inservice teacher training in Portugal. Written materials, radio, television programs, and the self-assessment system are described; and statistics are provided. (EAM)

Describes a study of the school improvement target areas used by the 18 Kansas high schools initially involved in Outcomes Accreditation. Suggests that the most common cognitive targets were communication, mathematics, curriculum design, and academic success, whereas the most common affective targets were student behavior, school climate, and…

Highlights several articles with relevance for outcomes accreditation, focusing on the education and power of superintendents, reasons for the failure of school reform efforts, the value of educational research, educational leadership, principals' perceptions of educational reform, teacher conflicts/participation in shared decision making,…

Discusses the ways that high school English-as-a-Second-Language teachers might ask students to translate into English their own original poetry written in their original languages. Questions the "English Only" rule often proscribed for such classes. Describes how one teacher succeeded in having students translate their own poems. (HB)

Parents and teachers help children develop their intelligence by mediating their learning experiences. When children seek such mediation by asking questions, parents and teachers can use one of seven responses. The single most helpful response is to take children's questions seriously and turn them into golden thinking and learning opportunities.…

This paper shares insights on assessment of students with reading difficulties, focusing on the value of student self-reflections, teacher observations of student strategies, analysis of student "products," and knowledge of students' strengths and struggles. The article supports the idea of knowledge as a socially constructed process influenced by…

This article addresses the potential and the challenges of scaffolded instruction within the context of an exploratory study of the implementation of mediated collaborative problem solving. Implementation of the model for self-regulation with students experiencing reading difficulties is described, with suggestions for making scaffolded…

This paper proposes for consideration by intervention researchers two instructional parameters that potentially can promote transfer of learned strategies in students with learning disabilities. The two parameters are mediating student mindfulness during strategy learning and at transfer and engaging in transfer-promoting instruction. (JDD)

This article presents a rationale for comprehensive developmental assessment for infants with cleft palates/lips and related disorders. The assessment model is based on risk factors influencing early development and on clinical research on developmental outcomes. Implications on the clinical assessment process and early intervention are discussed.…

This article discusses forces affecting the advance of technology-based assessment in special education, noting the improved quality achieved through merger of assessment methods and electronic technology including networking, expert systems, authoring software, and multimedia. It notes, however, that the potential of technology-based assessment…

This article provides an overview of procedures commonly used in prenatal screening and diagnosis including ultrasound, amniocentesis, chorionic villus biopsy, maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis. Emphasis is on the role of the early interventionist in supporting families during prenatal diagnosis. (Author/DB)

Presents a class activity in which student describe and classify music as an introduction to writing classification essays. (SR)

Offers a model lesson that uses television commercials to foster in students a more sophisticated awareness of audience. (SR)

Examines the use and various kinds of writing undertaken by people in different professions. Outlines an activity in which students write to famous people and inquire about the kind of writing they do in their everyday lives. Shows how this activity stimulates and inspires students. (HB)