The purpose of this study was to validate competencies necessary for effective work in early intervention with infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing. These were developed and implemented in the context of a graduate professional preparation program in early intervention in deaf education. This interdisciplinary, family-centered…

Hispanics are twice as likely as non-Hispanic Whites to have diabetes and are also at higher risk for diabetes-related complications and poorer outcomes. The prevalence of diabetes is inversely related to educational status. Low literacy is common, especially among older Hispanics. Little literature exists on formative research to create diabetes…

Research was undertaken to assess the role of primary school teachers with regard to the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Structured and semi-structured questionnaires were responded to by 210 teachers drawn from primary schools in Eastern Nigeria (with pupils aged 6-15 years). These were supplemented by focus group discussions and…

This article examines the diversity of practices utilized by working-class and poor black and Latina/o families to support their children's college-going processes. We employ the work of feminists, scholars of color, and critical ethnographers to critique the power undergirding the monolithic model establishing one entry point of parental…

This qualitative investigation studies the impact of belonging to a high school Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA or Alliance) on the lives of seven students. Individual and focus group interviews were conducted over a two-year time period. The author used voices of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and straight students to relate the experiences unique to each…

Girls and young women are bearing the heaviest burden of the rising HIV epidemic in the English-speaking Caribbean. Previous research has highlighted the importance of understanding geographical and sociocultural factors in the spread of HIV among this population. This paper reports an exploratory case study which assessed the role of social…

This monograph describes results of focus group interviews with 16 regular and special education teachers in Kentucky concerning their experience with including students with disabilities in regular education classrooms. An introduction notes the trend away from selective mainstreaming toward increased inclusion of students with disabilities in…

In response to a need expressed by Kentucky teachers for curriculum guides as a very important priority that should be addressed to improve instruction and learning as part of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA), the study reported here was undertaken. The study investigated the extent to which the state documents and guidelines had been…

This study examined the involvement of special education teachers with school-linked services (SLS) programs at their California schools. Telephone interviews were conducted with 25 resource and 8 special day teachers at 33 Healthy Start elementary schools, as well as from focus groups conducted with special education teachers at 2 case-study…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between suspensions and expulsions of African American students, teacher effectiveness, and school safety in New Orleans (Louisiana) public schools. Preliminary evaluations for the 1995-96 school year are presented. The initial phase of data collection focused on focus group interviews…

This report examines the contrasting views of parents and students about what goes on in and around the school building. Two focus groups and eight in-depth interviews were conducted with children in the New York City area in addition to interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,000 parents of children in public schools and classroom…

The existential Gestalt approach to facilitating the human growth process is discussed, from somewhat different vantage points, in these papers. Two seek to elaborate the basic principles and facilitating "techniques" of Gestalt therapy, while maintaining that one can truly understand only by experiencing. The use of Focus Groups, in which a focal…

The Office of Policy and Evaluation of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State contracted with SRI International to conduct a series of assessments of outcomes and impacts of various specialized exchange programs under the overall umbrella of the Fulbright Educational Exchange Program, the U.S. government's…

This book details an ethnographic study focused on how children think and talk about media representations of violence, gender, race, colonialism, and social class. Participating in the study were 162 elementary school students in Hawaii. Groups of 6- to 12-year-olds viewed clips from 2 television commercials and 2 movies and were later…

The report combines survey findings and data from interviews and focus-group sessions on recruiting minority group members for the private college or university governing board. It discusses real and perceived obstacles and recommends resources to assist institutions. Recommendations are based on two premises: (1) more minorities are needed on…