In celebration of the International Year of the Child (IYC), this journal (1) proposes two additions to the Declaration of the Rights of the Child: the right to be well taught and the right to be taught a love of reading and writing; and (2) provides practical suggestions for teachers, parents, students, and principals to help them actively…

Various aspects of effective secondary school athletic program administration are discussed. Separate sections outline factors school principals should consider concerning role of the athletic program in the overall curriculum, program management, safety and care of equipment, criteria for student participation, participation requirements,…

This issue of the journal, "Seeds of Innovation," focuses on the teacher as learner, on creating successful supportive learning environments for professional growth and development. It draws from experiences of Tennessee adult basic education (ABE) practitioners who participated in the 1993-94 Literacy Trainers Institutes and the 1994-95 Learner…

There has recently been an explosion of interest and writing about autism, autism spectrum disorders, pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDDNOS). This issue of the "Early Childhood Bulletin" suggests readings for parents, therapists, and professionals serving on Interagency…

A number of spelling strategies are available to help students who do not have a good visual memory. Phonics is a valuable tool in the early grades. Many students benefit from studying word families. Mnemonic devices and tactile methods are also useful. Spelling gains importance when students write, although both the purpose for writing and the…

The evidence from research using expectancy theory is synthesized to develop a contingency model of incentives for involving teachers in professional development. Research findings that focused on the administrative challenge of motivating teachers to engage in curriculum development tasks are used to test the model. (MLF)

In recent years, researchers and practitioners have become increasingly interested in father/male involvement in early childhood programs. However, few empirical studies have examined early childhood educators' efforts to involve fathers in such programs. The purpose of the present investigation was to assess early childhood educators' efforts to…

This theme issue provides four articles that address family involvement in the transition of youth with disabilities from school to work. The first article, "Family Involvement" by Marge Goldberg and Shauna McDonald, offers evidence of the importance of family involvement at this stage of the individual's life, reports on families' experiences,…

This review of research on instructional improvement and teacher evaluation considers the complex issues affecting the K-8 principal's ability to enhance educational quality through effective supervision of the instructional process. According to several studies, teachers found formal evaluations far less valuable than direct assistance and…

This magazine aims to help high school teachers of civics, government, history, law, and law-related education program developers educate students about legal issues. This issue focuses on voting. It contains 11 articles: (1) "The Project of Democracy" (A. Keyssar) demonstrates how the story of the right to vote represents a slow and…

Physical educators must foster community involvement as an ongoing process and be committed to providing physical education to all students. Ways to involve communities and to strengthen community support for physical education programs are discussed. (CJ)

This compilation of four journal issues on gifted education in California focuses on the following topics: (1) literacy for the 21st century; (2) technology; (3) reflections on gifted education; and (4) politics. Major articles include: "English Language Arts in California's Schools: A New Beginning" (Diane Levin and Catherine Barkett);…

The parent-teacher conference is a valuable strategy to improve a student's performance. This news brief offers suggestions for developing a "parent friendly" handbook to help parents effectively prepare for teacher-parent conferences. The handbook should include the basic information, a statement that emphasizes the importance of the conference,…

This guide (with audiotape) offers information on helping students with disabilities become involved in developing their own Individualized Education Programs (IEP). The guide is organized into lesson plans which can be adapted to individual situations. Individual lessons focus on the following topics: (1) introductory work with students (such as…

Recent studies have verified Secretary of Education William Bennett's observation on the importance of home and family life. The most successful students are those whose parents become actively engaged in the educational process at home and at school. To capitalize on potential parent involvement, principals need to understand the kinds of…