The 2012-2013 school year represents a pivotal juncture for DC Public Schools. Last spring, Mayor Gray and Chancellor Kaya Henderson introduced "A Capital Commitment," their ambitious plan to dramatically accelerate student achievement in the district over the next five years by providing all of their students with a safe, academically…

During the past 2 decades, pivotal response treatment (PRT) has emerged as an evidence-based methodology for intervening with the behavioral, communicative, social, and academic impairments of children with autism. Unlike other highly structured behavioral interventions for autism, PRT emphasizes principles over procedures and focuses on enhancing…

This manual is designed to fill two distinct needs in the school maintenance field: (1) a text or resource in training new maintenance staff members and in staff development, and (2) a reference source for the routine tasks and problems encountered in school sanitation and maintenance. Section 1 covers the basics of good school maintenance,…

This report identifies seven strategic practices for effectively managing preventive maintenance of Minnesota school district, city, and county buildings; and profiles local jurisdictions currently using them. The following best practices for preventive maintenance are recommended: (1) inventory building components and assess their conditions; (2)…

This survey questionnaire and self-analysis tool identifies most of the variables that impact institutional custodial operations and that serve as reliable standardized benchmarks for the industry. The survey also clearly defines several benchmarks that should allow more accurate and effective comparisons between operations. Sections cover…

This manual and videotape provides guidance on establishing effective school ground maintenance and management practices that link the grounds development phases with appropriate management. The video provides an overview of the key issues by showing approaches adopted by five different schools, and the manual explores these issues in greater…

This document provides guidance on the overall electrical services and maintenance strategy in educational facilities, the individual components of which are considered in the following sections: record documentation and systems; inspection and testing; condition appraisal; maintenance requirements; and maintenance works procedures. Other sections…

A satellite seminar on large-scale food production equipment discusses ways child nutrition personnel can maximize use of existing equipment, considers research related to use of existing equipment, explains plan reviews for equipment selection and purchase, and explores new equipment options. Examples illustrate use of planning or modernizing…

This manual is a guide for performing energy audits in school buildings using low- and no-cost measures found effective in Minnesota. The manual helps school maintenance and administrative personnel conduct walk-through inspections of school buildings, focusing on the energy efficiency of their equipment and operations. The measures recommended…

This manual presents practical methods and procedures to help school custodians ensure safe, functioning facilities and to reflect the district's standards. The guide begins with brief discussions of custodial organization, staff relationships, and maintenance staff. The section "Job Descriptions by Titles" lists functions of custodial positions.…

This book is designed for established counselors, pastors, social workers, nurses, psychologists, and mental health professionals; it can also be used as a text for counselor training programs or as a reference tool for beginning counselors. It offers a new strategy for helping professionals who are not comfortable fitting their philosophy of…

A literature review on treatment of physically abused children and physically abusive parents is presented. A variety of treatments is documented, with the most popular for children being therapeutic daycare emphasizing improving developmental skills. Although most programs demonstrated some improvement with treatment, many included no or very…

The job of operating school plants so as to utilize their potentialities in promoting an effective educational program is one that requires training, knowledges, skills, and services of a specialized nature. School officials in charge of school plant management are primarily responsible for developing an operating program that will meet this…

Ways in which school facility planners, managers, and others can guard against the potential indoor air quality (IAQ) problems presented by paint are covered in this bulletin. It opens with an overview of paint formulations and the functional quality of different paints, paying special attention to the volatile organic compounds present in some…

Ways in which carpeting can affect a school's indoor air quality (IAQ) are discussed. Carpeting is defined as a system of components that includes pads, adhesives, floor preparation compounds, and seam sealers. For the last several years, these products have been increasingly scrutinized as to how they affect IAQ. Carpeting gives off volatile…