This "ERIC Digest" discusses the components of an effective educational program for students who are gifted. The paper defines the term "program" and distinguishes between programs and provisions. Eight major components of an effective program are noted: needs assessment, definition of population, identification procedures,…

Vocational education has suffered enrollment problems simply because there are fewer students today than a few years ago. Other factors that have hurt vocational enrollments include recent efforts to increase the number of academic credits required for graduation, and in the case of area vocational-technical schools, negative attitudes toward…

Noting that research has shown that the more extensive the parent involvement, the higher the student achievement, this Digest discusses standards for parent/family involvement and describes online resources that can help parents and educators attain those standards. It discusses existing national standards for family involvement programs and…

This digest discusses how urban schools can implement distance learning programs through customized development of the three elements crucial to a successful distance education program: (1) sound instructional design; (2) appropriate technology applications; and (3) support for teachers, students, and collaborative partners. A distance learning…

This digest explores the concept of mentoring with gifted students and offers guidelines on its implementation. The literature on mentoring is reviewed, noting the maturing effect of mentor relationships and the particular value of mentors for disadvantaged students and for females. Among six guidelines offered are: decide what (not whom) the…

This digest offers guidelines for group advocacy efforts on behalf of gifted education. Four potential pitfalls are identified: using an adversarial rather than a persuasive approach; assuming that people in administrative and political positions are not too bright or not very knowledgeable--or both; being impatient; and ineffectively coping with…

Vocational educators, policymakers, and Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) service providers are developing an increasing awareness of the educational and economic benefits of joint planning and coordination between vocational education and the JTPA. However, some basic differences between the goals, planning procedures, and operating practices…

This Digest discusses the importance of and ways to foster activity and exercise in children. Following an introduction, the Digest is organized into four sections. The first section deals with the significant health benefits of physical activity, including: reduction in chronic disease risk; lowered risk of colon cancer; increase in bone density;…

Principals should support school libraries because it is in both their students' and their own best interest to do so. Quality library media programs can enhance student achievement, and informed, committed librarians can help principals enhance their own administrative practice. This ERIC Digest discusses improving student achievement, including…

This digest reviews and summarizes what is known about effective school-wide behavioral management systems. Emphasis in such systems is on consistency throughout the building and across classrooms with the entire staff, both professional and nonprofessional, uniformly implementing common strategies. Common features of school-wide behavioral…

There has been a significant increase in new foreign language programs at the elementary school level in recent years. Many of these programs, often referred to as foreign language in the elementary school or FLES programs, have been implemented to comply with state mandates, while others have been developed in response to parental pressure for…

This digest, based on a larger document titled, "Homeless and in Need of Special Education," by L. Juane Heflin and Kathryn Rudy, focuses on educational aspects of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. Briefly discussed are: the effects of homelessness on children (e.g., increased health problems); the educational implications…

Immersion is defined as a method of foreign language instruction in which the regular school curriculum is taught through the medium of the language. The foreign language is the vehicle for content instruction; it is not the subject of instruction. Different questions pertaining to the following subjects are answered: (1) long-range goals of a…

This digest reviews a variety of the policies, programs, and practices to prevent youth violence so that local leaders can base decisions on the experience of other communities. The effectiveness of school violence prevention initiatives is increased by public policies that reinforce their message and by community programs that attempt to prevent…

School volunteers come from many sources and provide a wide range of services at both the elementary and secondary levels. Senior citizens have discovered that volunteering offers an avenue for exercising skills and talents gained through a lifetime of experience. In schools across the country, older adults are being brought into classrooms, to…