The fictive account of a school board's problems with a new policy illustrates the need to involve all affected groups in the policy-making process. The "Sleepy Hollow Board of Education" early in the school year adopts a policy discontinuing social promotions of academically unqualified students. After a year of pressure and protest…

This publication provides information about the law and about law-related education. The Fall 2003 issue contains information about the following events and projects: "Youth and Police Trainings"; "Youth for Justice Teach-In"; "Lawyers in the Classroom"; "Project Citizen"; "Equal Justice under…

This factsheet presents numerous ways that parents can interact with their deaf-blind children. The challenges facing children with deaf-blindness are explained and compared to children without disabilities. Ways to recognize and then respond to children's actions are suggested, and tips for developing good communication are presented, including…

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…

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…

This guide contains procedures that were devised for use by parents of primary and intermediate grade children who were several years behind in their reading. Topics discussed in the guide's eight chapters are: how to arrange a time and place for reading at home, how to select suitable books for the child to learn from, how to help the child be an…

The use of volunteers is one answer to the short supply of human and financial resources in our nation's secondary schools. There is evidence that volunteer programs planned with broad based faculty-student involvement greatly enrich classroom activities. The principal holds a key role in assuring the success of volunteer programs by coordinating…

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…

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,…

Information is provided for parents of handicapped children, aged 0-2 years, on the uniqueness of each infant's learning processes and the valuable role that parents and others can play in helping their infants with special needs to make the most of their abilities. The digest examines parents' concerns during the infant's hospital stay and early…

Regardless of the location, the extent of a family's involvement in a child's early childhood program affects how well the child adjusts and how much he or she learns. When families take part in their children's educational programs; children do better in school, and the quality of their education can improve. This 2-page issue of "The Early…