Twenty-five schoolhouse-tested topics for making inservice meetings more responsive to current interests are listed and discussed (beginning with "Robots Are the Future"). An additional 43 topics are listed only (beginning with "Teaching the Child of Divorce"). (BRR).

This article highlights some projects that are currently being undertaken by business-education partnerships at the local level. The authors also suggest some guidelines for both educators and business people as they start to explore the development of more partnerships in the future. (CT)

Staff development is the key to middle school effectiveness, and this article lists characteristics of an effective staff development program, examples of activities and topics, and questions for program evaluation. (DCS)

Discusses the danger in producing showy events that appeal to the media and get positive attention and budgetary support for gifted programs, rather than focusing on the substance of those programs. Questions that professionals and parents should consider before embarking on a project or competition are provided. (CR)

Teachers and staff as well as students are not immune to substance abuse. Presented are simple guidelines on what to look for in physical effects, what to do if someone is suspected, and how to get help. (SI)

Education and training of management personnel in developing nations have been patterned after the American system. Unfortunately, efforts at transplanting such knowledge has neglected the cultural nuances unique to the various nations, resulting in incomplete success. Intercultural communication barriers can be posed by such cultural features as…

An evaluation form used at Ashland College (Ohio) for critical evaluation of educational software is presented. The form covers basic product information, program content, educational appropriateness, organizational and technical components, teacher's manual, and product revision. (MBR)

The inservice program described here provides workshop participants with background theory on young children's outdoor gross motor play, outdoor program design, playground apparatus, and alternative methods for providing gross motor experiences for young children. A brief description of the study's purpose and hypotheses is provided in Chapter I.…

After-school programs have the potential to keep children safe and out of trouble and can help to improve the academic performance of the increasing numbers of participating children. This report presents positive research on after-school programs and examples illustrating the potential of high-quality after-school activities to keep children…

The practice profile is a standardized, systematic, cost-effective tool for summarizing the components and requirements of a program in a manner that permits comparison with other programs or selection of discrete components from various programs. It provides a component checklist, a precise list of implementation requirements, and a system for…

Emphasizes that since adults seek basic reading instruction for a variety of reasons (e.g., to further job status, to improve skills for their children's sake), planning programs should provide theory-based instruction that focuses on learner needs. (NKA)

Discusses issues to be considered in efforts to determine whether programs are effective for improving education of all middle school students. Details directions effective programs are taking in mathematics, reading, writing and language arts, thinking skills, science, and social studies. Discusses common components of the programs. (BB)

Capital improvements programming is one financial managment technique for providing public services within the constraints of limited financial resources--a particular problem for communities experiencing rapid population growth. Long-range planning and improvement of public facilities for water supply, sewage treatment, parks and recreation,…

A product of the Project on Vocational Education Models for Linking Agencies Serving the Handicapped, this manual describes various federal agencies and national organizations and outlines their policies and activities related to interagency agreements. (The above-mentioned project is designed to help states meet the needs of students at the…

This report is designed as a guide for policymakers and practitioners interested in designing more effective staff development practices. It provides information about elements of effective staff development practices identified through a review of research and site visits to nine staff development programs identified as providing effective…