Traditionally, schools have often made decisions about instruction, discipline, and other schoolwide policies without youth involvement. And yet, research suggests that when students have choice, control, and leadership opportunities, their motivation and engagement increase, which in turn is linked with better educational outcomes. This new guide…

States and technical assistance centers have asked the Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO) for guidance on establishing and maintaining a peer learning community (PLC). This document is designed to delineate the steps to establish and sustain a Peer Learning Community (PLC). It begins with a definition of a PLC and then presents…

Peer support can be helpful in reducing the stress involved in giving birth to and raising a child with handicaps. A peer support group can help meet the parents' needs for information, emotional support, and ways to connect with social/health systems components. To be successful, a peer support system should be led by parents, have access to…

Peer networking, a shared learning activity in which people and ideas are linked in a mutually supportive environment, can allow the sharing of information and expertise, link people who share common interests, test new concepts, verify new ideas, and promote job opportunities. Guidelines for successful networking include listening attentively,…

Describes some of what educators have learned about the complex task they ask students to tackle when they put them in peer groups to talk with each other about their writing. Analyses the work of one peer revision group and illustrates the complicated work that students can engage in as they struggle to justify their writerly decisions to their…

An effective approach to camp staff orientation involves veteran staff leading orientation groups for new staff. In addition to familiarizing staff members with the camp, group leaders are responsible for making members feel at ease through activities. Details a highly successful five-day orientation led by veteran staff. (LP)

Erika Lindemann asserts that the purpose of freshman composition courses is primary and must precede any debate on whether or not literature may be taught in composition classrooms. A series of "I believe" statements about what a freshman composition course ought to do was developed. The primary purpose of a first-year writing course is…

Nancy Reagan discusses the problems of drug abuse by youth. The 1985 findings of the National Institute on Drug Abuse show a decline in marijuana and alcohol use by high school seniors. Mrs. Reagan emphasizes the importance of family support and the parent group movement as well as positive peer group support in the fight against youth drug abuse.…

A demonstration of a classroom writing group in action, this 35-minute interactive video and instructional booklet focus on writing as a shared act of communication. The videotape models structure and process rather than any particular kind of writing, and the group process can be adapted to a variety of writing tasks and requirements. The…

Peer presentations are a common way of sharing experience and expertise. But while most teachers are comfortable and confident in a classroom environment, the task of presenting to their peers may be formidable, and one for which they are ill prepared. Giving a peer presentation can help a teacher build his/her professional reputation, develop…

Describes a successful peer support group developed in a high school English department. After identifying teacher needs as educators, peers draw on each other's experiences instead of using outside experts. Claims the program is successful because teachers become actively involved in learning as they share with each other. (NH)

Reflective questioning creates opportunities for individuals to reflect aloud, be heard by one or more colleagues, and be prompted to expand and extend thinking through follow-up questions. The article examines the origin of reflective questioning, explains how to develop reflective questioning skills, and discusses outcomes associated with…

An approach for systematically observing and recording behavioral difference in the classroom is described, and its use with 11 behavior problem elementary students is discussed. The author points out the importance of peer sampling and the use of multiple observations to avoid erroneous conclusions. A case study of a second grade child…

This paper offers a synthesized review of the literature on student peer facilitator programs, in order to investigate and substantiate many of the ways in which peer facilitator programs extend and strengthen a guidance counselor's mission in the school. After an introductory discussion of the foundations and goals of successful peer facilitator…

Explains how parents can help their middle school students cope with cliques and find a sense of belonging in a healthy, positive way. This includes helping them identify the school's social hierarchy (the popular group, fringe group, friendship circles, and loners); discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each group; and helping them…