This guide sets out the requirements and expectations for the development and delivery of programs for students with special needs in Alberta, Canada. First, it describes legislation (especially the School Act of 1988) and policy related to educating students with special needs. Next it specifies established requirements and expectations in the…

This manual describes "Check and Connect," a procedure to prevent high risk secondary students from dropping out of school. The purpose of the "check" component is to assess the extent to which students are engaged in school and signs of school withdrawal. The purpose of the "connect" component is to respond on a regular basis to students'…

Multigrade classes have been recognized as part of elementary education for many years, but their special needs have been largely ignored. This manual focuses on the survey research that should predate the design of instructional management strategies in multigrade classrooms. It describes rapid and reliable ways to collect information about the…

This book espouses service learning as an important and integral part of school for students. It stresses the positive benefits to be gained from service learning, as well as the good the activities do for the community. It notes that service learning should be used to promote a sense of civic responsibility and pride in students. It also promotes…

Developed jointly by Oregon's 17 community college presidents and the state Office of Community College Services, this strategic plan is designed to establish a common vision, define strategic directions, and identify implementation strategies for the coordinated delivery of distance learning (DL) services throughout Oregon's community colleges.…

A survey was conducted to determine demographic characteristics of existing early childhood education programs in Alaska. The survey was completed by 152 certified preschool programs and licensed out-of-home child care centers, representing 6,601 children and 1,093 staff members. Data were tabulated for questionnaire responses on children's…

In this study, a programmatic decision-making framework called the consensus marker-outcome variable system (CMOVS) was developed as a result of a comprehensive "meta-review" and synthesis of research on variables considered by experts to be important to learning for all students, including those with special needs or those at risk of failing. The…

This digest, in question and answer format, summarizes what is known about effective ways to provide fully educational services for gifted students in the regular classroom. The following questions are addressed: What are the steps to full service? (educators need to plan environments in which all students can fully develop their abilities and…

These hearing transcripts present testimony concerning the impact of proposed health care reforms on American elementary and secondary schools. The hearing focused on how the proposed Health Security Act would affect and benefit schools and how American schools can assist in realizing the objectives of the Act. Much of the testimony was presented…

This guide was developed to introduce families of young children with disabilities to the early intervention system. It describes early intervention services and defines the roles and responsibilities of parents and practitioners. The guide uses a question and answer format to present information on the following topics: (1) what is early…

This report proposes a preliminary basic math program that may help mitigate the student attrition problem at Contra Costa College (California). For the purposes of this proposal, Math 101, 115, and 118 are identified as courses to be included in the program. The essential features of this proposed curriculum are summarized as follows: (1) it…

This special report provides answers to six fundamental questions on prenatal cocaine exposure: (1) What problems do drug-exposed newborns have? (2) How many of these children are there? (3) How do we get pregnant women to avoid drugs and alcohol? (4) What should be done to help the families of substance abusers? (5) How do drug-exposed children…

A Youth Career Centre in South Alberta has been proposed to fulfill the career development needs of youth. The center should be based on the tenets of career development theory that suggest that five basic processes are necessary to facilitate the career development of youth: initiation, exploration, decision making, preparation, and…

This paper describes the activities of 50 rural special education teachers in providing life survival skills education to secondary learning disabled and behaviorally disturbed students as part of a special education inservice program at a land grant university. The program offered a yearlong, 9 credit hour, sequence of courses, which included…

A Performance Analysis for Training (PAT) Model was developed and validated for use in analyzing an organization's performance needs that can be solved with training. The PAT Model incorporated the perspectives of both theorists and practitioners on training needs assessment. Three training needs assessment experts evaluated its content and face…