Saint Louis University has achieved a no-cost expansion of its staff and services by implementing a graduate-level Research Administration Practicum. The practicum has a dual focus: to enhance the graduate experience by integrating research skills and theory with practice; and to provide more staff at minimal expense. (MLW)

Attributes the success of Pacific University's popular Asian Languages program to an interdisciplinary collaboration effort and outside funds, allowing for various multifaceted activities that broadened program support. (CB)

Discusses the contexts where virtual reality (VR) training environments might be appropriate; examines the advantages and disadvantages of VR as a training technology; and presents a case study of a VR training environment used at the NASA Johnson Space Center in preparation for the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope. (AEF)

Teachers for Chicago is a graduate-level program addressing the need to select, train, and retain talented, dedicated newcomers for urban schools. It was conceived as a teacher preparation program combining robust academic preparation, an internship, support from experienced mentors, and employment incentives. A second-year evaluation survey…

Tested the effects on achievement of the High/Scope K-3 Curriculum. Found that the High/Scope Follow through children scored significantly better on achievement tests than they would have in regular classes without this program. However, the evaluation was incomplete in that such tests do not assess important High/Scope K-3 Curriculum goals. (WP)

Methods of evaluating college and university student financial aid policies are examined in two case studies of institutions using different aid strategies: one that rewarded a few high-achieving students and one that emphasized student self-help. It is concluded that such research can be helpful to institutions in determining appropriate…

Describes the five-week, tuition-free Prefreshman Summer Program developed by the College of Staten Island to reduce or eliminate the need for developmental courses during the academic year. The program includes intensive reading, writing, and mathematics instruction, supplemental tutoring, college orientation, counseling, and academic advising.…

The Seattle (Washington) Homeless Adolescent Research Project implemented Project Passage to provide individualized mental health services to homeless adolescents, involving assessment, linkage, advocacy, counseling, treatment teams, and crisis service. Participants evidenced lower levels of aggression and greater satisfaction with quality of life…

A study compared college student income and cost of living (housing, food, and some additional expenses) in relation to income at Leeds Polytechnic and five other geographically diverse British institutions. The study was undertaken to assess the need for and impact of a new national student loan program. (MSE)

Three university programs of continuous quality improvement, based on the Total Quality Management approach, are described. The institutions are the Georgia Institute of Technology; Pennsylvania State University; and University of Maryland at College Park. The report attempts to look beyond the mechanics of the programs to discover what is being…

The techniques and experiences of two private elementary and secondary schools and three higher education institutions with fund raising by phonathon are described. Institutions include the Columbus School for Girls (Ohio), Centre College (Kentucky), Kansas State University, Whitman College (Washington), and the Eaglebrook School (Massachusetts).…

This paper describes an accelerative instructional program in algebra provided to a sixth-grade boy, highly able in mathematics, by parental home tutoring. The boy's high intrinsic motivation and teaching sensitive to his needs and abilities led to successful achievement. (DB)

The 1989-90 Year of Discernment project of the Catholic schools of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Canada), is described. The year-long process of dialogue and consultation involved 700 parents, studied ways of involving parents more fully in the education of their children, and emphasized the religious dimension of education. (SLD)

This report presents case studies of 4 adults with autism who enrolled in a work-training program utilizing a behavioral social interaction approach, and were subsequently competitively employed for 6 to 30 months. Success was associated with such factors as appropriate communication and interpersonal skills, gradual fading of supervision, and…

A study assessed the effectiveness of medical resident training programs during 1983-88 by evaluating students' certification scores and comparing them to the program's evaluation of students' clinical competence. Results are reported and analyzed for top-rated, university-affiliated, and non-university-affiliated programs, focusing on trends over…