This newsletter issue focuses on the issues surrounding and benefits of childcare that actively involves the family. Articles include: (1) "The Working Parents' Dilemma"; (2) "The Consortium of Family Organizations"; (3) "Children's Services: Directions for the Future"; (4) "Implementing Strategic Policies for…

Since 1975, when a federal task force first recommended educating mildly and moderately disabled students in the regular classroom, support has grown for full inclusion of all students in the mainstream. West Feliciana Parish (Louisiana), a poor rural school district in which all students are designated at-risk, has successfully integrated all…

The structure of a concept generally labeled "teacher efficacy" is examined. A sample of 342 prospective and experienced teachers was administered an efficacy questionnaire adapted from the research of S. Gibson and M. H. Dembo (1984). Factor analytic procedures with varimax rotation were used to generate a 2-factor solution that accounted for 32…

Components that should comprise a model for analyzing the impact of educational reform are discussed. An analytic framework is presented that consists of a synthesis from research of the following elements considered crucial in the formation of such a framework: (1) objectives or goals of the reform; (2) processes used to reach those objectives;…

This digest contains the following two articles on mentoring: "Mentoring in Educational Settings: Unresolved Issues and Unanswered Questions" (Olga M. Welch); and "Learning from the Field: Mentoring Projects in Field-based Settings" (Heidi Lynch). The first article describes mentoring in general and mentoring in the schools, examines some studies…

A team at the University of Connecticut Health Center developed a model ethics and law curriculum for Hospital Ethics Committee (HEC) members. A multi-disciplinary project team composed of philosophers, lawyers, physicians, and social scientists developed a 7-day intensive bioethics/health law/medicine curriculum. The team designed the curriculum…

This paper examines the college board governance system of the 23 Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology in Ontario, Canada, with an assessment of specific issues related to the system's effectiveness and suggestions for improvement. Contextual factors currently affecting the role of governing boards are discussed including a decline of…

Identity formation is a process in which successive identifications with parents, siblings, peers, teachers, folk heroes, and cultural groups are synthesized into a coherent, consistent, and unique whole. This study reports the case of a 13 year old female, Jane, of mixed Latino and European American heritage who was admitted for long-term…

The Personal Futures Planning Project created a person-centered planning model for developing and implementing individually designed transition services for 30 secondary-age youths with deaf-blindness in Kentucky. Project activities included: providing training and consultation in personal futures planning, providing consultation in planning and…

This study examined whether the inquiry-based problem solving model supports sustained exploration of a multimedia database. This model contains five steps: (1) analyze the discrepant event from which a problem question is generated; (2) generate questions; (3) gather data; (4) analyze information; and (5) evaluate self. A group of 24 seventh…

The Early Childhood Program in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Administration at Tuskegee University (Alabama) is described as a convergence of Jean Piaget's constructivism and John Dewey's progressivism. It is designed to provide preservice teachers with experiences that promote reflective practice and that view the learner as an…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined African-American parents' beliefs about their relationships with their children's schools. Telephone interviews were conducted with 147 parents of African-American children residing within the boundaries of a unified school district in a resort community in southern California. The study sought…

Research that has been conducted relating to the use of graphics and how various design variables interact with graphics in influencing the process of learning within individuals is explored. Research directions and approaches that may provide enhanced guidelines for integrating graphics into future interactive learning environments are described.…

This report presents distance education as a viable alternative to more traditional college course-offerings. The argument is made that the most effective competitive strategies are innovative and effective educational strategies, of which distance education is one. The report first discusses distance education in theory and practice and reviews…

In this paper, a former educator, now a family counselor traces the recent history of parent involvement programs and relates his experiences in developing a rationale and model for parents' involvement in their children's education. Since the 1950s, the mutual understanding between schools and families about their shared responsibility for…