Offers schools and parent-teacher groups an organized, systematic approach to the development, building, and maintenance of a safe playground. Includes advice on (1) initial planning strategies; (2) safety guidelines for the selection of equipment and surface materials; (3) layout and design; and (4) installation and maintenance. (TJQ)

Seventeen convicted male child sexual offenders underwent brief structured group treatment to reduce denial of sexual offenses. Treatment consisted of victim empathy, cognitive restructuring, assertiveness and social skills, education about sex offender therapy, and other elements. Following treatment, the majority of offenders came out of denial…

This study found that use of a simultaneous prompting procedure was effective in training expressive object identification to three preschool students with developmental delays. The acquired identifications were maintained up to three weeks and generalized across persons and materials at high rates. (Author/JDD)

A story is told of how inner-city youth organizations use dramas that young people write, cast, and direct to enable them to retain their first language or dialect while gaining standard English and preparing for job entry. The story ends with implications for the language classroom. (seven references) (Author/LB)

Four studies evaluated perceptions of fluency of persons who had been treated with the "smooth speech" fluency shaping technique. The studies examined (1) client satisfaction with treatment; (2) increased employment opportunities for program completers; (3) employer perceptions of employees' speech quality; and (4) possible determinants…

Deregulation of the Australian telecommunications industry requires university managers who understand telephone system operations and maintenance and careful selection among various telecommunications options. Required are an institutional telecommunications policy and comprehensive records of the technical performance of a telecommunications…

The combined effects of double-prompting and booster session procedures on the social behavior of four socially withdrawn preschool children were investigated. Results indicated that the intervention procedures increased subjects' initiations in organizing play, sharing, and assisting and that there were collateral increases in subjects'…

The relationship between U.S. national policies on literacy, available literacy programs, and individual lives is examined. A discussion of the pressures to become literate in English is followed by an analysis of language use in immigrant families and the effect of native language loss. Recommendations regarding the plurality of literacies are…

As many as 25% of American school buildings are inadequate. However, many districts have reduced maintenance to pay utility bills. An active energy-management program can lower utility costs through efficient operation and maintenance practices and retrofits that pay back in less than three years. (MLF)

Discusses planning techniques that help reduce washroom vandalism and also comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Guidelines for washroom accessories are highlighted, and accessory mounting and location tips are explored. Suggests use of heavy-duty installation configurations in combination with institutional hardware and…

With the increasing focus on educational facilities, facilities managers are experiencing heightened scrutiny over their roles. This report examines the kinds of questions that school board members, superintendents, and administrators are asking facilities managers and the possible consequences of this new attention, such as more outsourcing. (RJM)

Explores some of the factors to consider before school planners decide to buy new school buses. Provides a checklist to help build and maintain a bus fleet. Concludes by addressing bus safety and advertising. (GR)

Presents survey data on school maintenance and operations (M & O) budgets that show school districts nationwide are allocating, for the second year in a row, a smaller proportion of their budgets to preserve and run their facilities. M & O comparable cost-data are listed on a per-student and per-building square-footage basis for nine…

Presents survey data on school maintenance and operations (M & O) budgets that show colleges are addressing facilities concerns by increasing M & O funding. M & O comparative-cost data are listed on a per-full-time student and per-building square-footage basis for all colleges, and two- and four-year schools. M & O administrative…

In 1998, the Making the Grade National Program Office and the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care sponsored a workshop on the relationship between the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and school-based health centers. This paper presents information from the workshop and uses experiences from Colorado and Connecticut as case…