An informal survey of 20 major urban school districts found that 40% were currently operating in a "break down" maintenance mode. A majority, 57.9%, also indicated they saw considerable benefits in contracting for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) maintenance services with outside firms. Offers guidelines in selecting…

Examines the relative contributions of the school and the family to the bilingual development of francophone minority group students in western Canada. The implications for the survival of the French language in western Canada are discussed. (74 references) (GLR)

A study using instructional cards about appropriate developmental and behavioral expectations of children and nonviolent approaches to child behavior management child with pregnant and parenting teenagers (approximate n=1,890). Found significant positive gains on all questions. Knowledge gains were generally sustained over several months. (BRM)

Positive reinforcement (food) presented both regularly and variably was effectively used to reduce self-stimulatory behavior in a 12-year-old profoundly retarded visually impaired male over a 2-month period. The improved behavior was maintained after the summer break and into the new school year. (DB)

This study found that 24 children (age 7-16) with mental retardation and 30 normal children were similar in remembering which of a series of tasks they performed or only imagined performing. Performance was more accurate at an immediate interview compared to an interview eight weeks later, and children remembered activities performed better than…

This study, involving four secondary-age students with moderate to severe mental retardation, found that four response prompting conditions (progressive time delay and the system of least prompts, both with and without a descriptive consequent event) were effective in teaching reading of recipe words with similar efficiency and maintenance. (JDD)

Discussion of French language planning focuses on two different roles: official, cherished language of France and international language subject to outside influence. Three areas of concern are discussed: borrowing from English; lexical variation outside France; and influence of computer science on language, particularly the use of spell-checking…

This article outlines a research project conducted in Perpignan in 1988 that sought to discover and describe the varieties of language present in the town, patterns of language use and language attitudes among inhabitants. The research took the form of a questionnaire survey, used with a representative sample of the population. (Contains 10…

A survey of 78 adults and adolescents of Cree ancestry in Fisher River, Manitoba, examined language proficiency, language use, and attitudes about language use in various public and private contexts. Generational differences on several measures suggest that adults were more favorable than teenagers toward Cree language maintenance and vitality.…

Describes how to select the right computerized maintenance-management system for school buildings through careful analysis of building needs and budgetary constraints. Discusses deciding on the use of implementation services following a maintenance system evaluation and selection process. Lists various companies involved in maintenance, energy,…

Presents data from the American School & University's annual Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Cost Study for the 1997-98 school year. Data include trends in building-operations-staff salaries and M&O costs expressed in dollars per student and per square foot. Results indicate an underfunding of M&O that may not provide students…

Discusses the myriad of challenges facing urban schools and the problems their districts must struggle through in finding solutions. The severity of these problems, such as additional facility demand, school deterioration, increasing rates of school takeovers, and tight budgets are described. (GR)

Examines the options for upgrading, replacing, and removal or closure of underground storage tanks (UST). Reveals the diverse regulatory control involving USTs, the Environmental Protection Agency's interest in pursuing violators, and stresses the need for administrators to be knowledgeable about state and local agency definitions of regulated…

New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's recent private-school voucher proposal has strained his close collaboration with Chancellor Rudolf F. Crew. Shackled by its immensity and complexity, the system has too many failing schools and students. Higher Regents standards, disappearing principal tenure, and lagging school repairs may further erode public…

This discussion of library preservation practices for information and cultural materials of value focuses on digital technology. Discusses controlled environments, reformatting, and emergency-preparedness strategies. A sidebar describes the Library of Congress's "American Memory" project to convert information in traditional media to an…