Examines factors underlying the disappearance of Native American languages, examines success stories of language maintenance, and offers possible solutions to the problem of the disappearance of these minority languages and the accompanying loss of cultural identity. (20 references) (Author/CK)

Discussion of managed health care looks at its evolution and characteristics, implications for medical education, and the competencies needed by physicians in this new environment, including epidemiological thinking, understanding of human and organizational behavior, familiarity with information technology, quality control skills, knowledge of…

Considers the career and contributions of Samad Behrangi, Iranian educator and childrens' author. Behrangi worked as an itinerant rural teacher in Iran during the 1960s and 1970s. Supporters link his suspicious death in 1977 to his criticism of the Reva Pahlavi regime. (MJP)

Rejecting assimilationist notions, proposes Jewish education emphasize the Jewish minority status and sense of separateness. Recommends that Jewish education stress commands and customs that reassert ethnic identity as well as foods, fashion, festivals, and family. Defends this approach on sociological and theological grounds. (MJP)

Examines two initiatives to revitalize Quechua, the language of the Incas: Bolivia's 1994 reform incorporating the provision of bilingual intercultural education; and a community-based effort to incorporate Quichua as a second language instruction in a school in Ecuador. Points out that census records and sociolinguistic studies document a…

Academic medical centers, threatened by erosion of infrastructure, declining academic workforce, marketplace forces diminishing quality and access, and shrinking funds, must not rely on managed care, the pharmaceutical industry, or foundations to provide necessary support. They must communicate the dangers they face and persuade government to…

To foster economic growth in the Navajo communities served by Crownpoint Institute of Technology, an initiative developed networks among educational, industrial, and nonprofit organizations. By promoting the sharing of knowledge between Navajo medicine men and veterinarians, Crownpoint has developed high quality training, employment, and small…

A bilingual education teacher from Alaska discusses the problem of Native language loss, his efforts to achieve literacy in his native Cheyenne language, and the important role bilingual education teachers have in language preservation. Strategies for language preservation include creating literature in Native languages and encouraging Native…

A 4-day conference in late 2001 examined challenges facing Native people in the 21st century and the positive thinking required for future generations. Thirty-three intergenerational participants shared indigenous wisdom specific to land and economy, education and socialization, governance and leadership, health and reproduction, and…

Two preservice teachers working with middle school students with severe disabilities participated in this study of the acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of skills relating to use of positive consequences and instructional prompts. Results indicated that immediate feedback was more effective than delayed feedback, skills were maintained…

Studies the long-term effects of transitional (TBE) and maintenance (MBE) bilingual instructional programs on development of native and English oral language proficiency for 125 TBE-instructed Vietnamese and 298 MBE-instructed Hispanic American children from kindergarten through second grade. Discusses significant findings on positive and negative…

Describes the second-language and native language maintenance programs of Brunswick North Primary School (Australia), a school that offers its students opportunities to learn Turkish, Italian, Greek, or Arabic. An integrated curriculum ensures that students acquire or maintain a language other than English. (SLD)

Documents and evaluates Israel's language policy shift from its traditional Hebrew-enforcement policy to the fostering of an immigrant language as a channel of information and culture in the face of a sudden 10% addition to its population due to one-half million Soviet migrants attached to Russian culture. (33 references) (Author/CK)

The board certification movement was founded out of a concern for the quality of care, and today, more than 85% of all physicians licensed to practice medicine in the United States have been certified by an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) member board. There is increasing evidence of a need for continuous monitoring and promotion of…

Maintenance and operations (M&O) requirements dominate the life-cycle cost of a school facility. Historically, facility managers have struggled to secure funding to meet these requirements. Many deferred-maintenance issues result directly from M&O underfunding. However, new approaches and technologies now enable facility managers to use…