This document, which is based on information gathered during a 1998 study of how study circle programs contribute to community problem solving, presents best practices for producing community-wide study circles. The best practices are illustrated through stories that are grouped into five sections on the following themes: (1) creating a…

This book contain papers 13 papers on enhancing inter-firm networks, including by intervening in mergers and acquisitions and developing strategic alliances and partnerships. The following papers are included: "Introduction" (Anthony F. Buono); "Making Mergers and Acquisitions Work: A Guide to Consulting Interventions" (Mitchell Lee Marks);…

The resurgence of "lifelong learning" has renewed consideration of the nature of "working knowledge." Lifelong learning has many aspects, including construction and distribution of individuals' very self-hood, educational institutions' role in capturing informal experiences, and the juggling required between family and…

Methodological analyses of sexual victimization research are still rare, despite the explosion of interest in this topic and widely varying rates across studies. In-depth analysis of the meaning of differences in rates is especially lacking. A series of five ethnically and geographically diverse focus groups were held to explore how wording in…

The history of (external) quality assurance schemes in European higher education since ca. 1980 is sketched in this article. The three pioneering countries in Western Europe are taken as models of different developments and contrasted with the rise of accreditation in Central and Eastern Europe after 1989. Using theoretical insights, the dynamics…

This article focuses on the social practices of propagating and circulating memes within Internet environments as a significant dimension of cultural production and transmission. Memes (pronounced "meems") are contagious patterns of cultural information that are passed from mind to mind and which directly shape and transmit key actions and…

This handbook was written to share the feelings, experiences, and knowledge of parents of children with emotional disorders. The first chapter, "Feelings Come First," considers recognition of unusual behavior patterns underlying emotional disturbances and the difficulty of determining their causes, their impact on the family, and coping…

The 13 papers in this book deal with issues concerning sexual harassment on college campuses including the abuse of power and ways to set up policy statements and develop effective grievance procedures. Part 1 examines legal, methodological, and conceptual issues of harassment; Part 2 considers issues of abuse of the power of the professoriate and…

Terms and concepts currently in use in adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction are defined and explained. They include: authentic or alternative assessment; computer-assisted language learning; critical literacy theory; family and intergenerational literacy; multiple intelligences and learning styles; practitioner inquiry, reflective…

Central government's supply-side expansions of schooling have not equally benefited all members of society, especially girls, indigenous peoples, tribal groups, disadvantaged minorities, and the poor. Public spending on education is often inefficient, higher education is subsidized at primary education's expense, and costs are becoming…

Central governments' supply-side expansions of schooling have not equally benefited all members of society, especially girls, indigenous peoples, tribal groups, disadvantaged minorities, and the poor. Public spending on education is often inefficient, higher education is subsidized at primary education's expense, and costs are becoming…

This book is intended to provide an information base for policy and program planners developing collaborative interagency programs for children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Its focus is on the multiagency planning and services required by such children and their families. Guidelines for program development are presented…

This handbook on preventing child abuse is intended to help families with young children, especially young children who have or are at risk for disabilities, and to help people working with such families. After an introductory section which presents basic definitions, the first chapter presents highlights of the Education of the Handicapped Act…

This guide for parents of gifted children in South Dakota provides information and help in the following areas: (1) identifying personal feelings about giftedness (a self-assessment instrument); (2) deciding who is gifted (including federal and South Dakota definitions); (3) characteristics of giftedness (myths versus facts); (4) the school's role…

This collection of 22 essays examines the use of records of achievement (student profiles or portfolios) in higher and vocational education in the United Kingdom. They include: (1) "Records of Achievement: Background, Definitions, and Uses" (Alison Assiter and Eileen Shaw); (2) "Profiling in Higher Education" (Alison Assiter…