The integration of the behavioral technique of performance contracting into the family therapy modality is discussed. A case example is presented and a sample contract is included in the text. Particular attention is paid to the use of contracting as a means of circumventing initial phase resistance in families. (Author)

Executive coaching is an emerging field with broad demand and subsequent growth in service providers. The International Coach Federation (ICF) reports a membership of over 5500 coaches, and there is likely a large but indeterminate number of practicing coaches that do not belong to that organization. Enterprises around the globe are utilizing the…

Educational technologies, specifically computer and the Internet technologies, have apparently become powerful tools in the classroom as they change the way we teach and learn today. That is why pedagogies of school reform are now highly influenced by and built around the "constructivist" theories of learning, assuming the use of…

The cooperative extension service faces various changes in society that will affect its funding, programming methodology, and mission over the next five years. Most of the changes have begun to occur and to have an impact on extension and university outreach. This study utilizes a literature review, primary data analysis, and personal experience…

The relevant literature reveals a concerted effort by academics to adjust their thinking regarding teaching methodologies, the need for students to acquire critical thinking skills, and the desire to nurture undergraduate success. Interdisciplinary or team teaching is often cited as a progressive model, as are learning communities and the…

The evolution of California's school accountability program, its current status, and some future directions are discussed. Public recognition of the need for school improvement resulted in California's Hughes Hart Education Reform Act (SB 813) of 1983, leading to the development of the California accountability program. Program components include:…

This study investigated the behavioral responses of eight children to five alternate lesson types. Barker's assertion of the coercive nature of setting was examined. Questions addressed were: (1) Do children having the same or similar lessons behave asimilarly or differently? (2) Do children change their patterns of behavior as they move from one…

This project was designed to help college teachers determine and enhance the teaching competence of their students in methods and practicum courses. Traditionally competence has been determined through the use of objective or essay tests. Cognitive knowledge of students may be determined in this manner but the student's ability to apply that…

A study examined innovative workplace practices in companies that employ significant numbers of entry-level workers. Findings were based on a series of personal interviews with human resource directors in 58 companies in the Northwest and the Pacific. Asked about the quality of current entry-level workers, employers reported that a disturbing…

This digest describes the structural and programmatic components of the Missouri Comprehensive Guidance Program Model, a model designed to help school districts develop comprehensive and systematic guidance programs oriented toward overall student development. It discusses the content of the model (based on the concept of life career development)…

This study, based on Strong's (1968) model of therapy as social influence, focused on the relationship between clients' judgments of therapists' characteristics and the outcomes of their treatment for generalized anxiety. Thirty subjects and 15 therapists met in 12 individual therapy sessions using Progressive Relaxation Training combined with…

The effects of race and sex on the scholastic performance of university freshmen were studied in a stratified random sample of 100 subjects obtained from 1,439 freshmen at a state university. There were 20 white males, 20 white females, 20 black males, and 20 black females, and 10 males and 10 females from other ethnic groups. A three by two…

The Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) and the National Teacher Examinations (NTE) were examined as predictors of student classroom performance as measured by three instruments from the "Teacher Performance Assessment Instruments" (TPAIs) of W. Capie et al. (1979). Subjects were 305 teacher education students taking the student teaching…

Results of a minimum competency test administered to ninth-grade students were evaluated to compare the performance of 723 students (345 males, 347 females, and 31 unidentified students) on content-specific and process skill questions. Subjects represented a random sample of students taking the Regents Competency Test in Science--a 70-item…