Despite the field's growth, development, and maturity, in many ways the typical psychologist in the schools in little better off than a quarter century ago. Presently school psychology positions rest primarily on the shaky bedrock of financial and legislative considerations rather than perceived need. Following marketing strategies can enhance the…

One of the first steps psychologists can take toward making themselves indispensable in the schools is to actively participate in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of crisis intervention teams. Unless effective crisis intervention strategies are instituted, the educational process comes to a standstill. School psychologists need to play…

It is essential that communities, businesses, parents, and students work together to develop a disciplined environment for children which includes safe and drug-free schools. Emphasizing the need for commitment and community will, this guide outlines steps each of these groups can take to create safe schools. Communities must place school safety…

A study examined the effectiveness of the Preventing Early Reading Failure Project in the Griffin-Spalding County School System (Griffin, Georgia) during the 1994-95 school year. The approach was based on research on phonemic awareness and phonological recoding. The treatment group of 39 first-grade students received classroom reading instruction…

This paper describes the need for and the structure of a socialization program designed to provide a social environment for five deaf adults with developmental disabilities residing in two different group homes. The program was developed to address the isolation experienced by such adults living in a community with others who do not use sign…

One major challenge facing adolescents concerns choices about sex. The results of this survey indicate that the majority of North Carolina's high school students are sexually active. As a group, males generally reported a higher rate of sexual involvement and more sexual partners than females at all grade levels. Black students appear to be a…

This intervention program addresses the special needs of pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers. Adolescents' rapid transition from child to mother may cause them to experience both role conflict and difficulty in setting goals. The materials for the program include a facilitator's guide, a participant's guide, and a discussion guide. This…

Focusing on transcending traditional definitions of literacy, this book presents 16 essays that discuss major conceptual and practical issues that confront professionals in the field of literacy. Essays in the book make explicit the questions that underlie a redefinition of literacy and offer specific suggestions for implementation. Essays in the…

A research project acquired and compiled information on the services (from state and federally funded programs in California) available for chemically dependent pregnant and parenting women and young drug-exposed children from birth to age 3. The research methods consisted of a literature review and a survey of 13 key state and federally funded…

Fragile X syndrome is the most common cause of mental retardation next to Down syndrome. The syndrome is more prevalent in males because they only have one X chromosome, where the gene for fragile X is carried, while women have two X chromosomes and the normal gene can compensate for the affected chromosome. Certain physical features are…

A study examined the effects of adult-interactive behaviors during repeated storybook readings upon the language development and selected prereading skills of prekindergarten at-risk students. A total of 53 inner city, low socioeconomic status subjects participated in the 20-week study. Subjects were dichotomized at the median on a measure of…

This book chapter describes a program of the Two Hills Regional Resource Centre (THRRC), which provides support services to 39 towns in northeastern Alberta. The program supports individuals with severely challenging behaviors (such as self-abuse, aggression, destructiveness, and noncompliance) so that they will be able to live and work in their…

This book chapter describes the 14-year evolution of Community Behavioral Services, a provincial government-operated program in Edmonton, Alberta. The program began in 1976 as a residential treatment facility for individuals having mental retardation and severely challenging behaviors. Later, a specialized family home was established as a halfway…

This document describes Even Start, a new federal family literacy program that combines early childhood education, parenting education, and adult literacy education. The program is based on the collaboration of community organizations and provides a new range of services. These services include family-centered education programs that involve…

This guide presents profiles of 26 state, regional, and local programs that have been effective in meeting the needs of students with emotional/behavioral disabilities and their families. Each of the programs reflects in varying degrees the care value, principles, and framework developed by the Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP).…