This report documents the proceedings of a regional policy seminar hosted by the Iowa Department of Education with support from the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) and the Midwest Regional Center for Drug-Free Schools and Communities (MRC). The seminar, "Safe Schools Within Safe Communities," was held on September 19-20,…

This book is a guide to helping college students take charge of their learning in their school environment, by capitalizing on their motivation arising from curiosity. It helps students gain independence from the lecture-study-exam system, with a resulting sense of thinking "I know my stuff." The guide argues that many students who do not work to…

The Boys Town Education Model for classroom management is described in 15 chapters of this book. Emphasizing social skills instruction, each chapter elaborates a tool or technique needed to foster a positive, supportive, and structured classroom environment. Chapter 1, "The Well-Managed Classroom," discusses the four components of the…

The ability to successfully conduct specialized conversations in stressful situations is an essential part of professional competence in a number of subject areas; however, there are few opportunities for students to practice the required skills in a realistic environment. The McGill Negotiation Simulator project was established to investigate the…

The deterioration of school environments in conjunction with large numbers of dropouts are related issues of national concern. This longitudinal study evaluates student exposure to unsafe public schools during adolescence as a potential risk factor for dropping out by 10th grade. A panel of 13,217 public school students assessed at base year and 2…

A practicum was designed to enhance prekindergarten through eighth grade students' standards of conduct with the assistance of parents, teachers, and the school librarian. Literature themes, discussions, and five special programs were the major components for an 8-month period. Students were encouraged to exhibit positive behaviors, and respect,…

Music educators are required not only to master the body of knowledge representing the music curriculum, but to manage instruction so that they may convey this knowledge effectively and efficiently to their students. In order to promote good instruction, teachers find that a systematic behavioral management plan is required. Unfortunately, many…

The problem of sexual harassment in junior and senior high schools is addressed in this practicum. Its major goals were to raise the awareness and understanding of sexual harassment and to create a school environment that does not tolerate sexual harassment. It was found that both students and staff possessed a poor understanding of what defines…

Two questions serve as the focus in this study on factors affecting perception of femininity among pre-adolescent girls: (1) What are the meanings that girls themselves invested in gender and feminity? and (2) Through what social processes do girls negotiate meanings of gender and femininity? Researchers used a participant-observation study in…

This publication is a collection of 20 supporting documents for a conference program, "Working Together To Change the Rape and Violence Culture." Contents include: (1) "Presenter Contact Information"; (2) "Characteristics of Rape-Prone versus Rape-Free Cultures"; (3) "Dater's Bill of Rights"; (4)…

Over the last 20 years, policy changes have reduced the use of highly restrictive services for children with severe disabilities. This study explores several issues associated with these changes. It asked whether students referred to a Behavioral Skills Program (BSP) exhibit a level of behavioral and emotional problems that is higher than the…

Concern with school violence and efforts to reduce gang visibility at school have led to controversy about students' constitutional rights to freedom of expression. This document outlines legal precedents and offers guidelines for developing a sound school policy on dress codes. It answers the following questions: (1) Are gang clothing and symbols…

In light of college students' high level of knowledge about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and their persistence in engaging in risky sexual behaviors, this paper reviews the current literature on college students' level of AIDS knowledge, their patterns of behavior, factors essential in designing effective AIDS education programs, and…

An action research report described a program for enhancing students' ability to focus on instructional processes and oral directions. The targeted population was comprised of 4th-, 5th-, and 8th-grade students from 3 different metropolitan schools in southwest Cook County, Illinois. The problem of off-task behavior, including distractible…

This study evaluated the impact of a program for improving group functioning through reducing the frequency of inappropriate student behavior. Participating were 160 students in grades 3, 7, 10, and 11 from a primary school, a junior high, and 3 high schools. All of the subject schools were in low- to upper-middle class communities located in five…