Suggestions are made for making meetings in a college or university setting more productive, particularly with regard to avoiding cultural misunderstanding. The cultural sources of some behaviors that may inhibit participation and effectiveness are outlined, and strategies for overcoming them are offered. (MSE)

Responses from 682 members of school-based leadership councils in Los Angeles (California) demonstrate how a council's decision-making quality is affected by 5 dimensions of council diversity. Diversity of role and tenure is related to decision-making quality, but ethnic and gender diversity and diversity in experience are not. (SLD)

Mary Douglas's typology, using grid and group dimensions, provides a means to classify and compare social environments in terms of their differing cultural constraints on individual autonomy. This article uses the Douglas typology to examine the grid and group characteristics of four diverse schools to determine the framework's applicability to…

A pilot study evaluating the use of conductive education for children and adults with cerebral palsy and other motor impairments in Germany concluded that a straightforward transfer of the Hungarian system into German society is not desirable but that conductive education should be adapted to each country's rehabilitation system. The modification…

Examined utility of the Attachment Q-set (AQS) instrument for cross-cultural comparisons of mother-child interactions. Found that interpretations concerning the structure of attachment and other social domains made on the basis of Q-sort descriptions of middle-class English-speaking U.S. children need not be substantially modified when…

Maintains that most educational institutions still treat students as dependent children and teach largely irrelevant material. Argues for a broader philosophical examination of the teacher/student roles. Concludes that the juxtaposition of autonomy and dependence, especially with older students may require more subtlety than schools possess. (MJP)

This article reviews reasons behind the full inclusion movement, concerns that have been raised about full inclusion, and elements necessary to implement successful inclusion programs. The efforts of a southwestern elementary school staff to implement inclusive education for students from culturally/linguistically diverse backgrounds and students…

Discusses benefits of travel for school library media specialists. Topics addressed include individual awareness of flexibility and adaptability; adapting to and accepting cultural differences; developing better perspectives on our own countries and programs; and sources of information on courses or study tours for university credit that are…

Effects of two college classroom racial incidents at the National Louis University Atlanta (GA) Academic Center are on the facilitating/learning model with adult learners are examined. Discussion focuses on the importance of group dynamics in the multicultural classroom, interventions in racial incidents, and strategies for moving the group from…

Interviews with 536 families (White, Hispanic, and American Indian) of infants and toddlers with developmental problems indicated parental needs for more and better information and indicated the importance of medical doctors as a source of information, individualizing information for different ethnic groups, and identifying unique strategies to…

Argues that schools should reflect the perspective that diversity, rather than being a problem, is an opportunity for every American to experience other peoples and cultures. Teachers should acknowledge diversity by showing respect for students' names, languages, and cultures in their classroom, curriculum, and teaching style. (MDM)

Surveyed 49 state supervisors and 36 Native American supervisors of child welfare programs in Arizona. Found that, although both groups reported similar levels of supervisory professionalization and job satisfaction, they differed in their ethnicity, their supervisory tasks, and their training needs. Tribal supervisors reported having more…

A national survey of 84 American Indian undergraduate and graduate social work students revealed three factors contributing to low retention rates: difficulties in acculturation; problems associated with being a nontraditional student; and absence of faculty support. Suggestions for improving retention include establishing support groups,…

Discusses the collaborative efforts of the Hawaiian Kamehameha Early Education Program (KEEP) and the Navajo Rough Rock Community School in Arizona to develop educational practices and strategies that would help minority-language children succeed in school. Examines the modification of KEEP strategies for use with Navajo children. (16 references)…

Reports on educational happenings in Quebec (Canada). Discusses school violence, a multiple murder at a Canadian university, student academic achievement, and the possibility of Quebec withdrawing from the Canadian union. Predicts that Quebec will remain part of Canada. (CFR)