A rationale is presented for the use of many cases in policy analysis. Case study families were selected from nomination by early intervention professionals in three states with differing early intervention policies and procedures. Using rating scales, demographic data, and interview transcripts with 72 families of children receiving services, 7…

There is a widespread problem with schools having the ability to turn out young people equipped with skills needed to properly function in society. This report describes a program for increasing skills necessary for learning and for living such as cooperation, perseverance, problem solving, and friendship. The targeted population was elementary…

This document presents a brief synthesis of recent literature on attention deficit difficulties with hyperactivity, particularly literature concerning classroom interventions. It describes diagnostic criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, its incidence, behavioral characteristics of students who exhibit attention difficulties and…

Researchers involved in a case study of 10 racially mixed public high schools and middle schools that have undertaken the challenge of reducing tracking saw themselves as dispassionate observers. In the middle of the study, however, they began to question this view, discovering that their very presence affected the tenor of reform in each school…

There is a great deal of rhetoric concerning the prevention of violence and related problems faced by youth. A conference speech, this document advocates that rhetoric must be replaced by an examination of available data and experience with school-based prevention programs. This is especially important in light of a growing emphasis on "Safe…

A common misconception about gangs is that they resemble past images of motorcycle riders. Society is now faced with what are called "hybrid" gangs whose members are usually 14 to 16 years of age, who dress conservatively, who display subtle gang identifiers, and who are motivated by a combination of profit and poor family life. This…

Twice exceptional students are those who have emotional disturbances or behavioral disorders (E/BD) and who also display characteristics of high intellectual ability. Case studies were developed over a 3-year period on three male junior high school students who fit this definition. Data were interpreted using Kazimierz Dabrowski's Theory of…

A study examined intervention activities for students identified as having high communication anxiety (CA). The study utilized 2 group interventions. Of 61 students in an introductory speech class invited to participate, the 8 who accepted were divided into 2 groups of 4. The groups met for 5 weeks. Group 1, facilitated by a female counseling…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of a 3-year project in Mississippi to encourage the use of best practices in early intervention with children having disabilities and to increase community-based service options through use of a flexible inservice training and support model. The outreach training model focused on…

This report is a summary of a December, 1994 research briefing presented by the Board on Children and Families of the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine, and the Family and Child Well-Being Research Network of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This…

The sad reality of children killed, tortured, imprisoned, and orphaned by war substantiates the need for renewed local, national, and international commitment to these children. This guide examines: (1) the impacts present-day armed conflicts have on children and their families; (2) what special needs of children should be anticipated and…

Drawing on the field of family therapy, this step-by-step guide applies principles of brief, solution-focused therapy to family-based services (FBS) in ways that empower clients, increase cooperation, and aid the survival of social workers. Based on the author's experience at the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the book is…

The contributions in this volume grew out of a conference at the University of Minnesota in the fall of 1989. They examine issues that promote a longer range perspective on preventing disabling conditions and intervening early in the lives of children with disabilities. The range of preventable disabling conditions, perinatal influences on…

The nature of youth gangs is explored, with suggestions for gang prevention and intervention. The emphasis is on organizing citizens, especially at the neighborhood level, to affect all community institutions. Suggestions are offered for citizens' groups to look at critical areas in schooling, incarceration, law enforcement, community programs,…

A study determined classroom teachers' opinions of causal factors of reading failure and reported their attitudes on the major issues in reading instruction as suggested in current research. A representative sample of 100 elementary classroom teachers from School District #299 in the Chicago, Illinois area were sent the Ross Reading Survey. A…