This paper describes lessons for teaching middle and high school students how to determine if they are influenced by the power of advertising and how to evaluate a product's health claims. To determine the influence of advertising, teachers have high school students discuss what their latest health product/service purchase was, why they bought it,…

Reported are (1) rationale for standardizing the purchase of microcomputers by the Houston Independent School District; (2) general criteria used to evaluate bids; and (3) reasons why Bell and Howell was selected as the best bidder. This is the largest single microcomputer purchase by a school district to date. (JN)

Discusses the cost and development of an electronic classroom and ways of paying for it that include the raising of private money from local community groups, private industry, and foundations; and development of partnerships with equipment suppliers as pilot sites. It also explores the use of volunteers to help reduce equipment costs. (GR)

Addresses the process of journal deselection from the point of view of justice and argues that when journal cuts are necessary, libraries should first, reduce all departments to core holdings; second, ask departments with expensive journals for permission to implement an efficiency principle; third, if refused permission, implement an equal…

The published literature addressing grocery shopping instruction for individuals with moderate, severe, or profound intellectual disabilities was reviewed. Discussion focuses on variables associated with effective instructional programming, including maintenance, generalization, reliability, and social validity. (Author)

Offers a brief synopsis of the unique characteristics of the following roof membranes: (1) built-up roofing; (2) elastoplastic membranes; (3) modified bitumen membranes; (4) liquid applied membranes; and (5) metal roofing. A chart compares the characteristics of the raw membranes only. (MLF)

Summarizes study comparing superintendents' and principals' expectations concerning principals' involvement in making budget decisions at school site. Respondents differed significantly regarding degree of principal involvement in salary decisions about noncertificated staff, purchase of texts and library books, and decisions affecting building…

Two students (ages 18 and 20) with moderate mental retardation were taught to use a pocket calculator to make purchases. Progressive time delay and general case programing methods were used. Results indicated that the purchasing behaviors generalized to two untrained community sites and to untrained items and were maintained four weeks after…

A constant time delay procedure was used to teach four adolescents with moderate mental retardation to select lower priced grocery items using an adaptive number line. Students reached criterion, maintained the skill up to 14 weeks after training, and generalized the skill from the classroom to a community grocery store. (Author/DB)

Many local and state governments have established programs to increase the number of government contracts awarded to minority- and women-owned business enterprises (M/WBEs). A question-answer format addresses concerns local school officials may have about North Carolina's M/WBE programs as they relate to school contracting. (MLF)

Describes five in-class exercises for use in consumer behavior classes that encourage student involvement in group and class discussions, promote student interest in course material, and stimulate critical thinking. Explains that the exercises can be adapted for other related courses and are equally successful with students of varying abilities.…

In 1995-96, the Edmonton (Alberta) Public Schools' enterprising superintendent allocated most of the district's central-services funds (about $20 million) to schools. Schools may purchase services and products from the district or outside vendors and commit any amount on building-level program expenditures. Central cost-recovery strategies are…

Notes that the purchase of playground equipment is one of the most important decisions center directors make. Offers advice from a number of playground equipment manufacturers that suggests directors consider activities, safety, construction, installation, and warranty when purchasing equipment. Also suggests interviewing other directors about…

To help poorer students improve computer access, schools can provide computer instruction classes for local families, provide information sessions on how to purchase home computers, survey parents about access, maintain evening hours for student computer use, establish loaner programs for families, and develop neighborhood-access programs. (MLH)

Describes several reasons, based largely on dissatisfaction with New York City bureaucracy, why principal of International High School in Queens decided to accept invitation to become a charter school: Student selection challenges; need for school-based staffing; scheduling, financial, and purchasing rigidities; and state assessment requirements.…