Principals deal with a range of people, issues, and forces represented by individuals, factions, and special-interest groups. Principals must develop a framework; analyze problems quickly, develop alternative plans, make sound decisions, and communicate resolutions clearly and sensitively to all parties. A political-awareness inventory is…

An upstate New York superintendent shares strategies to ensure good board-administrator relations. Superintendents should stress the primacy of serving students' interests and maintaining a respectful culture, set goals, treat board members equally, work for the majority, refrain from socializing, and evade noneducation-related disputes. (MLH)

This article discusses the importance of competence in functional skills for developing the social skills, friendships, and perceived quality of life in students with severe disabilities. The need to include functional skills instruction in general education settings is emphasized and methods of providing community based instruction are provided.…

A review of 36 studies on school-age children with mental retardation indicated children in general classes do not attain social acceptance ratings at as high a level as do their typical peers. Integrated students perform better than segregated students on measures of academic achievement and social competence. (Contains extensive references.)…

Notes that full inclusion of special needs children into regular early childhood settings is supported by research in terms of social and behavioral outcomes. Details observations of an inclusive preschool classroom utilizing integrated therapy for three special needs children. Highlights the themes revealed: integrated therapy and teacher…

School business administrators must be both business managers and educators. As the school district's chief financial officer, the school business administrator must have strong communication and interpersonal skills. Spheres of involvement include working with school staff, parents, the district office, town officials and committees, vendors, and…

This article presents an overview of several pivotal response interventions. Areas discussed include responsivity to multiple cues, motivation to initiate and respond appropriately to social and environmental stimuli, and self-regulation of behaviors. The trend to streamline intervention by targeting behaviors that have a widespread effect on…

A study involving 6 children with autism investigated whether self-initiations might be associated with highly favorable post-intervention outcomes. Results found that children who had highly favorable outcomes exhibited more spontaneous self-initiations at pre-intervention. Further study indicated children could learn a variety of…

The use of a programmed generalization strategy in general education classrooms was evaluated with 29 middle school students. Results indicated that the intervention, i.e., social skills training and self-monitoring with teacher matching, led to generalization of improved student behavior in up to six different class settings. (Author/CR)

Presents a series of observations of infant/toddler-caregiver interaction in the child care setting to illustrate infants' social competence and its potential link to emotional literacy. Concludes that caregivers need to appreciate infants' communicative competence, listen to preverbal behaviors, and reflect on their images of children and the…

Observed functioning of same-sex triads of middle grade children during an intimate discussion, a cooperative puzzle task, a competitive game, and free play. Found that triads of girls were more intimate, exchanged more information, and were less aggressive than triads of boys. Girls and boys expressed similar attitudes toward triadic interaction,…

Examined the effects of early educational experiences on the academic achievement and social skills of 91 inner-city first graders. Found that, after controlling for first-grade teachers' instructional practices and beliefs, children with prekindergarten experience had higher scores in mathematics and language and higher social skills than…

This article describes all the steps and materials necessary to organize and conduct a handwriting club that provides direct instruction in handwriting combined with sensory integration activities. Typical club session format, sample activities, the promotion of social skills, handwriting strategies, and external stimulants are discussed.…

Examined changes in students' group skills before and after employer feedback and in students receiving and not receiving feedback, and the relationship between skill level and performance on the assignment. Experience with employer-observed group work increased students' self-rating of their skills; teams with a good knowledge of team processes…

Examines the relation between a play-based assessment tool, specifically the PLAY observation system, and a standardized assessment of cognitive and social skills of preschool children. Recorded the level of play each child exhibited. Play behaviors reflected the child's cognitive and social developmental functioning. (CMK)