A 20-year follow-up study of 41 individuals with learning disabilities investigated changes in independent variables and dependent variables and compared successful and unsuccessful individuals. Self-awareness, perseverance, proactivity, emotional stability, goal setting, and social support systems predicted success better than IQ or achievement.…

A study examined the role of career maturity in the college persistence of 307 freshmen at a public, residential, four-year college. Results indicate that the My Vocational Situation instrument is reliable and valid, although theoretical formulations should be reexamined. Career maturity was positively associated with several variables important…

Discussion of the increase in student diversity among academic library employees focuses on management procedures when selecting, training, supervising, and evaluating a more diverse workforce. Orientation, the role of authority and power, and individual versus group affiliation are considered. (Author/LRW)

This study explored influences on choice of major and career related decisions of seven gifted females from the end of high school through college. Parents were strong influences, along with extracurricular involvement for those whose career aspirations remained stable over time. Expectations regarding marriage and family also influenced career…

Describes three successful partnerships between the Colorado Department of Youth Corrections, two higher education institutions, and one private organization which provide education, mental health, and orientation services to incarcerated youth in Colorado. (Author)

Two studies investigated how goals and self-evaluation affect motivation and achievement outcomes. In both studies, fourth-grade students received instruction and practice on fractions over sessions. Students worked under conditions involving either a goal of learning how to solve problems (learning goal) or a goal of merely solving them…

Describes how Mt. Hood Community College in Oregon developed a matrix that identifies major assessment requirements and a calendar that shows the timing of activities necessary to meet these requirements. Discusses each assessment requirement as well as inconsistencies that exist between requirements. Contains one data table and 11 references.…

Reflecting on 43 interviews with eminent educational leaders from all backgrounds and political stripes, the author isolates five common characteristics: a bedrock belief in their work's usefulness, courage to swim upstream on behalf of their beliefs, possession of a social conscience, seriousness of purpose, and situational mastery. (MLH)

Evaluated distance students' ratings of the importance of strategies to facilitate self-directed learning in the National Open University, Taiwan. Topics include content validity; differences between current and inactive students, including motivation; institutional support services; orientation programs; instructional styles; course design; and…

Examined relation between goal orientations of 12- to 15-year-old competitive swimmers, and those of parents, and coaches. Found that adolescents' self-reported goal orientations correlated highly with their perceptions of goal orientations of their significant adults but not with self-reports of their significant adults. Adolescents believed…

Many new, enthusiastic superintendents with backgrounds in business, law, and the military apply a service mentality and a results orientation. Profiles of Alan Bersin, John Stanford, Harold Levy, John Fryer, Brian Benzel, and Paul Vallas illustrate nontraditional leaders' challenges and accomplishments in the nation's largest school districts.…

Over an 11-year period, Community School District in New York City amassed a strong record of successful school improvement in a diverse urban setting. Nesting learning communities and cognitive apprenticeships are keys to success. Principals are responsible for establishing a pervasive culture of learning and teaching in each school. (MLH)

Examined relationship between suicidal behavior and homosexuality in adolescence in an unselected, matched sample. Found no evidence that suicide is a common characteristic of gay youth, or that when suicide does occur among gay teenagers, that it is a direct consequence of stigmatization or lack of support. (JBJ)

Reviews 1980-95 empirical literature on the relationship between the principal's role and school effectiveness. Examines conceptual underpinnings of several theoretical models to study the role, the relationship between models and investigation methods, and the nature of principals' influence. Principal leadership and school goals indirectly…

Strategies for working with international camp staff include speaking plain English, making camp policies and customs clear, including food from other countries in the menu, encouraging international staff to play games and sing songs in their native language, and assigning buddies to international staff. Includes tips for hiring international…