Six articles within a miniseries on children's rights and education are discussed, with emphasis on the necessity and opportunity to advance children's rights through education. The importance of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is clarified. Conclusions and recommendations summarize the school psychologist's role. (SLD)

Life experiences of 18 people with severe mental retardation are reported 4 years after their deinstitutionalization from Tranquille, a facility in Kamloops, British Columbia (Canada). Four themes are identified and discussed: planning and grouping people, leadership, community integration, and social networks. Quality of life had improved for 13…

Presents nine recommendations developed at the 1992 Policy Issue Forum of the Aspen Institute's Program on Policy Issues in Energy and Resources. The underlying theme is that the world is entering a new era of environmental policy formation. Issues a call for a national strategy for environmental management. (SLD)

This article focuses on the social analysis of communication activities and the functioning of individuals with mild to moderate mental retardation. It provides an examination across the lifespan, from children to aging adults, addressing individuals' adaptations to society's communication demands, quality of life, social growth, and communication…

This study examined employment, lifestyle, and quality of life of 70 graduates of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Although two-thirds of the graduates were unemployed, high levels of satisfaction, independence, and community integration were reported. (Author/JDD)

This study with three groups of young adults with mental retardation found that five variables contributed substantially to community adjustment: (1) number of limiting factors, (2) earned income, (3) number of support services, (4) living arrangement, and (5) number of daytime activities. (Author/DB)

Analysis of a questionnaire completed by 44 young adults with intellectual disabilities and 29 nondisabled peers found that (1) both groups preferred competitive employment to unemployment; (2) those with intellectual disabilities had lower psychological well-being; (3) those with intellectual disabilities in competitive employment had greater job…

This paper describes institutional reforms implemented at Kfar Tikvah, an Israeli community for 126 moderately mentally retarded individuals. The process of changing to the organizational structure used in the kibbutz system is examined through descriptions of reforms in everyday life, social life, and work and economic independence. (JDD)

The paper addresses the care and treatment of retarded individuals from a historical perspective, and notes the historical and philosophical underpinnings of normalization. It concludes that normalization of lifestyle requires focusing on the betterment of the lives of retarded individuals rather than focusing on the "social address" at which…

Discusses the problem of violence and its effects on children. Elaborates on two major goals of the National Association for the Education of Young Children: to decrease violence in children's lives by advocating for public policies and actions at the national level, and to commit the early childhood profession to helping children cope with…

A description of tule houses used by California Indians led a class of fourth graders to discuss the social and moral expenses of our modern housing and way of life, and to recognize the value of other peoples' choices. (TD)

Civil society is important for enhancing quality of life, but it is weakening in the U.S. and elsewhere, with formidable obstacles to expanding it. This paper examines strategies for reinvigorating it; considers relationships between civil society, physical activity, and physical-activity professionals; and discusses involvement of sport…

Examines problems that arise when society comes to rely on the technology of its time and provides support for this contention through data about unintended effects of polychlorinated biphenyl. Argues that reliance on technology results in a loss of previously accumulated knowledge, and the general public becomes convinced it can have anything…

Confusion about the meaning of education makes truly educational leadership impossible. Education is a continuing effort to work at the worthwhile things in life, and educational leaders must bring communities together to discuss what is good and worthwhile, what kind of society they want to create, and what kind of education is consistent with…

Census data from 1940 to 1990 are used to analyze the relationship between educational achievement and economic progress. Results are inconsistent with the policy assumption that investing in education leads to economic increases, particularly for rural and low-income states. Noneconomic goals, such as fostering community development, should be…