Successful superintendents recognize that taking charge is not a one-time event, but a two- or three-year process. Inspired by John J. Gabarro's May 1985 "Harvard Business Review" article, this article identifies five passages (taking hold, immersion, reshaping, consolidation, and refinement) that new superintendents must navigate…

Staff development planning must consider the local environment and unique staff culture, along with intended goals. Effective staff development vision components include people philosophy, renewal by improving, differentiated supervision, a community of learners, connections and networks, self-directed involvement, a single mission, teamwork,…

Describes homosexual male counselor's experiences as marriage, family, and child counselor. Claims, because of counselor's comfort and openness to alternative roles, parenting situations, and identities, client couples are freed to dialogue about making role changes. Concludes homophobia often obscures valuable contributions homosexual men and…

Performance counseling with college faculty is advocated as a humanistic approach to faculty evaluation. Discussed are performance goals, the delineation of professional competencies necessary to reach those goals, and factors affecting performance of faculty members. (DB)

Just because an activity crosses subject matter lines does not make it worthwhile; it must also accomplish important educational goals. Learning activities should be educationally significant or desirable even without the integration feature. Activities should also foster, rather than disrupt or nullify, major goals in each subject area. (MLH)

Seventeen participants completed training as certified ombudsperson volunteers (COVs) for residents of long-term care facilities. Training was effective in increasing their knowledge, and participants were generally satisfied with its content, utility, and format. (SK)

A survey was completed by 25 trained volunteers serving for more than one year as companions to people with mental retardation. Factors such as a strong orientation process, adequate support, appropriate matching, positive characteristics of clients, and a high perceived degree of reciprocity were characteristic of these stable relationships.…

Assessments of 50 British high school students before and after design and technology (D&T) instruction indicated that only 20% were motivated by D&T project work for their General Certificate of Secondary Education. A positive relationship was found between ability to perform and motivation, but no relationship between creativity and…

Describes an overseas independent school's efforts to professionalize subtitute teaching by orienting substitutes properly, preparing a helpful handbook and teacher folders, and hiring a full-time floating substitute to ensure prompt, reliable coverage and ongoing assistance of regular teaching faculty. (MLH)

Examines the relationship between participation in an institution's freshman year experience course and student retention and success. Participating students were found to continue their enrollment to the fall term of their second year at a higher rate, complete more of the first academic year, earn higher cumulative grade point averages, and have…

Outlines arguments for and against teaching about homosexuality and heterosexuality, concluding that secondary schools should, provided that certain conditions are met. Examines the aims and possible approaches to teaching about sexual orientation; argues that it should enable students to be better informed, to understand others, and to clarify…

Most new California teachers are beginners; many are not properly trained or credentialed for their positions. Principals must remember their own first-year experiences; build assignments appropriately; provide new teachers with curriculum guidance and support, systematic orientation, and ongoing professional growth; build a collegial environment;…

New faculty members rarely receive guidance on how to be a faculty member, and entry into the profession gets more difficult over time. Lists common characteristics of new faculty members including characteristics of those labeled as quick starters. (DDR)

Community colleges are the colleges of choice for students with disabilities. However, many of these students do not know how to advocate for themselves and may not be getting the services they need. Colleges should provide support for academic development, psychosocial adjustment, and college and community orientation. (JOW)

Nontraditional gender identity and expression have been ignored or pathologized in most school, agency, and family counseling settings. Transgenderist oppression is based on ignorance and fear of difference. Suggestions are given for counseling and advocacy using transgendered and gender-variant persons' strengths as a challenge to pathology-based…