A number of colleges and universities with widely varying sizes and missions have used direct mail techniques to improve fund raising. Methods include use of fund-raising themes, checklists of reasons for donating, gift clubs, and challenge grants. Attention to direct communication, image, and repetition of the message are success factors. (MSE)

Many minority students face problems when attending community colleges. Adjustment to college life requires skills and knowledge for understanding the higher education system that minority students often lack. Minority students could benefit by being involved in decisions affecting them; an orientation to higher education is essential. (JOW)

Thirty children (ages 3-5) with delays in grammatical development received treatment involving focused stimulation procedures and a cyclical goal-attack strategy. Large treatment effects were observed on three of four measures of grammatical expression. Children who received treatment from clinicians showed more consistent gains than children…

Discusses the school-based mentoring process supporting teachers' initial training, drawing from practical applications and theoretical frameworks. Mentoring development in any school is affected by several factors, including whole-school and communication issues, challenges and conflicts, available resources, management of the learning…

Five types of adult learners are (1) pragmatic, goal oriented; (2) affective; (3) in transition; (4) integrated; and (5) risk taking. Appropriate teaching strategies are (1) clear objectives, relevant content; (2) personal interaction; (3) opportunities to discuss experiences, mentoring; (4) opportunities for self-direction; and (5) innovation.…

Issues in the development of appropriate curricula for elementary students who are mildly mentally retarded are discussed. Emphasis is on the concept of "subsequent environments as an attitude" and on variables that may influence vertical (e.g., preschool and middle school transitions) and horizontal (including social and curricular integration)…

The transition from elementary school to middle school brings apprehension to both students and their parents. At one school, parents and teachers worked together to improve the transition process with visits to the middle school, an information packet, orientation programs, and a teacher-made video. (MLF)

A discussion of team-building in organizations looks at the essential components of trust, common purpose, supportive internal and external environments, and cohesion. Barriers to team development, such as internal competition or communication problems, and the role of the team leader are also discussed. A student campus organization is used for…

Describes restructuring objectives and changes at a suburban middle school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Although collaborative planning led to predictable changes (interdisciplinary teaching, advisories, flexible scheduling, common planning time, core curricula, and a discipline system), several unplanned changes occurred regarding home-school…

Results from a study with 41 Hawaiian elementary school principals indicate that, although there is no significant difference in visionary leadership scores of principals from varying levels of school climate when covaried with psychological characteristics, there is a significant main effect for "capacity of status" on visionary…

Examined relationship among goals, acculturation, and academic achievement for 39 Southeast Asian adolescent refugees in high school vocational education program. Students expressed career, work, and family goals that were positive in affect and individual in nature. Low goal instability and high goal commitment were significantly related to…

Three studies examined parents' goals during disagreements with young children. Found that women focused on relationship-centered goals more than men. Public situations increased concern for short-term parent-centered goals. Empathy predicted long-term child-centered and relationship-centered goals. Parent-centered goals were associated with power…

Resolving the perennial problem of substitute teachers' high turnover and low availability is feasible, if principals welcome, orient, and assign them properly. Regular teachers should prepare a folder containing class lists, daily schedules, seating charts, expectations of students, and meaningful lesson plans. Substitutes should be treated as…

Every college or university must understand its academic priorities, including the role of service as an aspect of its mission, and must set clear goals for a level of commitment that matches those priorities. A matrix that links organizational factors to service commitment levels is proposed as one possible approach to setting institutional…

Most young people who harass and bully sexual minorities are not hate-filled extremists, but ignoramuses. Anti-gay slurs can escalate to violence. A California principal's discussion of Leroy Aarons's "Prayers for Bobby" with staff raised awareness of school safety and the need to value every student. (MLH)