According to advocates, school uniforms reduce gang influence, decrease families' clothing expenditures, and help mitigate potentially divisive cultural and economic differences. Aiming to improve school climate, a California elementary school adopted uniforms as a source of pride and affiliation. This article describes the development of the…

Solutions to common problems of college and university alumni boards and their meeting effectiveness are offered. Recommended are developing diversity in board membership, setting goals, making service meaningful, trying for turnover, balancing the work burden, planning for dignified departures, and fostering member involvement. (DB)

Provides an account of the activities of the Library Council of Papua New Guinea from its inception in 1975 to 1990. Highlights include background on the council, meetings of the council and membership, minutes and reports of ad hoc committees, work undertaken by the council, reports on projects, and commentaries on the council. (19 references)…

Seven articles on advisory committees discuss questions for committee development; use of community resources; benefits; commitment and involvement; role in program restructuring; relationship to program success; and ways to optimize benefits. (SK)

A tongue-in-cheek look at methods used for curriculum development by many colleges and universities compares the process to two others: destruction of trees and trial by ordeal. Forests are destroyed to produce large quantities of paper for printing of curricula in many versions, followed by Kafkaesque committee scrutiny. (MSE)

Industry-education councils offer a systematic structure for implementing business-education partnerships, enabling vocational schools to link with the power structure of the employment community. Benefits include materials, equipment, inservice training and internships for teachers, job placement, and career information centers. (SK)

Describes an in-house instructional development process designed to enhance curriculum documentation. Highlights include front end analysis; establishing a Curriculum Review Advisory Board that includes an instructional systems designer, management personnel, and subject matter experts; use of the objective worksheet; use of the lesson plan form;…

Describes the composition and responsibilities of a reading committee designed to improve the reading achievement of all students within the school. (MG)

To bring more young adults into the Thurmont Branch of the Frederick County (Maryland) Public Library, a children's librarian and the Young Adult Advisory Committee created Teen Poetry Night, at which teens were invited to read their own poetry or the work of a favorite poet. Program planning and implementation are described. (PEN)

Offers suggestions for librarians who want to be selected to serve on the Newbery or Caldecott Award committees. Topics include membership in the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association; developing a background in children's literature; and writing book reviews and articles. (LRW)

Describes a series of training modules and a process for volunteer advisory boards to assess the current degree to which their organizational structure, policies, and programs are inclusive for diverse audiences. Includes illustrations and assessment tools in 13 appendices. (JOW)

Offers candidates searching for an administrative position in higher education nine strategies for understanding the search process and for using the feedback it provides to maintain their self-efficacy. (EV)

A discussion of the use of advisory committees in college and university administration outlines their many potential roles at both program and institutional levels, identifying reasons they are established and often underused. Issues of advisory committee effectiveness are then explored by examining several types of underinvolved and overinvolved…

Advisory boards in management classes expose students to experienced businesspeople and add realism. They give students insight into project work and experience working with senior management. However, boards complicate instructors' role, board members' and teachers' beliefs may conflict, and board members may give students contradictory advice.…

The 21st century career tech school brings together academics and career skills for a complete education. This article describes the new Romeo Engineering & Technology Center (RETC) in Romeo, Michigan. The 90,288-square-foot facility accommodates up to 720 students in grades 9-12, and sports a building design that evolved through a detailed,…