This paper describes efforts to improve education in a poor rural Mississippi school district that failed to meet minimum state educational standards. Part of the Mississippi Delta, the county school district is rural and agricultural, contains no large towns or cities, and is characterized by declining population and pervasive poverty. African…

This analysis of the changing role of the special educator to that of the inclusion specialist reviews the logic of these changes, presents results of research on the role of the inclusion specialist, analyzes the limitations of these changing roles, and presents an alternative view of professional roles in which teachers share the teaching of a…

This paper uses results of postal surveys carried out in the United Kingdom further education (FE) and university sectors to highlight themes and elaborate on suggestions for advancing performance measurement. Academic libraries face insecurity arising from the political and educational changes taking place in academic institutions, competition…

Community colleges are democracy's colleges in the sense that the humanistic, inclusive, and flexible ideas at their core are democratic in tone and substance. Although these core ideas have not changed over time, the external pressures that shape program emphases, organizational structures, and community relations have. These forces include the…

Understanding why children do not behave the way they used to, and why both controlling and overly-permissive discipline styles are ineffective, is the first step for parents and teachers who are facing child-discipline problems. This book describes a program of positive discipline principles aimed at assisting parents and teachers in…

This report describes the experiences of one California nonprofit agency which evolved, in less than 3 years, from supporting 65 people with autism and other challenging behaviors in 13 group homes to supporting 57 people who live in their own homes. The report describes the program's initial focus on providing integrated services in the group…

This paper overviews the evolution of rural society in Ontario (Canada) from the author's personal experience and research. The paper defines "rural" and "culture" and discusses how these concepts are relevant to social change and the resulting effects on technology, demographics, social organization, and community beliefs and…

This book is intended to assist school administrators, special education teachers, rehabilitation administrators and counselors, case managers, other employment and community living providers, and parents to understand the developing and changing programs at the local community level which provide transitional services for young people with…

This book provides a comprehensive guide to the collaborative development and implementation of local interagency councils to coordinate services for young children with disabilities, as required by Public Law 99-457, Part H. Section I presents five chapters on foundations for interagency collaboration. Chapter 1 reviews collaboration as a part of…

This document reports on New York meetings attended by over 200 teacher educators and liberal arts and science faculty, teachers, administrators, and New York State Education Department policymakers to consider the implications of the research findings and recommendations presented in "Teachers for Our Nation's Schools" by John I.…

This paper offers a commentary, by a representative of the Association of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education, on the Holmes Group publication (1995) titled "Tomorrow's Schools of Education." The Holmes Group is applauded for producing a much-needed, candid assessment of schools of education. The issue of marginal…

The standards-driven approach to school reform, exemplified by Goals 2000, shows promise for unifying contemporary efforts by affecting change at the classroom, school, and community levels. The special aspects of the rural context, particularly distance and low population density, set it apart from the urban and suburban schools on which most…

Since the mid 1980s, several groups including the Carnegie Forum, the Holmes Group, and the Center for Educational Renewal have conducted investigations and published reports and proposals on improving the quality of teacher education programs. This paper analyzes the various proposals and contends that current or recommended teacher education…

A study looked at ways in which two New Zealand elementary schools responded to the interests of their multicultural communities through language programs. The schools developed Maori language instruction programs in response to community interest and recently-established national policy. The study's report begins with an overview of the major…

This study, which collected data through interviews and document review, was designed to identify strengths and weaknesses of Minnesota's Comprehensive Children's Mental Health Act (CCMHA) of 1989 and its implementation through December 1990. Three criteria for mental health reform were established for the study, including: care should be…