Documented here is the story of how a small town's recreation department, faced with limited resources of its own, mobilized diverse members of the community to fill the gaps in its summer recreation program. New activities--free daily lunches, girls' softball, canoe lessons--were instituted, and a unique citizen partnership was forged. (Author/DS)

Guidance is provided to organizational personnel in establishing a means for assessing the effectiveness of a new performance appraisal system. (TA)

Reports results of a University of Connecticut study in which business administration graduate students in a manpower management course ranked six major functions of a competent personnel department according to perceived importance. A description of the course is included. (TA)

Presents a model or classification scheme for the types of information that could be collected to aid in formative evaluation of career education instructional products, and compares professional and legal product directives to conduct educational product evaluation to evaluation science's weak response to these mandates. (Editor/TA)

The ratio of rehabilitant earnings to the mean earnings of those persons in the general population with similar demographic characteristics has been proposed as a meaningful criterion of rehabilitant placement suitability. The Cooper-Rubin index was developed to generate a relative placement suitability score for each rehabilitant. (Author)

Program theory can be used to improve programs and policies. This article describes a set of techniques for complicating and simplifying program theory, referred to as conceptual and action heuristics. Methods such as analyzing metaphors, clarifying concepts, mapping, component assessment, causal modeling, and decision analysis are discussed. (JAZ)

Presents the results of telephone interviews, self-questionnaires, and site visits of 48 state child protective service offices regarding policies, procedures and protocols for handling complaints of abuse and neglect in children's institutions. Institutional child protection is seen as a relatively unformed appendage of interfamiliar child…

Do proficiency tests show whether students are gifted? Are programs for the talented properly funded? Confusion among programs for gifted students indicates that guidelines should be established, including weighing the gifted label for each program and linking programs to special talents. References included. (CJH)

Five obstacles that may serve as barriers to the internal reform of teacher education programs emerged as powerful factors during a year-long case study of a curriculum improvement program. These obstacles and their implications for curriculum improvement in teacher education programs are discussed. (MT)

The author suggests new ways to meet the needs of adult students: develop greater sensitivity to the adult learner's needs; adopt a "total program approach" to adult vocational education; develop creative delivery systems; build alliances with other providers of adult education; and give more attention to adult instructor selection, orientation,…

Describes a plan to restructure and reform Minnesota's kindergarten through 12th-grade education system in an effort to ensure that students are adequately prepared for the future. Discusses student performance, the limits of K-12 education, core competencies, problem-solving skills, and students' responsibility for their own education. (CT)

A study was conducted to determine vocational agriculture teachers' attitudes toward SOEPs (supervised occupational experience programs) and to assess the quantity of SOEPs. It was found that vocational agriculture teachers who have a more positive attitude toward SOEPs have a higher proportion of students with SOEPs in their current vocational…

Presents recommendations for developing the content of career development activities in secondary schools, including basic academic skills, occupational skills, job-seeking skills, world of work knowledge, and work values. Also presents recommendations to improve the delivery of career development activities in secondary schools and discusses the…

The author states that this is the time for the reform of teacher education. It is not a time to abandon teacher education by providing certification to nontrained teachers. It really is a time for the nation and each state to pay for quality teacher education. (CT)

Criticism and recommendations made toward teacher education programs do not usually examine the diversity among these programs. This article explores characteristics of various institutions, their education students, and the content of their programs. (DF)