This action research project evaluated an intervention to motivate elementary students to be more responsible for their learning. Participating was a targeted class of fifth graders in a medium-sized rural community in northern Illinois. The problem of inadequate class participation and percentage of homework completed was documented through…

This action research project examined the impact of a social skills curriculum on the behavior of targeted second, fourth, and fifth graders. Problems in student behavior were documented through an analysis of records of peer mediation, student referrals, and staff surveys. The intervention consisted of a social skills curriculum, "Second…

Leadership has always had an important spiritual dimension. This book is about that dimension and how it continues to grow in importance. Leadership, as discussed, includes formal leading within education, government, business, and other fields, and general leading at any level. Part 1 of the book provides a general overview of the condition of…

This report addresses the challenges posed to the college presidency in the current and near-future higher education environments, and presents its conclusions concerning the president's leadership role. Among the challenges anticipated for higher education are: diminishing resources; dwindling research funds; advancing information technology; the…

This paper is designed as a guide to the study of empowerment in the neighborhood movement for historic preservation in New Orleans' French Quarter. For this case study, whose initial focus in on a relatively affluent sector of the population, culture and identity become prominent. However, the review adopts a broader focus to ensure its…

This report describes a program for improving student responsibility through increasing the effectiveness of students listening to and following directions. Targeted groups consisted of an eighth-grade applied computer technology class, a ninth-grade English class, a ninth-grade biology class, and an eleventh-grade applied physical science class.…

This brief paper summarizes requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 related to employing and accommodating workers with psychiatric disabilities. The following topics are addressed: (1) what is meant by a psychiatric disability under the ADA, its severity, and its effect on the employment of the individual; (2) popular…

This paper lists 100 print and non-print resources for students with disabilities who are considering careers in science, engineering, and mathematics. Print resources include books, newsletters, directories, journals, guides, fact sheets, technical reports, teaching guides, and student workbooks. Non-print resources listed are primarily videotape…

Jesse Stuart, poet, novelist, lecturer, teacher, principal, superintendent, educational reformer, and farmer, approached education as a calling or sacred quest. In his books he portrays the teacher as a devoted liberator and nurturer, a hero rescuing children and their families from decline, illiteracy, or economic instability. Stuart's…

This paper presents a composite of four separate research studies conducted to assess the impact of constitutional language on classroom environments. The studies were designed to examine the uses of "Judicious Discipline" in a variety of classrooms and how the use of a common language based on rights and responsibilities affected the…

This book for teachers, administrators, and central office staff provides guidelines for orchestrating and extending conversations among case users, with strategies for improving facilitators' effectiveness and a conceptual framework for understanding and acting in the role of facilitator. The book describes how to foster an entire professional…

This brief paper reports on recent workshops and conferences on faculty roles and responsibilities held as part of continuing efforts in the Illinois Board of Higher Education's Priorities, Quality, and Productivity initiative. Introductory paragraphs recall the establishment of the initiative and earlier events and efforts. A report on two…

Many nineteenth-century reformers tried to improve the lot of the poor by improving the poor themselves, attributing many of the problems of the poor to bad behavior or bad character, and this approach did not end in the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries. As a strategy, improving poor people has consistently given education a starring role.…

This report, the second in a series of independent analyses by The National Council on Disability on federal enforcement of civil rights laws looks at more than two decades of federal monitoring and enforcement of compliance with Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Separate parts of the report address: (1) development…

This work provides sample letters, charts, timelines, and checklists, to help principals adequately prepare for possible teacher dismissal. Chapter 1, "Describing the Marginal Teacher," lists traits common to marginal teachers. Chapter 2, "Establishing the Teacher Evaluation Process," presents a monthly timeline for assessing…