The mission of the Rum River (Minnesota) Special Education Cooperative is to help local school district staff integrate students with challenges in regular education settings. Currently, almost all children attend a home school in their local communities. The expanded opportunities in regular classrooms have raised disabled students' expectations…

Because many drug-exposed children have normal-range cognitive abilities despite having some language-development and attention problems, schools do not have to build new special-education wings or teach these children one-on-one. Schools can serve these children best by setting up and coordinating intervention programs with other agencies. (18…

Educators' most pressing leadership challenge is tapping each individual's full mental capacity and evoking the highest levels of quality, performance, and productivity. Building learning communities depends on resolving issues related to quality and excellence, governance and restructuring, organizational linkages, diversity as capacity, better…

Explains how to set the stage for cooperative learning in primary classrooms. One article describes how to achieve classroom cooperation using developmentally appropriate planning; the other discusses class activities that can spark a collaborative spirit (e.g., cooperative murals and book discussions). (SM)

In interdisciplinary teaming, each student belongs to a manageably sized group of students associated with an in-common, shared group of teachers. Study comparing professional and student involvement in team versus departmental organizational structures supports interdisciplinary teaming for middle schools. Teaming's participative climate is…

Academic competitions are discussed as a means of motivating underachieving gifted students. Particularly recommended is the U.S. Academic Decathlon which forms teams based on grade point averages. Two case studies illustrate the program's value. The paper also considers the program's benefits for high achieving students and the role of team…

Many schools are implementing collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches (cooperative teaching, collaborative consultation, and teacher assistance teams) to help teachers meet students' diverse needs. This article, which shows how a rural eastern Virginia middle school developed coteaching as an alternative to special education pullout programs,…

Explores students' need for team experiences, advantages of teams to learning and to course management, methods of team and project management practiced in industry, and adaptation of industry's methods to projects focusing on freedom of expression. Describes the usefulness and lasting value of resulting student work. Suggests unusual ways to…

This article describes expanded audit requirements for managing federal awards to colleges and universities, as outlined in Circular A-133 of the Office of Management and Budget. Applying lessons learned by state and local governments in implementing A-128 audits is recommended to help assure a successful, cost-effective transition. (MSE)

Paper examines how physical education can contribute to and work proactively toward each of the six national education goals in America 2000: readiness to learn, national graduation rates, competency in five core subjects, world class achievement in science and mathematics, literacy, and a positive learning environment. (SM)

Argues for paradigm shift in how mental health professionals approach their work with psychiatric patients in midst of suicidal crisis and suggests that time has come to discuss standard of care based on integration of detected risk factors, effective education and training in suicidology, and routine use of consultation and teamwork. (Author/NB)

This paper describes a continuing psychotropic drug review process at a community-based agency serving individuals with mental retardation. The goals of establishing data-based interdisciplinary team review, utilizing concurrent alternative treatments, and prescribing psychotropic medication at the lowest effective dosage only to those individuals…

A third grade teacher examines the effects of cooperative teaching in a two-teacher classroom. After discussing teacher roles in such classrooms, the paper describes how the advantages of such a system greatly outweigh the disadvantages. The paper presents keys to a successful teaching partnership and describes several models for lesson…

After 110 business students participated in collaborative learning activities, male attitudes toward work groups became significantly more positive, females' less. Those reporting mostly positive group experiences preferred collaborative working styles; those rating the experience as "just OK" preferred working alone or with one other person. (SK)

Describes a model for conducting functional assessment in the home. The model uses a trans-disciplinary technical-assistance team to assess and plan interventions for young children with severe challenging behaviors. Discussion includes the kind of information needed, specific examples of data collection in the home, and the benefits and barriers…