This theme issue of a bulletin on family support and children's mental health focuses on managed care and the impact on children who are in need of mental health services. Articles include: "Private Sector Managed Care and Children's Mental Health" (Ira S. Lourie and others); "Just What Is Managed Care?" (Chris Koyanagi);…

This final report describes a 16-state project designed to enhance the coping effectiveness of young children with special needs and to support their families through training and technical assistance. The project had validated models, products, and training procedures to expand the adaptive behavior and resilience of children with limited coping…

This leader's manual contains the materials required to present a school-based weight management curriculum that may be offered both in school and outside the school setting for middle-school adolescents. The first section contains instructor information regarding the following topics: need for the program; program objectives; timeline and…

In Latin America and the Caribbean, poverty is not merely a problem of marginalized communities. It is the situation in which 240 million people--50 percent of the population--are living. This report describes research undertaken by the Quality of Life Project, which aims to improve the situation of children in these disadvantaged communities. The…

This paper reports on the perceptions of West Virginia teachers and administrators regarding the effectiveness of individual education plans (IEPs) in guiding discipline decisions for students with disabilities. Telephone interviews were conducted with 141 regular and special education teachers and administrators in all 55 West Virginia counties.…

This paper reviews the research on fragile X syndrome, the second most common cause of mental retardation related to chromosomal anomaly. It notes that far more males than females are affected by the fragile X syndrome, which typically results in craniofacial changes, delays in growth and development, speech/language difficulties, and cognitive…

Most research on the long-term outcomes of early enrichment programs for low-income children suggests that the effects of Head Start participation and similar experiences are to help narrow the gap between academic achievement of low-income and higher-income children. The failure of children from low-income families to excel in public schools has…

This study examined the issue of gender equity among middle school students. Literature of the past 20 years was reviewed, showing that bias in schools still exists. The purposes of the study were to determine if changes in attitudes and behaviors have occurred as a result of gender equitable treatment and to ascertain if exposure to inequitable…

This paper explores the use of ethnographic biography as a source of information and reflection for student teachers. Ethnographic methods combine observation of a subject's teaching environment or context, examining the present rather than the past. Information can then be made available to student teachers in need of a personal viewpoint on…

At the close of each fiscal year, the 49 public community colleges of the Illinois Community College System (ICCS) are required to submit detailed student records to the ICCS Board providing data on annual enrollments and completions for credit-generating students. Highlights for fiscal year (FY) 1994 include the following: (1) ICCS institutions…

The purpose of this longitudinal qualitative inquiry was to describe the socially constructed, negotiated, and contextual nature of an early field placement in an urban elementary school. The objectives were to document subtle changes over time in preservice teachers' reading/language arts subject matter knowledge and teaching beliefs and…

The Schools Health Education Unit (SHEU) supports and promotes effective health education in primary and secondary schools in the United Kingdom. This book lists the results taken from "The Health Related Behaviour Questionnaire" collected from 29,074 participants (14,757 boys and 14,317 girls) between the ages of 11 and 16, from 171…

This guide to sexual harassment awareness education in grades 6-12 offers five chapters: introduction, preliminary notes, core lessons, supplemental activities, and resources, and an appendix containing seven relevant readings taken from legislative materials, periodicals, and newspapers. The core lessons are: (1) Flirting vs. Sexual Harassment: A…

This document provides narrative portraits of early adolescents in middle school and junior high school as described by preservice university students majoring in middle level education. The observations were made during a course titled "Middle School Programs and Practices," which develops the middle school concept across different…

This collection represents diverse views and opinions concerning integration of individuals with disabilities in Australia and, to a lesser extent, New Zealand. The objective in producing the volume is to stimulate thought and further debate about the policies and practices associated with integration, and numerous perceptions of integration are…