Proposes an alternative structure for the accreditation visiting teams of the North Central Association, advocating the organization of teams into five smaller, interdisciplinary units. Describes suggested team activities, benefits for faculty serving on interdisciplinary teams, and suggestions for schools interested in implementing the team…

Centrality of relationships (the integration of relationship-based concepts at the program, family, and child levels) is proposed as an organizing principle for the field of early intervention with children having disabilities. The shift from developmental deficit-based models to relationship-based organizing principles requires reformulating…

Case studies of rural teleworking in an Australian government department and a community organization found that a key constraint is lack of telecommunications and services infrastructure. Teleworkers had differing views of working in isolation, depending on the nature of work roles, attitudes toward technology, and personal life experiences.…

Children react to divorce and custody battles with powerful emotions. Schools can mitigate classroom effects of family breakups by recognizing and responding to children's feelings and by involving both parents in a child's school life via newsletters, conferences, and progress reports. Principals should form coalitions with community groups, lure…

University hospitals came into existence as an ancillary activity, providing future physicians with important educational experiences, then became established as an expected part of the institution. Technological advances and rising costs caused universities to sell hospitals, potentially changing their role in the educational system. Universities…

A survey examined why many early childhood programs either stalled or gave up during the self-study phase of the accreditation process. Significant factors cited by survey participants were lack of time and staff turnover/program instability. Based on these results, it was recommended that the early childhood community address the issues of…

Describes the Wisconsin Technical College System's special needs staff leadership in supporting transition to technical colleges, increasing funding that colleges receive from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and supporting professional development activities for college special needs staff. (SK)

Attempts to provide a comprehensive picture of total federal financial support for education since fiscal year 1980. Includes many federal programs that support education in addition to the programs of the U.S. Department of Education. Groups federal funding sources in to three categories: (1) on-budget funds; (2) off-budget support; and (3)…

A survey of 45 extension agents and 59 state forestry agency staff 1 year after inservice training on developing public education programs on wildland fire received 71 responses. Three primary barriers to program implementation were identified: educational, logistical, and attitudinal. Providing a toolkit of materials and resources reduced…

Presents the results of a secondary analysis of the RSA- 911 database from the Rehabilitation Services Administration. All successful vocational rehabilitation (VR) closures for individuals with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy for five data points between 1985 and 1995 were investigated. Trends in the use of competitive employment…

The evidence of racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes is overwhelming. Excess rates of death, morbidity, and disability are prevalent among racial and ethnic minority elders. Effective collaboration with community organizations is a crucial component of efforts to reduce and eliminate disparities. (Contains 39 references.) (Author/JOW)

Explores external quality monitoring in higher education, including types of external bodies, their modus operandi, and reasons for evaluation. Concludes that external evaluation is legitimating the status quo, failing to ask significant questions about the reality of learning experiences for students. Suggests that quality monitoring engage more…

Two years after the issue of CAUSE/EDUCOM guidelines, only two of the six regional accrediting associations--the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools--make significant references to information technology resources as part of their standards/criteria for institutional accreditation. (MLW)

Questionnaires were completed by 103 staff and 76 parents of clients of a day training and residential agency for persons with mental handicaps. Although, in general, respondents felt part of their respective teams, differences of opinion arose with respect to team cohesiveness, and comprehensibility and participatory equality at conferences.…

Federal employees (N=242) completed 102-item questionnaire on work environment, job satisfaction, and career development. Results suggest that men, women, and people of color do not share a common organizational culture. Instead, each group defines and organizes its experience in different ways. Viewing gender and race as cultures provides a basis…