The purpose of this quality of life training curriculum is to enhance staff's understanding of the concepts of choice, integration, and advocacy; the importance of these qualities; and how staff can promote these qualities within the daily lives of persons with developmental disabilities. The curriculum includes topics for group discussion and…

SHAPES--an acronym for the South Plains Child Care Management Services (SpCCMS) Helping, Assisting and Preparing Educators and Staff--is also the name of a preschool readiness curriculum that is being developed for use by administrators and teachers. The first phase of the curriculum development consists of the publication of five books to be used…

This report presents findings from Delta, one of four school districts examined in a series of case studies that investigated the complex relationship between reading assessment and instruction. The research was situated in the context of school decision making. Teachers, principals, parents, students, and central office staff were interviewed to…

This report presents findings from Gamma, one of four school districts examined in a series of case studies that investigated the complex relationship between reading assessment and instruction. The research was situated in the context of school decision making. Teachers, principals, parents, students, and central office staff were interviewed to…

The Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) program at Guilford College, North Carolina, has actively sought troubleshooting tips to pass on to new and continuing teachers of "W" (writing intensive) courses. Tips (problem statements and solutions) are based on the analysis of six semesters' worth of students "W" course evaluations…

This symposium examines the science education research enterprise from multiple theoretical perspectives. The first paper, "Contextual Constructivism; The Impact of Culture on the Learning and Teaching of Science (William Cobern), focuses on broad issues of culture and how constructivism is affected by the context of culture. Culturally based…

Because of recent educational reform efforts aimed at creating more "educated persons" at the college level, a descriptive-correlational study was made to describe the aspired and the assessed cognitive level of instruction and determine the relationship of these variables to attitude toward teaching at higher cognitive levels among…

Current omnibus procedures for the analysis of interaction effects in repeated measures designs which contain a grouping variable are known to be nonrobust to violations of multisample sphericity, particularly when group sizes are unequal. An alternative approach is to formulate a comprehensive set of contrasts on the data which probe the specific…

This book is designed to provide specific and practical suggestions for teachers and tutors of adult students. It is divided into two major parts. Part 1, which is devoted to adult learning, includes information on the characteristics of adult learners, their expectations and motivation, and issues related to equal opportunities and access. Part 2…

Kenneth Burke has continued to exert a profound influence on recent theories of composition and rhetoric, specifically on how writing might be taught in the classroom. Two recent composition textbooks, "Process, Form, and Substance: A Rhetoric for Advanced Writers" by Richard Coe and "Writing Is Critical Action" by Tilly…

Many students from cultures outside the mainstream learn about mainstream cultures at home; consequently, they are often less monocultural than students whose backgrounds are within the mainstream. For this reason teachers of writing who work for the most part with students from mainstream cultures need to provide multicultural education which…

Emphasizing the use of communication training as the foundation for effective behavioral programming, this book explains how challenging behavior can be redirected into socially acceptable behavior through functional communication intervention. The book offers hands-on assessment and intervention strategies that can be used in school, home, work,…

A significant amount of research has revealed that many students memorize words for a test, then later forget the correct spellings. A study examined the effectiveness of two approaches to teaching spelling: the "traditional" method based on grade level speller and deductive thinking; and word study based on recent research on developmental…

This paper reviews Lev Vygotsky's theories concerning optimizing of potential through assistance, support, or instruction. The paper notes that there is a "zone of proximal development" or a band around intelligence quotient (IQ) scores reflecting one's true potential. IQ tests are generally well-standardized and "static,"…

The goal of the Quality Improvement Program Plan (QUIPP) for Special Educators, developed by New York City Public Schools in New York, was to improve the quality of instruction for students with disabilities by expanding the knowledge and instructional abilities of special education professionals. The program, available in elementary and…