This document contains news and information about school improvement in the United States. This biweekly newsletter is designed expressly for parents and families. This issue highlights a November 13, 2004 meeting between federal, New York State, and New York City education officials and parent advocacy groups to discuss how to better inform…

The guide presents six papers designed to help people become effective advocates for gifted and talented children. In "Effective Advocacy: Understanding the Process and Avoiding the Pitfalls," P. Mitchell considers such obstacles as using an adversarial rather than a persuasive approach and being impatient. She charts a procedure for more…

This digest offers guidelines for group advocacy efforts on behalf of gifted education. Four potential pitfalls are identified: using an adversarial rather than a persuasive approach; assuming that people in administrative and political positions are not too bright or not very knowledgeable--or both; being impatient; and ineffectively coping with…

This directory lists 96 organizations that provide information, services, and/or referral to parents, educators, persons with disabilities, and others concerned with disabilities. Organizations are grouped according to their primary emphasis, as follows: (1) general disability information; (2) information for families; (3) legal rights and…

The Special Education Parents Alliance created an employment project seeking jobs in the business community for special education graduates and other persons with disabilities. The project serves learning disabled, educable mentally handicapped, trainable mentally handicapped, and physically disabled persons in DuPage County and portions of west…

Parents and community members who want to improve their schools are often told that things "must" be done a certain way because of rules and regulations. Often union contracts are blamed for why certain changes cannot be made. Union contracts may not be the barrier to change, however; management inaction may be the real culprit. This…

The first four volumes of the "Coalition Quarterly" journal are compiled in this document designed as a management resource for consumer organizations (especially parent coalitions) that operate centers for families of handicapped persons. The introductory issue describes the intent of the publication, proposed topics for future issues,…