Social support has been considered an important coping resource moderating the stress associated with physical illness and disability. The role of social support as a buffering agent for stressful life events inherent in physical illness and disability was examined in 78 individuals with spinal cord injury, residing in community settings in…

To prepare a course on "Communication Skills for the Community College Teacher" a literature search and a focus group interview on the topic of effective community college lecturing was carried out. The literature search revealed shortcomings in the literature on lecturing, which tends to be oriented to secondary school or four-year…

In 1981, South Central Community College received funding to develop a long-range planning process. The process was to be modeled on the 3-year planning cycle developed by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems and to use the college's existing organizational structure. Since November 1981, the planning process at the college…

Crime victims and their problems have become the focus of considerable attention. In order to determine the effects of sexual assault versus other types of violent crime, and of completed crimes versus those attempted but not completed, 2,004 adult women (a response rate of 84.1%) completed telephone inteviews with female interviewers. Subjects…

Summarizes findings from two studies: 93 professors of educational administration ranked citizen involvement and school district information programs high as public relations strategies and an analysis of both mail and telephone surveys conducted concurrently affirmed the advantages of the telephone survey. (MLF)

"Alternative certification" is a general term for nontraditional avenues that lead to teacher licensure. Alternative teacher certification programs (ACPs) are generally geared toward aspiring teachers who already have a baccalaureate degree but who require additional education methods coursework and classroom experience. Such programs vary in…

Reported are the results of a survey of 603 southern, urban Blacks regarding their attitudes concerning environmental issues. These results were compared with earlier studies of Whites and it was found that Blacks exhibited a similar level of concern. (Author/CW)

Assesses the effectiveness of a local antismoking contest in Bloomington (Minnesota) that was coordinated with a statewide campaign. Interviews were conducted with 218 local and 198 statewide participants. Finds that the local contest had a higher impact than the statewide contest. (FMW)

Due to diversity of students and their attendance patterns, community colleges face unique challenges in assessing and monitoring student commitment and persistence. This study presents the psychometric properties on a 13-item educational commitment scale measuring a three dimensional construct representing affective, normative and continuance…

This volume presents a comprehensive review of current research on the implementation of quality arts programs in U.S. schools, and an indicator of areas that need to be explored, with emphasis on community priorities and initiatives. The 49 quantitative and qualitative reports, articles, and dissertations are divided into five sections: (1) six…

The 12 states comprising the North Central Region have been affected in similar ways by the farm crisis of the 1980s. Statewide surveys show sizeable proportions of farm operations that are experiencing moderately high levels of financial stress. The problems caused by chronic stress on family structure and functioning, the loss of mainstreet…

To clarify and examine conventional wisdom and stereotypes about adult literacy, this paper focuses on the approaches of individually oriented and community-oriented programs. An examination of the literature base (encompassing research reports, informal accounts, manuals and handbooks, and theoretical, philosophical, and policy articles) leads to…

Beginning with a review of signs and signals of public attitudes toward American education over the last 15 years, this paper analyzes some concerns regarding public confidence in public schools. Following a brief introduction, issues involved in the definition and behavioral attributes of confidence are mentioned. A synopsis of three approaches…

This bulletin reports on educational reform efforts in specific Latin American countries and calls for policy makers to utilize research findings on education in their decision. Five articles are included: (1) "Education Reform in Latin America and the Caribbean: An Agenda for Action" (Ernesto Schiefelbein); (2) "Uruguayan High…

This study attempted to determine whether or not the location of states' public universities makes a difference in state population growth and by inference, in state economic growth. Specifically the study examined the effect of the size of the host community relative to the state population or the proportion of the state's population that resides…