Shared decision-making (SDM) is becoming a part of many American schools. Shared decision making is based on a premise that relies on four main assumptions: (1) those closest to the children will make the best decisions concerning the children's education; (2) teachers, parents, and school staff should have influence in policies; (3) those who…

Total Quality Management (TQM) establishes business and industry standards and techniques that ensure the quality of products leaving and reaching firms through continuous actions rather than one final inspection. Deming, Juran, and Crosby, who initiated the process, share a common theme of participatory management. Management participation and…

Theory can be used to define the nature of the relationship between the counselor and the client, to conceptualize the nature of the presenting problem(s), and to define the resulting counseling goals or desired outcomes. From an integrative perspective the choice of therapeutic intervention is made by relating the intervention directly to the…

This digest describes types of education programs for gifted and talented children and considers educational acceleration for this population. It reviews such acceleration alternatives as having a child skip a grade, having a child take advanced courses with older students in particular subjects, and having the child tutored and advanced in given…

This digest uses a question-and-answer format to summarize basic information about the use of Cued Speech (a sound-based hand supplement to speechreading) with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Cued speech is briefly explained, noting its primary use with hearing families of young children who are deaf and in regular education classrooms…

Researchers have recommended that career exploration and awareness begin before high school, when students have already made major decisions about courses. To encourage students to make informed decisions, it is argued that middle schools must introduce career awareness, such as the concept that success in most careers requires education and…

Controlled school choice attempts to provide choice while maintaining ethnic and racial integration. The following elements are found in most controlled-choice plans: (1) any program that is successful in one zone must be replicated in all the other zones; (2) parent information centers are available to help parents make educated choices; (3)…

An action of an individual or a societal action that has an impact on other societies constitutes a "global issue." Global climate change, airborne toxins, ozone depletion, and solid waste management are a few of the global issues concerning the environment. This digest discusses methods by which students learn about global issues and…

This digest, based on an extensive review of research on comprehensive school reform, presents a brief overview of the role of teachers in comprehensive schoolwide reform (CSR). CSR is most successful when schools have decision-making autonomy in administration and instruction. Teachers also prefer models that fit with the school's overall…

This digest paper examines the special roles of parents of children with disabilities in planning for the education of their children and discusses how educators can work effectively with parents to create meaningful individualized education programs (IEPs). Barriers to parental participation in the IEP process are identified, including…

This brief paper reviews the literature and provides guidelines on how instructional practices to promote self-determination can be used to help students with learning disabilities make effective choices and decisions. Self-determination is linked to making good choices through five steps: know yourself; value yourself; plan; act; and experience…

University officials and faculty are frequently required to make decisions based on interpretations of disputed facts. By applying the concept of due process within the context of higher education, they can meet legal challenges of contract and constitutional law and the pedagogical demand for justice. To guide their efforts, decision makers can…

This ERIC Digest discusses issues relating to teaching about U.S. foreign policy in the changing international environment following the end of the Cold War era and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The document treats: (1) the need and rationale for teaching and learning about current foreign policy issues; (2) main themes in foreign policy…

The ordinary conduct of school business is accompanied today by risks that were rare or unknown a few decades ago. This ERIC Digest discusses how risk management, a concept long used by corporate decision makers, can help school boards and administrators conserve their districts' assets. Risk management is a coordinated effort to protect an…

The process of selecting software for use with exceptional students focuses on two major issues: (1) how computers are to be used in the instructional process, and (2) whether the product selected is consistent with curricular goals. The content of instruction is shaped by its purpose: drill and practice; teaching new skills, concepts, and…