Chapter 12 of a revised volume on school leadership, this chapter discusses ways for administrators to enlist community support through coalition-building. To counter insufficient tax revenues and citizen apathy, today's administrator must be a political strategist adept at identifying and recruiting potential school allies and helping divergent…

The "At-Risk Youth in Crisis Handbook" series has been designed to promote inter-agency agreement on procedures for schools to follow in managing crisis situations with at-risk students. Volume 1 explains the rationale for the Handbook, tells how it was developed, and guides school districts in adapting the Handbook to meet their own…

The first of 11 annotated publications on schools' growing social responsibilities examines ways for schools to help with students' changing family situations (mainly through divorce) and increase educators' sensitivity to the stigma attached to nontraditional families. The second takes issue with those using the schools "as a catchall for problem…

Instructions are given for conducting a workshop to enhance communication between parents of exceptional children and educators. Ten activities, designed for a day long workshop, are broken down in terms of time, description, purpose, setting, materials, and methods. Among suggestions are activities to identify and prioritize areas of common…

As school populations decline and costs rise due to inflation, rural and small schools are turning to shared services in order to keep community schools open, meet federal mandates, and improve educational opportunities. Sharing ventures may be for limited purposes, such as sharing a physics teacher or having a joint drama production, or for more…

This digest explains why teacher comments on report cards are important, offers suggestions on how to construct effective comments, points out words or phrases to be cautious about using, and indicate sources of information for report card comments. Teacher comments are important in that they often convey information that is not completely…

This book, one of a series, discusses how parents can help children by working with the school. The message of this series of books urges parents and children to spend time together, talk about stories, and learn together. The first part of each book presents stories appropriate for varying grade levels, both younger children and those in grades…

Guidelines for responding to immediate crisis situations in attendance and strategies for longterm prevention are presented in this handbook, which stresses the need for interagency cooperation. The handbook serves as a model for both content and process, with the ultimate aim of promoting an arena in which the most appropriate service delivery…

The communication processes involved in parent/teacher or parent/teacher/student conferences are addressed in this booklet. Noting that teachers handle most conferences without difficulty, the booklet concentrates on "problem situations," such as when parents and teachers disagree, when misunderstandings occur, or when a student is not performing…

Parent-teacher conferences sometimes become a cause for concern for everyone involved. This Digest outlines ways to improve communication during parent-teacher conferences. Suggestions are offered to help parents participate more effectively in conferences, including identifying what is being done to help a child overcome a problem, examining the…

The digest explores the rights as well as the responsibilities of parents of handicapped children in the special education process. Rights include a free appropriate public education, notification regarding evaluation or change in placement, informed consent, independent evaluation, review of all records, participation in the Individualized…

This digest, based on a larger document titled, "Homeless and in Need of Special Education," by L. Juane Heflin and Kathryn Rudy, focuses on educational aspects of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. Briefly discussed are: the effects of homelessness on children (e.g., increased health problems); the educational implications…

Integrated programs provide students with a balanced mix of academic and vocational skills needed in the workplace and for lifelong learning. Basic skills in mathematics, science, and communication form the foundation for lifelong learning and the content for higher-order skills. Occupational skills depend on and do not exist apart from academic…

Chapter 9 of a revised volume on school leadership, this chapter focuses on the principal's instructional leadership goals and functions. Leading the instructional program requires both an understanding of educational technique and a personal vision of academic excellence that can be translated into effective classroom strategies. Research shows…

The document provides a collection of 33 previously published articles on implementing special education services in the least restrictive environment. Articles are divided into five sections (models for delivery of special education services in the least restrictive environment, training of professionals, individualized education programs,…