To witness greater success with technology, educators should begin their planning with a set of assumptions that consider staff fears and frustrations. Staff's personal needs include control, creativity, caring, challenge, and commitment. Professional needs include empowerment, time, assistance, leadership, communication, and opportunity. (MLH)

By their very nature, grades undermine learning. In schools that constantly emphasize the importance of success, students may regard learning as a chore, avoid challenging tasks, think superficially, and value ability more than effort. Students should be able to think, write, and explore without worrying how good they are. (MLH)

Since no school district is immune to death, the concepts of death and dying, stress management, and suicide should be worked into the curriculum beginning in the fourth grade. Advice is given concerning planning for potential tragedy, responding to a student's or staff member's death, and establishing memorials. Two figures cite teenage suicide…

A well-conceived and concisely written plan can become an important vehicle to meet challenges and gain citizens' confidence in a school system. Effective strategic planning requires community involvement, husbanding of resources, and a clear sense of timing. (TE)

Suggests that a school district can increase its emphasis on arts education by (1) acquiring an administrator advocate; (2) seeking arts boosters and advocates among teachers, parents, the school board, and community members; (3) bringing more art to the schools; and (4) starting school aesthetics committees. (IW)

Describes Fairfax County Public Schools' (Virginia) "pay for performance" program for teachers. With solid financial and community support, the district overcame merit pay resistance and obstacles to professionalism by lowering education course requirements, raising academic discipline requirements, creating master teachers, and…

Discusses court decisions in relation to the Equal Access Act and provides two sample policies for schools to follow. One limits student activities, and the second allows noncurriculum-related student meetings. (MD)

The first group response on the state of American education from the educational community is reported. These educators agree that debate is healthy, but are concerned that the nation prepare for long-term solutions rather than a "quick fix." (MD)

After months of neglect, education has become one of the top items on the national political agenda. Major report recommendations, including those of the National Commission on Excellence in Education, are briefly listed. (Author/JM)

Wellness programs emphasize positive motivation and usually include health awareness campaigns, behavior change programs, and cost containment strategies. Guides are offered for beginning wellness programs in school districts. (MLF)

Drivers' lack of concentration, distraction, and misjudgment are the major causes of all school bus accidents. Examples are provided of exemplary bus driver training and safety programs. (MLF)

Beginning on the front cover, this article tells how school districts are reducing their transportation costs. Particularly effective measures include the use of computers for bus maintenance and scheduling, school board ownership of buses, and the conversion of gasoline-powered buses to alternative fuels. (Author/MLF)

Summarizes research findings on the effectiveness of principals' behaviors in the areas of knowledge and skills, goal-setting activities, and management behavior. Recommends ways to reduce barriers to effective behavior. Available from the American Association of School Administrators, 1801 North Moore Street, Arlington, VA 22209. (MLF)

A major reason for scaling up school-community collaborations is to provide greater equity across community lines and offer similarly coordinated services to all children and families. Capacity must be built through eliciting commitment from key constituents. Expanding school-linked services is as complex as major educational reforms, since it…

Kentucky is reintroducing the norm-referenced, multiple-choice test. Students will be given both performance and multiple-choice tests, beginning in spring 1997. Kean believes this multiple-measures approach is a common-sense way to provide the measurement-driven accountability that most states require. Neill deplores multiple-choice testing and…