This paper traces the history of person-centered planning in programming for individuals with disabilities. It begins by describing the context shared by the first four methods of person-centered planning to emerge (Personal Futures Planning, Individual Design Sessions, Getting To Know You, and Twenty-Four Hour Planning) and some of their…

Research aimed to enhance rural women's access to communication and information technologies and to assess the impact of their technology use on their participation in small business development and community development. Over 200 women throughout Queensland (Australia) were involved. A trial electronic mailing list linking rural women to urban…

Describes three projects implemented by the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale's library that are designed to empower the patron: (1) patron-initiated borrowing; (2) Interlibrary Loan Link on FirstSearch databases; and (3) implementation of Web-based interlibrary loan request forms. Explains the role of institutional support and…

Addresses problems of treating troubled girls at a male-dominated facility. The Positive Education Program (PEP) model is used in an Ohio day-treatment program for children with severe behavior problems. PEP staff use negative incidents as learning opportunities while positive programming makes school and its social interactions successful…

Investigated four hypotheses regarding gender differences in mathematic achievement. Questionnaires were completed by 97 students (58 female and 39 male). Responses support two hypotheses: females do not perform as well as males, especially on standardized tests; roles played by parents, teachers, and peers contribute to these differences.…

Examines the policy leadership of the Boston School Committee in dealing with challenges faced by the Boston public school system during the past decade. The author's primary concern is how well the school districts and staff are able to provide optimal learning opportunities to all students. Assumes that this can best be appraised in terms of…

Introduces an 11-step organizational audit designed to help administrators in the sport and activity sector, as well as the traditional business sector, create a friendly, encouraging environment for all. The 11 steps are: empowerment; rewards; evaluation; mission statement; policy manuals; resources; communication; organizational structure;…

Discusses the "confidence factor" in pupils' attitudes about mathematics and the part it plays in their learning process. The authors outline three intervention strategies, drawing on British experience, that may encourage girls to develop confidence. (GR)

This study evaluated locus of control orientations, perceptions of efficacy, and outcome expectancies of 282 adolescents with mental retardation and compared them to students with learning disabilities and at-risk students. Subjects were found to hold unrealistic understandings and perceptions of causality and excessively external global…

This article integrates literature from counseling, rehabilitation, multicultural education, and special education to explain the importance of life-span considerations, including the preschool and early school years, and the life-space factors of family, culture, and community. Principles for transition interventions which promote empowerment are…

Discusses the role of story-telling in the political empowerment of the oppressed. Describes how the uncritical reliance on stories has led to the failure in the classroom to acknowledge the risks taken by various oppressed groups when they attempt to critically reflect and build coalitions. (JB)

Considers experiences of over 200 women, in eight countries, involved in nonformal education, and results of selected nonformal education programs offered by governments, nongovernmental organizations, and educational institutions across the Caribbean and South Pacific. Uses a participatory approach in order to involve the women in analysis of the…

The Indian Children's Parliament (Rajastan, India) emerged from the Social Work and Research Centre (later known as the Barefoot College), which provides academic and vocational classes at night for rural working children. These children contribute to family incomes, but previously their opinions were not acknowledged. Students elect 17 Parliament…

The Peruvian national indigenous federation established a bilingual, intercultural teachers' training program to counter stereotypes of indigenous people portrayed in the authoritarian, monolingual Spanish national curriculum, and to enhance language preservation, ethnic mobilization, and cultural survival. A complementary transitional bilingual…

Discusses implications of the Technology-Related Assistance to Individuals with Disabilities Act (1988, 1994) for people with learning disabilities. It discusses the rationale for the act; its provisions and goals; and systems change and advocacy activities of state projects concerning policy analysis, funding, interagency collaboration, consumer…