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To address chronically low primary school completion rates and the disconnect between learners' skills at the end of primary school and the skills learners need to thrive in secondary school identified in many low- and middle-income countries, more investment is needed to improve the quality of teaching and learning in upper primary grades. Accordingly, we provide guidelines for improving five components of upper primary education: (1) In-service teacher professional development and pre-service preparation to improve and enhance teacher quality; (2) a focus on mathematics, literacy, and core content-area subjects; (3) assessment for learning; (4) high-quality teaching and learning materials; and (5) positive school climates. We provide foundational guiding principles and recommendations for intervention design and implementation for each component. Additionally, we discuss and propose how to structure and design pre-service teacher preparation and in-service teacher training and ongoing support, fortified by materials design and assessment, to help teachers determine where learners are in developmental progressions, move learners towards mastery, and differentiate and support learners who have fallen behind. We provide additional suggestions for integrating a whole-school climate curriculum, social-emotional learning, and school related gender-based violence prevention strategies to address the internal and societal changes learners often face as they enter upper primary.

This working paper discusses safety in urban charter schools relative to other urban public schools, using several indicators from the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS). SASS is the nation's most extensive sample survey of elementary and secondary schools and the teachers and administrators who staff them. The indicators measure the frequency of safety problems as reported by teachers and principals. This paper also examines the types of policies in place to promote safe school environments. Among the key findings: (1) Due to differences in charter and traditional school grade structures, direct comparisons between charter and traditional schools are complicated; (2) Threats to person or property and troubling behavioral problems are evident in both charter and traditional public schools; (3) However, teachers and principals in traditional public schools consistently report more frequent safety problems in their schools than do teachers and principals in charter schools; and (4) It is not clear what accounts for these differences. Apart from student dress code and uniform requirements, charters do not seem to consistently use dramatically different approaches to safety policy. Additional tables and figures are appended. (Contains 9 tables, 7 figures, and 6 footnotes.)

This paper describes causes of special education conflict and explores alternative conflict management approaches being pioneered by state education agencies and school districts. The focus is on early informal dispute resolution strategies as alternatives to due process hearings and mediation. Problems with both due process hearings and mediation are identified, especially how late in the conflict process these mechanisms are engaged under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Causes of conflict in special education are identified, including conflicts over design of special education services; conflicts over delivery of special education services; and relationship conflicts due to breakdowns in communication, trust, or cultural differences. Alternative strategies are grouped into: Stage 1--prevention strategies (participant and stakeholder training, a Stakeholders' Council, and collaborative rule making); Stage 2--disagreement strategies (parent-to-parent assistance, case managers, and telephone intermediaries); and Stage 3--conflict strategies (facilitation, mediation hybrid models, the prepared mediation conference, the ombudsperson, and third party opinion/consultation). Four appendices provide: (1) the regulatory provisions of mediation under IDEA '97; (2) a table comparing mediation and hearings; (3) a list of the advantages and limitations of early informal dispute resolution strategies; and (4) a chart giving examples of early dispute resolution strategies. (Contains 73 references.) (DB)

This briefing paper focuses on children ages birth to five years and is intended primarily for health workers in developing countries who are responsible for the management of young children with HIV and AIDS. It provides practical information on: (1) how HIV is transmitted to infants and young children; (2) how transmission can be prevented; (3) how to diagnose HIV and AIDS in young children; (4) how to care for children with HIV, including treatment of common infections; (5) how to provide support to families caring for sick children; (6) how children who are not infected may be affected by HIV; and (7) how HIV and AIDS in children affects health workers and other caregivers. Other important issues related to HIV/AIDS and children that health workers need to be aware of are also addressed, including community support, orphans, sexual abuse, and HIV testing and counseling. A list of selected printed and organizational resources on AIDS and children is included, along with a glossary of relevant terms. Appendices include a fact sheet on HIV and AIDS and an outline of a workshop and exercises that may be helpful in educating health workers about HIV/AIDS and children. (CR)

Several Federal programs and initiatives are underway to reduce crime and violence in the schools. In connection with these efforts, Congress had passed legislation requiring the National Center for Education Statistics to collect data about the seriousness and incidence of violence in elementary and secondary schools. This report presents an overview of existing national datasets that can be used to satisfy this legislative requirement. Information related to school crime and violence in these datasets is described, and the quality of that information is assessed. Strengths and weaknesses of a report to Congress based on the most recently collected data are discussed, and recommendations are made for developing a survey system designed to collect rigorous and detailed information on crime and violence in the schools. The following national datasets are reviewed: (1) Monitoring the Future (National Institute on Drug Abuse); (2) Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 1993, 1995 (Centers for Disease Control); (3) Schools and Staffing Survey (National Center for Education Statistics) (NCES); (4) National Household Education Survey (NHES); (5) The American Teacher: Violence in America's Schools (Metropolitan Life Insurance Company); (6) School Crime Supplement of the National Crime Victimization Survey (Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Institute of Justice); (7) National Crime Victimization Survey (Bureau of Justice Statistics); and (8) National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NCES). A review of the nature and quality of the information in these databases leads to the conclusion that most of them are appropriate for preparing a report to Congress. However, use of the National Education Longitudinal Study is not recommended, because it contains no information not already available in more recent databases. Information in the National Household Education Survey is also available from other databases. Collectively the recommended surveys provide a relatively large picture of the extent of crime, violence, and against-regulation behavior in schools. More and better information on student-level, teacher-level, and school-level crime and violence could be collected by a survey developed by the NCES that would include items that discriminate among different types of nonviolence and violent crimes and against-regulation behaviors. Appendixes describe the national databases and contain crosstabulation tables. (Contains 12 tables and 8 references.) (SLD)

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that for every high school of 2,000 or more students in the United States, there is at least one successful suicide and thirty to fifty attempts each year. This report offers one state's examination of suicide and presents some effective responses to this problem. Discussed are those students most at risk, legal issues, guidelines for developing policies and procedures, and some general prevention strategies. Ten appendices include a sample suicide intervention model, typical distress signals, a profile of youth at high risk for depression, symptoms of depression, a lethality assessment, guidelines for responding to suicidal ideation, resources on the topic, and examples of crisis management training. Suicide prevention is falling more upon the schools and having an effective suicide prevention program in a school depends on the participation of students and parents in all aspects of the program. Schools should also enlist community support. Outside agencies can serve as consultants, referral sources, and trainers of staff and students. (RJM)

An experiment with the artificial aging of paper which--in contrast with the usual practice--was carried out at relatively low temperatures (i.e., 50-95 degrees Celsius), and not on laboratory handsheets, but on naturally aged paper from the commercial production of four centuries, produced results justifying the thesis that there may be at best an accidental agreement between the results of artificial aging at high temperatures and natural aging. The chemical processes that take place as paper ages appear to take different temperature-specific courses, so that it is not possible to draw any conclusions from short-term expiration at one (elevated) temperature about the long-term expiration at another (room) temperature. If artificial aging cannot be dispensed with despite this uncertainty, aging should take place at 80 degrees Celsius and 65% relative humidity. The data collected are displayed in 24 tables and 10 figures. (Author/SD)

Intended for archivists and librarians, especially in developing countries, this study details the systems and principles important in planning and implementing a program for the preservation and restoration of paper documents and books. The importance of environmental (external) causes and effects of paper deterioration are discussed as well as the characteristics of the supporting and the sustained media (paper and ink) and the inherent (internal) causes of their deterioration. Preventive methods of conservation and conservation controls are also discussed, including factors relating to building design, document storage, bindings, lighting, and humidity/temperature. The larger part of this publication focuses on restoration, and discusses criteria for restoration and the processes involved, with guidelines for their use. These include photography, cleaning, deacidification, repair of cuts and tears, drying and pressing, lamination, and assembly and encapsulation. A 48-item bibliography is provided. (THC)

Discusses how and why college students commit plagiarism, suggesting techniques that instructors can use to help student avoid plagiarism. Instructors should define and discuss plagiarism thoroughly; discuss hypothetical cases; review the conventions of quoting and documenting material; require multiple drafts of essays; and offer responses appropriate to the type of error. (MDM)

This guide is intended to help parents of adolescents and adults with mental retardation to teach their sons and daughters about HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). An official resolution on AIDS adopted by The Arc, an organization for citizens with mental retardation, begins the guide. This resolution supports continued and increased research, support, and education and does not support mandatory blood testing solely on the basis of mental retardation. Next, basic information about HIV/AIDS for parents is summarized. Specific information that parents should teach their offspring is then outlined. General guidelines for such instruction are offered and include teaching yourself what you need to know, learning about local resources, and repeating and reinforcing the messages. Each of the five guidelines are explained in some detail, and additional resources, such as the SAFE (Stopping Aids through Functional Education) curriculum, are suggested. Specific teaching suggestions for use with daughters are given. A variety of organizational resources, sources for speakers, and hotlines are listed. The guide concludes with The Arc's position statement on sexuality, which stresses the normal human rights of persons with mental retardation. (DB)

This paper presents an overview of the affects of sexual harassment on middle schools and discusses what can be done to prevent it. This paper suggests that school personnel must educate students about sexual harassment, and videos can be a particularly effective way to do this. Recent studies have shown that 81 percent of all students, grades 8 through 11, experience sexual harassment, which can originate from other students, both males and females, or from educators themselves. Sexual harassment is not about sex. Rather, it is about power; harassers like to have their own way and they make sure that others are afraid of them. This situation is exacerbated by the signals that girls receive from the advertising and entertainment industries, which often portray women as sex objects who dress up to receive attention, be it unwanted or not. Research has shown that sexual harassment affects the victim in five principal areas: physically, emotionally, in school performance and experiences, in both their immediate and later futures, and in job-related situations. Prevention is important and one way to ensure awareness of sexual harassment is through speakers, classes, and seminars. (RJM)

This paper presents classroom management practices that can be used to avoid the "revolving classroom door." In the revolving classroom door, misbehaving students are sent to the principal, and eventually returned to the classroom with no gains in student behavior or opportunity for learning. The paper begins by discussing the meaning of classroom management which is defined as how teachers maintain order in the classroom. There follow sections on features and teaching behaviors that must be in place for good classroom management. These include ways to create a positive classroom climate (for example, being friendly and warm, helping students to learn); planning for teaching before school begins, the first day of school, and throughout the year (for example, reviewing and outlining textbooks for each course, posting classroom rules, and reviewing the entire course plan with students the first day); prevention strategies (for example, acting and dressing professionally, teaching standing up and moving around), and consequences and punishments (for example, not ignoring misbehavior problems). The paper concludes with a summary listing of teaching strategies. (Contains 11 references.) (JB)

The role of an alcoholic and other drug (AOD) program coordinator is described in this paper, with attention given to simplifying multiple administrative roles and responsibilities. The AOD problem is reconceptualized as a dilemma to be managed rather than solved. A comprehensive campus program is defined in terms of three elements: program components, target populations, and the chemical-use status of the target population. From a systems perspective, functions of the program coordinator include fostering coordination, consultation, program development, training/education, referral, and supervision. A primary theme is shared responsibility among systems. A recommendation is that the campus program coordinator apply the four principles of effective leadership (Bennis 1991) defining a purpose, communicating a vision, planning, and participating. Two figures are included. (LMI)

This statement of principles embodies a general approach to the nature and objectives of preservation and conservation work relating to library materials. It does not aim to provide a comprehensive list of detailed methods and practices, but is intended to establish a responsible attitude toward preservation and conservation by librarians. The document is divided into five major sections. The introduction includes discussions of aims and definitions, objectives, functions of libraries, library policies, problem assessment, selectivity, links with other libraries and library functions, implications of preservation policies, training, and cooperation. The second section, Preservation, considers factors related to storage and accommodation, temperature and humidity, light, air pollution, dust and cleanliness, storage materials and equipment, buildings, and standards employed. The section on the Security of the Collections includes discussions of fire, water, war and natural disaster, theft, and disaster preparedness. A section on Use of the Collections includes discussions of document protection and storage, library materials in transit, readers and reader facilities, copying, reprography policy, exhibitions, limiting use, and substitutes. The final section, Factors Affecting Deterioration, includes discussions of biological factors; micro-organisms; insects and other pests; chemical factors; and damage to paper, leather and parchment, photographic film, and nitrate film. (THC)

This paper offers advice to school psychologists concerning the future of their profession in relation to crisis intervention. Crisis intervention will be more of a priority as the year 2000 approaches; therefore school psychologists need to expand their role and change their focus to include intervention to all children. School psychologists need to take the leadership and critical role on crisis response teams in order to implement primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of prevention. Currently, school psychologists initially intervene at the secondary or tertiary level. In the future, the concentration needs to be on primary prevention. Proactive rather than reactive crisis intervention should be emphasized and intervention should no longer be viewed as a support service but as an essential direct service. Consequently, school psychologists need to be familiar with and develop competence in immediate, intermediate, and ongoing intervention. As school-community crisis response teams are developed, school psychologists need to be a part of the planning for dealing with crises. They need to be familiar with guidelines for constructing a crisis management plan and with group crisis intervention. This paper discusses the components of an effective crisis management plan and the National Organization for Victim Assistance's recently revised intervention paradigm. Also presented is an experiential crisis/trauma awareness exercise. (Contains 49 references.) (Author/MKA)

This paper first outlines the objectives of programs which focus on conflict management and violence prevention. The paper then describes the application of a model of aggressive communication as a potential component in conflict management and violence prevention programs. The model presented in the paper incorporates training in argument and cognitive learning about the destructive nature of verbal aggression. With the day-to-day escalation of violence in public schools in mind, the paper notes that conflict management skills can be taught: (1) by offering a specific course on the subject, (2) by incorporating conflict management concepts and exercises into the core curricula, or (3) by offering specialized training outside the classroom. As part of the conflict management curriculum, the model on constructive argumentation offered in the paper proposes verbal aggressiveness as a catalyst to physical violence, with the focus on discussion of the nature and scope of interpersonal conflict and training in constructive argumentation. The model described in the paper offers a full range of training in practical skills in developing arguments, and upon its conclusion the participants/students should know what constitutes constructive and destructive behavior, and possibly, they could experience a change to a more positive attitude and behavior. (Contains 28 references and 7 notes.) (NKA)

The long-term effects of crisis and tragedy can be improved significantly by immediate intervention and emergency mental health services. Providing crisis intervention in rural schools poses challenges related to lack of financial resources, community resources, and trained personnel; isolation of rural schools; and long distances between school and students' homes. The major responsibility for crisis intervention falls upon local and district school leadership. Logically, rural schools should train and prepare all adults in the school to support students and offer emotional first aid in crisis situations. Paraprofessionals typically live in the community and provide linguistic and cultural continuity between the school and community. Training paraprofessionals to participate in crisis prevention and intervention will increase the number of adults who can assist, will improve communication and teamwork, and will create a sense of community and ownership in the school's crisis intervention plan. This paper outlines elements and issues in such training, including developing a crisis plan tailored to the individual school, organizing a crisis team, personal characteristics needed in a crisis and potential "red flags" that might preclude individuals from helping, tailoring the training to trainees' skills and level of confidence, teaching methods and role playing, and basic topics to include in training. Suicide prevention and preventing student violence and aggression should be emphasized. (Contains 23 references) (SV)

The purpose of this study was twofold. First, it investigated preservice and inservice teachers' observed and experienced violence at various educational levels. Second, the study determined by gender, these individuals' knowledge and awareness of violence factors. The subjects consisted of 26 university preservice and four inservice teachers in two sections of an introductory special education class at a small southeastern university. The preservice teachers consisted of elementary, secondary, and K-12 special education majors. The inservice teachers consisted of 2 males and 2 females. A survey questionnaire was developed, validated, and administered. Participants indicated their school safety-violence observations and experiences from grade school through college, and their agreement or disagreement to a minimum of 10 statements listed under five safety-violence factors. The results indicated that subjects had differences in violence experienced in schools. The results also suggested that subjects had similar gender perceptions of school violence, but differences occurred in their perceptions of acts of school violence. Limitations and implications for future research and school safety-violence prevention programs are presented. (Contains 7 tables.) (Author/JDM)

The purpose of this paper is to provide the beginning counselor with an overview of prevention concepts. Prevention is a relatively new emphasis in community efforts to stem the rising costs of substance abuse and other high-risk behaviors. The paper discusses agent, host, and environmental prevention models and how they relate to causal theories of addiction. It stresses that prevention strategies must relate to causal models of addictive behavior if they are to have any likelihood of making an impact. Target populations must be clearly identified, and risk and protective factors need to be accurately described. Prevention is important because it offers alternatives to treatment that is costly, available to a select few, and frequently not effective. Counselors play a critical role in prevention as they have the skills in interpersonal communication to facilitate problem solving, goal setting, and collaboration. They are in a position to advocate for system change and to model healthy behaviors to their clients, students, and members of the larger community. The role played by counselors in prevention work is described, and summaries of effective prevention programs are presented. Also included is a facilitator's manual which is a practical guide for teaching content through guided experiential projects. Four objectives are listed, and seven student exercises are provided. (Contains 36 references.) (MKA)

More than half of runaway adolescents cite poor family communication and conflict as the primary reasons for running. Runaways (.5-1.5 million annually) generally arrive on the streets with few survival skills and little money. They are often subject to abuse of various sorts, and many eventually resort to criminal activity or use drugs in efforts to cope. This paper describes some problems that runaways face at home and on the streets, and the public and private sector responses to their needs. Sweeping changes in legislation have set the tone for changes in the juvenile court system and in programs and services for these youth. Innovative approaches to helping runaways, those at risk, and their families are in place at both the community and federal levels. The National Runaway Switchboard is a major point of contact for reuniting families and runaways. Partnerships of volunteers, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and state and federal agencies have created networks to help runaways and at-risk youths. This paper reviews the limited research on the effects of these changes in bringing runaways home, on educational and vocational outcomes, the incidence of drug and alcohol abuse, and the development of constructive relationships. A glossary of terms is provided. (Contains 56 references.) (EMK)

Outdoor leaders and those involved in personal outdoor adventure pursuits must be knowledgeable in the assessment, treatment, and prevention of musculoskeletal injuries in the backcountry. In the wilderness medicine setting, extended time periods of patient care, rugged terrain, severe environmental conditions, and limited resources create emergency care situations that are considerably different from standard urban emergency response. In emergencies, the trip members are the first responders and are often the rescuers. This paper focuses on the assessment, treatment, and prevention of common injuries to the musculoskeletal system. Some basic information on bones and muscles is reviewed. When assessing an injury, the care provider must look at the mechanism of injury to determine the likelihood, type, and extent of injury. Stable musculoskeletal injuries include strains, caused by overstretching or tearing of muscles or tendons, and sprains, which involve stretches or tears of the ligaments. Stable injuries are treated with rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) but generally do not require splinting. Unstable musculoskeletal injuries include fractures and dislocations and are treated with hands-on stabilization, traction in line, and splinting, in addition to RICE. The diagnosis, treatment, and potential need for evacuation are detailed for various types of injury within each category. The improvisation of splints from backcountry gear and their application to fracture or dislocation are discussed. (Author/SV)

Adventure travel to Latin America requires careful planning, implementation, and followup to ensure safe, healthy experiences. This paper provides an overview of basic principles of prevention, assessment, and treatment of medical problems common to adventure travel in tropical areas. A brief introduction defines the vegetation and climatic challenges. A pretrip planning section discusses: (1) understanding the risks (disease, injury, limited medical care in developing countries); (2) medical research and resources on health care in tropical countries; (3) immunizations; (4) trip insurance; (5) trip logistical considerations; and (6) medical kits. A discussion of endemic tropical diseases and their treatments covers cholera, dengue fever, giardiasis, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, HIV, influenza, malaria, meningitis, rabies, tapeworms, travelers' diarrhea, typhoid fever, and yellow fever. A section on principles of safe foreign travel discusses food; water; insects; environmental emergencies (such as shellfish reactions, altitude sickness, diving injuries, dehydration); hygiene; posttrip followup; and the importance of skilled and experienced leadership. Appendixes include travel medicine terminology, an endemic diseases chart, water disinfection procedures, medical kit supplies, general principles of safe foreign travel, and sources on wilderness and travel medicine. (Contains 22 general references and other specific categorical references.) (SAS)

Playground safety in Australia has evolved from being an issue for parents, teachers, city engineers, and other generalists to an issue for specialists. This paper takes the position that the general community must become involved in playground planning, renovation, and maintenance. After presenting statistics on playground settings and playground accidents, the paper discusses playground safety assessment and approaches to preventing playground injuries for use by parents. These approaches include identifying the high points on equipment, identifying the fall zones, judging the softness of the surrounding surface, and taking measurements of the equipment to determine the proper size of bars and rails as well as potential strangulation hazards. Appended to the paper is "Every Parent's Guide to Assessing Playground Safety: Five Easy Steps for Spotting the Most Important Equipment-related Hazards." (BGC)

Data suggest that acquaintance and date rape may account for 50-70 percent of all reported rapes in the United States. Recent findings also indicate that one in four college women have been raped or a victim of attempted rape. As most rape victims are between 15 and 24 years of age, high school-based education programs must be provided if society expects to eliminate this social and public health problem. A series of lessons are proposed that can be included as part of a high school safety and injury prevention unit in an existing health education curriculum. This concept-based unit includes well defined behavioral objectives, recommended content, suggested materials and resources, suggested learning activities, and evaluation measures. Content includes: types of rape; relevant epidemiologic data; myths and stereotypes about rape; cultural influences and risk-factors associated with rape (including alcohol and drug abuse); verbal and non-verbal communication; and preventive strategies. Activities are designed to increase knowledge; to help students examine personal beliefs and cultural attitudes; and to strengthen communication, decision-making, and assertive-resistance skills. Students learn to recognize at-risk situations, verbal and nonverbal messages and stages that commonly occur prior to an acquaintance/date rape. Also, students practice prevention strategies and discuss how to apply them to everyday life. Instructional methods include lecture/discussion, video, group activities, attitudinal inventories, critical incidents, and music. Suggestions for student evaluation are provided. Appendixes contain definitions, sexual assertiveness continuum, text of three popular songs, scenarios, sexual assault/sexual behavior questionnaire, a list of prevention strategies, and practical tips. (Author/JB)

This paper presents a secondary-level teaching technique that can be used in an integrated English and health education curriculum. The exercise provides students and teachers with a case study of a suicidal person for the purpose of teaching the warning signs of suicide, appropriate questioning, and referral skills. The case study uses Hamlet's suicide soliloquy as an example of suicide ideation. Students are asked to identify and discuss statements by Hamlet that act as "red flag" warning signs, what tools and methods might be used, what motivations for dying and for living Hamlet has, how students might intervene if they were a character in the play, and to whom they would refer Hamlet if he were a classmate in modern times. The paper ends with a list of suicide-related terminology and four key warning signs. (Contains a list of seven suggested readings for teachers and nine references.) (JDD)

From the early 1970s through the mid-1980s schools and communities were in chaos, attempting to respond to what was inaccurately perceived as a single drug epidemic. While there has been some improvement in delivering services, and state departments of education have developed guidelines which have helped school programs to function, problems still remain. It is becoming evident that just as there were several mini-epidemics simultaneously involving different populations and substances, stemming the tide of chemical use requires a range of services. These services must include prevention and treatment referral. Successful prevention efforts should include written policies and procedures; establishment of a philosophy based on empirical research; identification of problems and development of goals; and involvement of community and student groups. Research on drug abuse is available and needs to be used. (Research information on prevention programming by grade level is presented in a chart. The process of developing a comprehensive K-12 drug abuse prevention program of the Clifton Public Schools in Clifton, New Jersey is summarized and relevant documents are included.) (ABL)

Nationwide attention to the problems of teenage pregnancy and suicide, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), substance abuse, domestic violence, child abuse, dropping out of school, and other conditions is resulting in a proliferation of primary prevention programs, projects, and activities. In too many communities, however, the growth of prevention programs on the local level takes place with little access to technical advice or assistance with program design, implementation, or evaluation. Community psychologists can play a key role in providing technical assistance with newly developing primary prevention efforts endeavoring to: (1) discern the characteristics of the general population and identify specific populations at risk for developing disorders; (2) plan effective strategies within the available resources; (3) communicate specific information to target populations and to those in direct contact with target populations; and (4) systematically evaluate the success of each effort over time. A community psychologist who has provided consultation to numerous prevention programs in one Northeast community, including the formation of a coalition to coordinate efforts, outlines eight steps in the process of assisting these groups. Tables are appended and references are included. (TE)

Early childhood is a critical time for cognitive, social, and behavioral development. Many states have invested in comprehensive early childhood care and education systems that offer a wide range of supports and services to families from the prenatal period through school entry. Home visiting programs are an important component of state early childhood systems. In a typical home visiting program, trained professionals provide regular, voluntary home visits to at-risk expectant and new parents and offer guidance, risk assessment, and referrals to other services offered in the community. As states continue to redesign and streamline state programs to make them more effective, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) released this paper to offer states suggestions on how to better coordinate and integrate home visitation programs to improve early childhood initiatives. (Contains 33 endnotes.)

Results of the 2009 "Monitoring the Future" (MTF) study document the disturbing prevalence among teens of abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. The data show, for example, that seven of the substances most commonly abused by high school seniors are pharmaceuticals. Many parents believe they are powerless to influence their teens. However, research makes clear that parents remain the single most powerful influence in their kids' lives. This paper offers some tips for parents on how to talk to their teens about drug use. (Contains 4 figures.)

Schools remain one of the safest environments for children. However, in far too many schools, a lack of respect for the authority of teachers and other school employees, as well as for the rights of other students, is undermining the ability of schools to provide students with a quality education. Even in the best schools, employees often experience frustration and feel abandoned in their efforts to maintain a safe and orderly learning environment. Many teachers can relate personal stories of administrators undermining their attempts to maintain order by letting student offenders get away with disruptive behavior. Solving school violence and discipline problems isn't easy, but it can be done. Ultimately, it requires a districtwide commitment to safe, orderly schools, including a real effort by district officials to stand behind school employees with the support they need--and a commitment by administrators to forge a cooperative effort with school employees aimed at educating students, parents and members of the community about the need for tough but fair discipline policies. This paper offers a list of effective behavior-management techniques.

The National Assembly on School-Based Health Care's (NASBHC) 2007-2008 Census is the 11th request for data from school-based health centers (SBHCs) since 1986. The Census: (1) provides a better understanding of the role of SBHCs in meeting the needs of underserved children and adolescents; (2) collects relevant trend data on demographics, staffing, operations, prevention activities, clinical services, and policies; and (3) creates a national database of programs. Data for the 2007-2008 Census were collected from October 2008 through October 2009. The 2007-2008 Census identified 1,909 clinics and programs connected with schools nationwide, including: (1) School-based programs: Partnerships between schools and community health organizations that deliver health care to students within a fixed site on a school campus; (2) Mobile programs: Programs without a fixed site that rotate a health care team through a number of schools; and (3) School-linked programs: Health care programs that are formally or informally linked with schools to coordinate and promote health care for students on campus; clinical services are not provided on the school site. These programs (n=86) were not included in this report. Sixty-four percent (n=1226) of known programs responded to the survey. Efforts were made to confirm that health centers that did not complete a survey were open during the 2007-08 school year. With a few exceptions, the analysis in this report includes programs that provide, at a minimum, primary care services (n=1096). However, all programs (n=1226)--including those that do not provide primary care services--are included in the mental health and health promotion/prevention sections of this report. [Additional funding for this paper was provided by the Office of Special Populations.]

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is one of a group of behavioral disorders called disruptive behavior disorders (DBD). These disorders are called this because children who have these disorders tend to disrupt those around them. ODD is one of the more common mental health disorders found in children and adolescents. This paper discusses the following topics on ODD: (1) What Is Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)?; (2) How Common Is ODD?; (3) What Causes ODD?; (4) What Are the Symptoms of ODD?; (5) How Is ODD Diagnosed?; (6) Can ODD Occur with Other Conditions?; (7) Can ODD Be Prevented?; (8) How Is ODD Treated?; (9) How Long Does Treatment Typically Last?; (10) Does ODD Improve over Time?; (11) Which Therapies Have Been Shown Not to Work?; and (12) What Does the Future Hold?

The National Assembly on School-Based Health Care conducted the 2004-05 Census, the tenth count of school-based health centers (SBHCs) since 1986, to: (1) provide a better understanding of the role of SBHCs in meeting the needs of underserved children and adolescents; (2) collect up-to-date data on demographics, staffing services, operations, prevention activities, clinical policies and trends; and (3) create a national directory of programs. Census 2004-05 identified 1709 school-connected programs nationwide. This number includes school-based, mobile and linked programs. 1335 or 78% of known programs responded to the survey. These data on practices and operations during the 2004-05 school year were collected from October 2005 through October 2006. Efforts were made to confirm that non-respondents were open during the 2004-05 school year. This report describes the 1235 sites providing a minimum of primary care service, defined as having a staffing profile with a nurse practitioner, physician assistant or physician on school grounds. [Additional funding for this paper was provided by the Office of Special Populations.]

Understanding the far-reaching impact of sexual violence and the importance of prevention, Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994, which established CDC's Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) Program. Congress reauthorized $80 million for this program in the Violence Against Women Act of 2000. With fiscal year 2004 funding of approximately $44 million, CDC provides national leadership on sexual violence prevention by supporting rape prevention and education programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and seven U.S. territories. RPE programs use funding to increase awareness about sexual violence through educational seminars (for professionals, the public, schools, colleges, and universities), hotline operations, and development of informational materials. Other efforts target under-served communities and people with disabilities. This paper highlights CDC's RPE Program initiatives for addressing sexual violence.

This guide discusses the importance of parent influence in preventing teen pregnancy, offering insights from research regarding: closeness between parents and their children; parent-child communication; parental attitudes and values about abstinence and/or the dangers of unprotected sex; parents' reluctance to discuss the issue; parental supervision of teens' behavior; parent and peer influence; family structure and where the family lives; other risky behavior; parents' lack of awareness of their children's sexual behavior; dating dangers; a national consensus on preventing early sexual activity and parenthood; and limits on what public schools can do. Overall, parents who clearly communicate their values and expectations to their children, express their concern and love for them early and often, and exercise supervision raise children who are more likely to avoid a host of risky behaviors than parents who do not. The paper presents facts that teens want adults to know (e.g., telling them not to have sex is not enough, paying attention to them before they get into trouble is important, and adolescents care about what parents have to say, even if they do not always act like it). Tips for parents include be clear about one's sexual attitudes and values, be a parent with opinions, and discourage early, frequent, and steady dating. (SM)

Increasing numbers of children are being labeled emotionally and behaviorally disturbed and are at risk of later antisocial behavior and school dropout. To change problem behavior, students and their caregivers must be taught to use new and better skills, and schools must systematically implement strategies to ensure that these skills are generalized and maintained in multiple settings. School-wide planning is essential to developing interventions. Positive behavior support consists of four interrelated systems: school-wide procedures to define, teach, reward, and correct students' social behavior; procedures to address problems that arise from scheduling, monitoring, and architectural flaws; classroom procedures that teachers use to maintain order and motivation; and individual student procedures that provide extra resources and structures to support and control the 5-7 percent of students who typically present behavioral challenges. Target interventions may be designed for individual students or small groups with similar needs. When target interventions are not successful, intensive individual behavior intervention plans are designed, involving multiagency planning and cooperation beyond the school. Criminal justice, social services, or mental health specialists may need to be involved in addition to school staff. Rural teachers can feel powerless and isolated when beginning a system of positive behavior management. Important supports for teachers are mentors, released time for observation of experienced teachers, regular sessions that allow for sharing and support, continuing professional development, and encouraging reflective practice. (Contains 19 references.) (TD)

This brief discusses the confusion some young children feel in moving from one activity to another (e.g., bus to classroom, cubbies to book reading, art time to lunch) that often results in frustration and challenging behaviors. The paper provides practical information on a variety of strategies to help preschool children make smooth, independent transitions. Using a question and answer format, it addresses the following issues: (1) What are transitions between activities?; (2) Why is it important to address transitions between activities?; (3) Who are the children who have participated in research on transitions?; (4) Where do I find more information on implementing this practice?; and (5) What is the scientific basis for this practice? Examples of how specific practices might be used and a one page summary handout for practitioners and families are included. (SG)

The paper examines whether a relationship exists between intellectual limitation on the mother's part and unfavorable outcomes for her children. The scope of the problem is examined and the difficulties inherent in estimating prevalence are noted. The issue of child neglect, rather than abuse is shown to be a major problem among institutionalized mentally retarded parents. Studies supporting this problem are cited. Further research indicating that factors other than the mother's intelligence--such as willingness to place the child's needs ahead of her own--may be more important predictors of the mother's ability to improve her child care skills. Additional factors include absence of significant emotional problems and experience in child care. It is suggested that a variety of environmental, medical, economic, and social factors may affect the outcome, with intellectual limitation on the mother's part being additive to other negative environmental influences. Possible intervention approaches include following up children via home visitors, parent skill training, and helping with immediate needs. The paper suggests building in a system of non-coercive supports to existing social, medical, and educational services. Nine recommendations (including screening for literacy by welfare workers and appropriate family planning education in special education programs) are followed by suggestions to medical care or social service personnel for giving instructions, providing more outreach, using family-centered supports for mother and father, and adopting appropriate attitudes. Two final sections address implications for Title V public programs and the role of University Affiliated Facilities. (CL)

Many of the 56 school districts of Nassau County in New York State offer programs to support youth-at-risk. The programs are diverse, and they vary across districts in availability, effectiveness, and perceived need. This study sought to determine availability, effectiveness, and perceived need of programs which provide at-risk youth with academic support, counseling and personal growth, staff development and training, health education, adolescent pregnancy prevention, suicide prevention, child abuse prevention, parenting and parent education, college entrance, employment training, and community education. A survey instrument was mailed to each of the 56 school districts in Nassau County with 40 school buildings responding, representing 34 districts. These were the major findings: (1) most dropouts left school in grades 10, 11, or 12; (2) the three major reasons for leaving school were personal problems, academic difficulties, and employment; (3) a majority believed that dropouts and out-of-school youth would remain in school if an alternative were offered; (4) virtually all indicated that in-school staff handled referral, management, and follow-up of attendance problems, acting-out, emotional/social behaviors, and potential suicides; (5) one-fourth represented districts that had a district-wide Parents' Advisory Council; and (6) most support programs providing services for the at-risk population were rated moderately effective. (ABL)

This guide is designed to help school personnel and community members who are interested in violence prevention in schools. It discusses the starting point for prevention and claims that the same basic framework can be used to develop effective plans in elementary schools and secondary schools. The paper advocates a comprehensive approach to school safety. Administrative support is essential, as are careful planning, schoolwide education and training, and counseling and social services.NBIt outlines violence-prevention frameworks and administrative approaches. It underscores the importance of accurate monitoring and of training teachers in classroom discipline. The report also presents a framework for school security. Effective security programs use schoolwide education in violence prevention, make student counseling available, and have a clear plan in place for students in alternative education. Key elements to any program are community and parental involvement. Students need to know that parents support the school discipline policies, including any reasonable punishment administered by the school. Schools also need to work with police and juvenile-justice authorities, with the business community, and with community organizations. When choosing a violence-prevention program, schools should identify and measure the problem, set goals and objectives, select appropriate strategies, implement a comprehensive plan, and evaluate the program. (RJM)

Nearly 24 million youth, ages 10 through 17, were online regularly in 1999. Large numbers of young people, when on the Internet, are encountering sexual solicitations they do not want, sexual material they did not seek, and people who threaten and harass them. A national survey described in this paper and administered to 1,501 young people, ages 10 through 17, confirms many of these stories. It represents the first scientifically based window into the risks youth face on the Internet, particularly unwanted sexual solicitations and pornography. It includes information on how families and young people are addressing matters of danger and protection on the Internet, and suggests that although these unpleasant experiences affect a large number of youth, few families do much about it. The report questions how to temper some of the drawbacks of the Internet to protect young people, and highlights the need for public and private initiatives to raise awareness and provide solutions. It suggests that strategies to respond to the problem would aim to reduce offensive behavior, better shield young people from its likely occurrence, increase the level of reporting, and provide more help to youth and families to protect them from any consequences. (Contains 20 figures, 8 tables, and 4 references.) (JDM)

This paper provides tips and resources that communities can use to reduce substance abuse and gun violence. The names of national organizations, publications, and community leaders with expertise in funding are included. It describes how Join Together Online, a national resource for communities working to reduce substance abuse and gun violence, contains a section on funding and grant information that is updated daily. The Join Together site lists Federal Register grant announcements related to substance abuse and gun violence. The funding forum also contains information on private grants; profiles of foundations; successful stories from communities on how they have raised money; and lists additional resources. (JDM)

Children's experience at home is the largest single factor in whether or not they will have a drug or alcohol problem early in life. The best prevention program for many people at risk is to make sure their addicted family member receives appropriate treatment. Several steps need to take place to enhance the family's role in preventing alcohol or drug addiction. Family environments must be created where it is unacceptable to be drunk or high on drugs. Family members must face the fact that another member has an alcohol problem. Adults must model what they want youth to become. This paper provides suggestions to help communities address substance abuse in families and communities. It contains a list of national organizations, publications, and the names of community leaders with an expertise in parenting. It also contains stories of how some communities have responded to this problem. (Contains 10 resources.) (JDM)

This paper focuses on assisting families who have been damaged by substance abuse and on constructive involvement of families to help all members cope. The four main topics are: (1) "Substance Abuse and Family Systems," including the effects of substance abuse on families and children; (2) "Theories and Approaches to Family Interventions," including family systems theory, stages in family counseling, main types of family therapies, and other useful approaches; (3) "Obstacles to Coping," such as codependency and other barriers which may undermine efforts in prevention and intervention; and (4) "Best Practices in Assisting and Utilizing Families in Substance Abuse Rehabilitation." Since substance abuse is a complex biocultural condition, narrowly focused linear treatment approaches are insufficient in achieving meaningful coping skills and change. Two broad treatment strategies that are recommended are prevention and intervention with family systems and family members, and involvement of family systems in intervention with their substance abusing member. Also included is a facilitator's manual which is a practical guide for teaching content through guided experiential projects. Five objectives are listed, and five student exercises are provided. (Contains 91 references and 3 tables.) (Author/MKA)

This paper describes strategies for establishing and maintaining safe schools. A "safe school" is one with physical features, layout, and policies that are designed to minimize the disruptions and intrusions that interfere with the school's mission. Above all, safe schools enjoy a climate that is free of fear. To establish safety, orderliness, and caring, school officials must take several steps. First, they should form a committee that consists of stakeholders from all perspectives, a move that will enhance understanding and agreement about what needs to be done. The committee should then set in motion the process of needs assessment with reference to current levels of safety, orderliness, and caring. Attention should focus on the school's physical features, layout, policies, and procedures that are in place to handle daily activities, as well as problems that may arise. A school's climate is often assessed in terms of students', teachers', school staffs', and parents' perception of how safe the school is. Do students, for example, feel safe? One way to assess school safety is to consider the three "Ps" of safe schools: place, people, and purpose. Paying special attention to each of these components can help a school establish and maintain safety, orderliness, and caring. (RJM)

This report presents a workshop for counselors and psychologists who are at a high risk for burnout and compassion fatigue. The workshop focuses on increasing the awareness of participants about the issues of burnout and compassion fatigue, and highlights a number of steps toward prevention. A report, which accompanies the workshop documentation, provides a variety of definitions, signs and symptoms, and possible causes of burnout and compassion fatigue. An emphasis is placed on prevention techniques that include both individual and environmental strategies. Also included in the report is a description of the specific workshop activities for participants. At the beginning of the program, participants are given the opportunity to assess their own degree of burnout and compassion fatigue. Through small group discussions, participants are also given the opportunity to share personal strategies for managing job stress and learn about other useful burnout prevention strategies from other participants. The remaining steps, assuming responsibility for addressing the problem and identifying what one can or cannot change about the job, are additional steps that each person is encouraged to address on his or her own to ensure that burnout or compassion fatigue do not become a personal reality. (Contains 12 references.) (GCP)

This paper is designed to help educators understand research findings on promising interventions for students with a history of behavior problems. It reviews programs for preventing such problems from recurring among children and adolescents with chronic antisocial behavior. Findings from the review indicate: (1) assessment of the student's behavior must be linked with interventions that follow the student through different placements; (2) multiple interventions are necessary for improving the behavior of most students; (3) interventions must address not only the problem behavior but a constellation of related behaviors and contributing factors; (4) interventions must be sustained and include specific plans for promoting maintenance over time and generalization; (5) a combination of proactive, corrective, and instructive classroom management strategies is needed; (6) interventions must be developmentally appropriate and address strengths and weaknesses of the individual student and the student's environment; (7) parent education and family therapy are critical components of effective programs for antisocial children; (8) interventions are most effective when provided early in life; (9) interventions should be guided by policies that emphasize positive interventions over punitive ones; and (10) interventions should be fair, consistent, culturally and racially nondiscriminatory, and sensitive to cultural diversity. (Contains 19 references.) (CR)

This paper presents a systematic procedure for threat assessment and intervention of school shooters. The model is designed to be used by educators, mental-health professionals, and law-enforcement agencies and is intended to help refine and strengthen the efforts of the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. Its fundamental building blocks are its threat-assessment standards, which provide a framework for evaluating a spoken, written, and symbolic threat, along with a four-pronged assessment approach, which looks at the personality of the student, the student's family dynamics, the school dynamics, the student's role in those dynamics, and social dynamics. The model is not a profile of the school shooter or a checklist of danger signs pointing to the next adolescent who will bring lethal violence to a school. It discusses misinformation about school shootings; how to assess a threat, including motivations; types of threats; factors in threat assessment; and levels of risk. The document cautions that one or two traits or characteristics should not be considered in isolation or given more weight than the others. The text outlines the intervention process and closes with a number of recommendations. Four appendices list methodologies used in the report, suggested readings, and other information. (RJM)

The 13 papers in this book deal with issues concerning sexual harassment on college campuses including the abuse of power and ways to set up policy statements and develop effective grievance procedures. Part 1 examines legal, methodological, and conceptual issues of harassment; Part 2 considers issues of abuse of the power of the professoriate and "consensual relationships"; Part 3 discusses individual and institutional approaches to campus interventions in sexual harassment. The papers are: (1) "Legal Issues" (Barbara Watts); (2) Sexual Harassment: The Definition and Measurement of a Construct" (Louise F. Fitzgerald); (3) "The Interface of Racism and Sexism on College Campuses" (Darlene C. Defour); (4) "The Perils and Promise of Studying Sexist Discrimination in Face-to-Face Situations" (Bernice Lott); (5) "Men in the Academy: A Psychological Profile of Harassers" (Sue Rosenberg Zalk); (6) "What's Wrong with Faculty-Student Consensual Sexual Relationships?" (M. Cynara Stites); (7) "Individual Training of Sexual Harassers" (Jan Salisbury and Fredda Jaffe); (8) "University Consensual Relationship Policies" (M. Cynara Stites); (9) "Sexual Harassment and Rape: A Continuum of Exploitation" (Kathryn Quina); (10) "Coping with Sexual Harassment" (Vita C. Rabinowitz); (11) "Addressing Sexual Harassment: Strategies for Prevention and Change" (Maryka Biaggio and Arlene Brownell); (12) "Investigating Complaints of Sexual Harassment" (Helen Remick et al.); and (13) "Instructional Strategies: Creating a Sexual Harassment Panel" (Dorothy O. Helly). Appended are three practical guides: "Training Counselors in Issues Relating to Sexual Harassment on Campus" (K. C. Wagner); "Resources for Policies and Procedures" (Michele A. Paludi); and "Resources for Education/Training" (Michele A. Paludi). (Most chapters contain references.) (DB)

This paper and community guide is based on the recommendations of a panel of nongovernmental experts who systematically reviewed the current research on the family's role in reducing substance abuse among youth. This booklet answers questions such as: (1) "Why focus on families?"; (2) "How big is the problem? What are the facts?"; (3) "What puts children at risk for substance abuse?"; (5) "What protects children from substance abuse?"; (6) "How do we know what works?" It provides lists of "What you can do!" for parents and community members. The recommendations are intended to enhance local efforts to reduce substance abuse by minors. (EMK)