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A practicum at a licensed, non-profit family day care agency in Canada serving over 4,000 children and their families was designed to assist in clarifying the meaning of family support and family-centered child care. The practicum was developed to assist the agency in moving towards operationalizing its commitment to provide optimal family support to families receiving its day care. Interviews with staff had confirmed that there was confusion regarding the definition and application of family support. The solution strategy included intensive work on a short-term basis with two agency staff groups. The development of a working knowledge of family support philosophy, principles, practices, and approaches was emphasized. There was also work to develop family support "champions" who were expected to provide leadership to their colleagues. A pretest-posttest evaluation showed that the practicum intervention effectively increased participants' understanding of specific family support concepts. The training appeared to build a foundation to support future strategies to enhance family-centered practice. A particularly significant outcome of the practicum was the development of a discussion paper, "Moving towards Family-Centered Day Care." (Six appendices present highlights of training sessions, the discussion paper on family-centered child care, best practices, a case study, evaluation forms, and feedback forms. Contains 40 references.) (SD)

Technology integration is a key part of a 2-year teacher education program at the Canadian university; nontraditional students seemed unprepared to use technology for learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate nontraditional students' perceptions and experiences about their successes and challenges using technology in the program. The study was guided by Knowles's andragogy theory, which presents a learner-centred perspective on adult learning. The research questions focused on nontraditional students' successes and challenges using technology in coursework. A basic qualitative design was used to capture the insights of 10 purposefully selected, nontraditional university students through semistructured interviews. Themes were identified through open coding. The trustworthiness of the study was established through member checking, rich and detailed descriptions, and research reflexivity. The findings revealed that nontraditional students, especially at the start of the program, encountered difficulties learning to use new technology tools, experienced technology user unfriendliness, and struggled with a shift to online learning. The findings also showed that nontraditional students developed technology self-efficacy as they progressed through the program, aiding them in applying educational technology tools. The successes have been attributed to personal, instructor, and institutional factors as well as peer support. A white paper was developed with suggestions for streamlining the learning management system and technology tools, offering peer mentoring, enhancing technology training, and allowing extra time for technology practice. The implications for positive social change included providing insights for improving nontraditional students' learning experiences and those of their future students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Noting that large numbers of Canadian children enter kindergarten lacking basic adaptive, social, and academic skills and that research supports the effectiveness of early intervention, this master's project proposes a model addressing effective implementation of a collaborative multi-agency early intervention program in Manitoba that is family-focused and designed to enhance success in school by focusing on adaptive, social, and academic areas. The project's literature review identifies major risk conditions, characteristics of effective early intervention programs, and the efficacy of early intervention. The proposed model focuses on child and family needs, establishing coordinated interagency/parent collaboration by means of an integrated school-linked services planning team. In addition, the model requires: (1) identification of services currently provided; (2) identification of the needs of children, families, and individual service providers; (3) identification of roadblocks to effective intervention; (4) development of innovative strategies to address roadblocks; and (5) development of strategies for evaluating the process, students, and the model. The model provides three "hubs" of service delivery to at-risk family and child: community-based facilities, school-based facilities, and the home. Steps for implementing the model are discussed, from developing the collaborative team to identifying a control group and collecting baseline data for evaluation. Anticipated results are also presented. (Contains 54 references.) (KB)

This dissertation is a story of schooling. It weaves a vision of schooling into several versions and at least three "places" where schooling can happen--up to 2020 A.D. and beyond. The stories are built on the weaving metaphor and a profound sense of place. This paper presents one individual's experiences that are weaved into and through a conversation with a granddaughter and a great-granddaughter, a Book of Schools, a historical journey through research, and a fictional journey through the Internet. In telling the story of these utopian schools, the paper puts forth a plan for the "ideal" school in the daily life of a community. Within this plan, children engage fully in the place where they "live." Parents, community members, and resources are integral to the daily happenings. Each child works at what interests him or her, yet the learning often revolves around a particular "place" created in the classroom or found in the community. As one student becomes interested in the Amazon jungle, for example, the other students are drawn in and the classroom itself becomes an imaginary jungle, where the children then live and learn. The paper researches schooling environments ranging from one-room schoolhouses and tutoring to private, public, boarding, non-coercive, home, charter, and virtual schools. Resources used in the research include: "The Once and Future King,""The Dead Poet's Society," and literary works by Steiner and Dewey. The paper demonstrates that throughout the research one overall theme evolved: each school is different and each school has an impact. Each story is intended to perturb the reader, to push boundaries, and expand comfort zones. It is an exploration that weaves in and out of the question of "what school can and should be." (Contains 167 references.) (BT)

This paper presents outcomes of a practicum that was designed to address a need that was created when the Ministry of Education in Ontario, Canada, mandated that all grade 9 classes be "destreamed." A review of educational literature found no methods for ensuring that classes are truly heterogeneously mixed. The practicum was designed to gather data on each student entering grade 9 in order to ensure that classes were mixed according to the following variables: academic ability, gender, special-education identification, and feeder school of origin. Using a holistic scoring rubric, mean scores and standard deviations were developed to guide the placement of students in a timetable designed to support heterogeneously mixed student cohorts. The plan was implemented in a large, modern, rural, composite secondary school in Ontario (Canada). Findings demonstrated that heterogeneous mixing could be achieved for core classes; however, students tended to stream themselves through the choice of optional subjects. Four tables are included. Appendices contain the holistic rating scale, the grade 9 student timetable, and a sample database setup for Lotus 1-2-3. Contains 34 references. (Author/LMI)

Many special education (SPED) students are failing the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) despite writing instruction provided by SPED teachers. The purpose of this study was to understand teachers' perceptions about why students were failing the literacy/writing test and document whether evidence-based assessment and writing practices were implemented. Cognitive-behavioral theory served as the conceptual framework for this study. The research questions in this study focused on SPED teachers perceptions regarding students not passing the OSSLT, observations of whether assessment and instruction for writing aligned with best practices, and collecting baseline curriculum-based measurement (CBM) data of SPED students' current writing skills. To best answer the research questions, a multiple case study design was selected. Four 10th grade SPED literacy teachers from 4 high schools in a Canadian District School Board were interviewed and observed. A total of 28 SPED students' writing samples were evaluated using CBM assessment procedures. The findings showed that teachers were not adequately prepared to teach SPED; there were modifications and challenges with students' work; there were useful techniques for assessment, teaching and writing. The White Paper project was a presentation to district practitioners and leadership recommending writing/literacy to be grounded in scientifically validated assessment and writing instruction for SPED students. Positive social and educational change may occur when the district adopts measurably superior instructional practices for writing to the extent that SPED students write more effectively and pass the OSSLT. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

Past, present, and possible future government involvement in postsecondary education in British Columbia was analyzed. Special attention was paid to the following topics: challenges facing British Columbia's education system and the importance of postsecondary vocational education; issues in postsecondary education and adult education; the rationale for government intervention; current government intervention in the market and its effectiveness; policy options and goals; and possible policy alternatives (maintain the status quo, privatize, subsidize the private market, equalize, and rationalize). A set of policies was recommended to rationalize the existing system of postsecondary education by taking the following steps: continuing the substantial roles of the federal government and public education postsecondary education while working to increase interprovincial cooperation and a unified national approach coordinated at the federal level; significantly expanding the role of the private sector; facilitating bridge building between the public and private sectors; and withdrawing from those markets where private institutions would be able to provide educational services more efficiently than public institutions can. (A total of 15 recommendations to the provincial government, federal government, public institutions, and private training industry are included along with 18 tables/figures and 78 references.) (MN)

This practicum was designed to develop an incentive program for family home day care providers employed by an agency in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada, that was undergoing a change from for-profit to non-profit status. During the period of changeover, provider uncertainty as to their status led to declining morale, lack of focus, and resistance to change. An incentive program was developed that included an information packet for day care providers, a stress management workshop, a public awareness campaign, philanthropic activity, and an awards ceremony. Surveys were distributed before and after implementation to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The surveys found that the program increased provider and staff self-esteem, self-confidence, and motivation. Twelve appendices provide information on the stress management workshop, provider and staff surveys, photographs of the awards presentations, a program flier, publicity, and correspondence related to the incentive program. (Contains 39 references.) (MDM)

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable health promotion workbook to assist staff and volunteers of the AIDS Calgary Awareness Association in the systematic design, development, administration, and evaluation of preventive health promotion programs. Information was gleaned from a review of health promotion, social marketing, and AIDS-related literature; consultations with health promotion practitioners; and workbooks provided by national health organizations. A first copy of the workbook was developed through formative consultation with an internal working group from AIDS Calgary. The draft copy and a Workbook Evaluation Instrument were given to three external reviewers for summative comments. A second draft was resubmitted to the first two groups and a third group of external reviewers. From the comments of all reviewers, the workbook was determined to be ready for use. Recommendations for the improvement of practice included the request to apply process and product evaluation to confirm the workbook's content and construct validity. Appendixes provide an explanation of the Simple Systems Model; a Health Promotion Model (Source: Uganda Work Experience); copy of the letter sent to national health promotion organizations with a list of organizations contacted; the workbook evaluation instrument; and the final product--the Health Promotion Workbook. (Contains approximately 55 references.) (Author/LL)

This practicum was designed to change parents' attitudes toward their children's learning, so that parents would understand the importance of student-centered and student-directed learning activities and have a better understanding of their children's actual learning activities. An initial telephone survey of four parents of students in a combined grade two-three class found that three considered teacher-directed activities more conducive to learning than student-directed activities. To help change this attitude, a 12-week program of increased teacher-parent interaction on the students' reading, spelling, and mathematics activities was implemented. This included having the teacher work with individual students on an activity during a parent visit to the classroom, sending photographs of a classroom activity home with students, and writing letters to parents about classroom activities. A questionnaire was forwarded to the parents of 21 students at the end of the program, with the goal of having the parents of at least 11 students express favorable attitudes toward student-directed active learning. Although 10 of the 11 responses were highly or somewhat supportive of active learning instruction, the poor response rate resulted in none of the four expected outcomes being achieved. (A copy of the parent questionnaire is appended.) (MDM)

This practicum targeted a multi-service child and youth care agency in which lesbian women and gay men were implicitly excluded from serving as therapeutic foster parents. The setting in which the practicum project was developed, implemented, and evaluated is a not-for-profit, provincially chartered, and publicly-funded organization, headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada). The practicum was designed and implemented to advance the acceptance of gays and lesbians as therapeutic foster parents within the agency. The strategy included developing and obtaining formal approval of amendments to existing agency policies on status/conditions of employment and human rights, and organizing and obtaining consensus on both a proposed operational statement regarding the approval of gays and lesbians as therapeutic foster parents, and on changes to the existing materials used in the recruitment and selection of therapeutic foster parents. The results of this strategy were mixed. While consensus was obtained on adopting the proposed changes to existing recruitment and selection materials, no consensus was reached on employing the proposed operational statement on the approval of gays and lesbians as therapeutic foster parents. Implications to these outcomes are discussed and recommendations are offered. Appendices include interview and questionnaire formats, existing and revised policies, operational statements, recruitment and selection materials, presentation materials, and meeting minutes. (RJM)

A project was undertaken to reduce the amount of time required to screen first year students into an oversubscribed early childhood education program at a multicampus community college in Ontario, Canada, and to reduce faculty complaints concerning the procedure. The original process consisted of applicant questionnaires scored by faculty and lengthy interviews between candidates and faculty members. Following a review of the literature and a survey of faculty, a new procedure was developed which eliminated the interview, screening students instead by the following five criteria: (1) previous academic performance, determined by English grades and averages of all other marks from grade 12 on; (2) a personal statement by applicants describing their life experience, motivation for working with children, personal qualities and attributes, and examples of initiative; (3) a standardized test measuring applicants' reading and writing ability; (4) attendance at a mandatory information meeting to report on a visit to a child care center; and (5) references from two people familiar with the students' work with young children. Implementation of the new system resulted in reduced faculty workloads, with the procedures requiring an average of 17 minutes per student, compared to 60 minutes previously. In addition, all faculty reported that the system was much improved in terms of time required, although some questioned the effect on the quality of students. Sample forms are appended. (Contains 50 references.) (MAB)

Daycare directors in northern Canada, with little or no post-secondary education, face the difficulties of programming for children from diverse cultures. Directors often feel isolated in their small communities, and a lack of programming expertise and early childhood development training for them has become a concern. This practicum designed, implemented, and evaluated a three-part strategy for training daycare directors. First, an initial visit focused on evaluating existing programs and targeting areas for improvement. Second, a one-day programming workshop presented material relevant to each director. The workshop was approximately 6 hours long, during which participants were introduced to a programming method intended to develop the social, physical, intellectual, creative, and emotional aspects of the child. Third, follow-up visits provided feedback to each director and reinforced curriculum programming strategies. Both on-site visits ranged from 3 to 6 hours. The program was evaluated by means of the directors' newly acquired ability to use brainstorming, curriculum webbing, and flow charts for thematic units. Evaluations of workshops indicated that the participating program directors met the goals of the workshops and were receptive and enthusiastic to the strategies and programming ideas presented. (Six appendices contain surveys, evaluations, and workshop materials. Contains 28 references. (TM)

The purpose of this study was to determine the status of the use of computers in the schools within the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia (Canada). Thirty teachers, librarians, principals, and senior district administrators were interviewed to determine the computing background of the interviewees and how they were using computers in education. Results indicated that computers are being used quite extensively in the schools; the ratio of computers to students in the school ranged from 1:6 to 1:10; the equipment in use varied; the most common software applications were word processing, spreadsheets, and database and communications applications; computers were in use in all grade levels from kindergarten to grade 12; and CD-ROMs and electronic catalog systems were common in primary, elementary, and secondary school libraries. This report is presented in five sections: (1) Introduction--problem statement, purpose of the study, significance, assumptions, limitations and definitions; (2) Review of the Literature--importance, current status, uses, benefits, and future role of computers in education, and barriers to computer use in education; (3) Research Methodology--problem restatement, population and sample, research design, description of the interview questionnaire, administration and analysis of interviews; (4) Results and Analyses--selection of interviewees, interview process, question summaries, findings, status of computers in West Kootenay schools; and (5) Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations. Appendixes contain the interview questionnaire and a list of interviewees with background data. (Contains 19 references.) (ALF)

This practicum was designed to improve the level and quality of involvement of foster parents and social workers in the development of timely and compliant foster care plans at a child care agency in Ontario. The writer developed: (1) an agency policy that defined the unique relationship between foster parents and the child welfare agency and mandated the involvement of foster parents and the enhancement of the partnership relationship through a foster care plan; (2) an improved foster care plan format; (3) clear job descriptions for both social workers and foster parents; (4) a protocol for the development of foster care plans; and (5) tools for measuring the level and quality of foster parent involvement. A 4-hour training session was developed to train a group of 4 social workers and 10 foster parents. Also developed were exercises designed to obtain feedback from the social worker and foster parent after the completion of the foster care plan. Post-test results indicate improvements by those participating in the project with over 70% of the parents indicating a high "level" of involvement and 100% indicating a high "quality" of involvement. The appendices contain a statement describing the partnership relationship, a foster care plan format, and various instruments used to measure the level and quality of foster parent involvement. (SM)

The historical evolution of teacher training requirements in postsecondary vocational education in Manitoba, Canada was investigated. Specific emphasis was on the Certificate in Adult Education (CAE) that community college instructors must obtain within a specified period of time. The CAE program was divided into distinct chronological stages and, subsequently, analyzed under the categories of product, process, and mission. The three eras were (1) the establishment phase (1971 to 1976), (2) the installation stage (1976 to 1980), and (3) the assessment stage (1980 to present). Analyses showed that the CAE program had a small, and rather insignificant impact on the product, or the quality of instruction. In regard to process, the value of the CAE program to the institutions and the province was seen to be more in its existence as a concession to a need than in its effect. The mission analysis yielded the conclusion that the provincial government perpetuates the status quo in postsecondary education by allocating proportionally more priority to elementary, secondary, and university education than to its postsecondary, adult, and continuing education division. (Appendixes, making up approximately one-third of the paper, include the CAE philosophy and description, CAE course content, and criteria for CAE instructor selection.) (YLB)

A study examined international differences in how immigrants perform in the labor market of their chosen country of residence. The empirical analysis used five census data sets from the three host countries to document the labor market performance of foreign-born persons in Australia, Canada, and the United States. Among the major empirical findings were the following: (1) prior to the mid-1960s, the United States and Canada attracted migrants who performed quite well in the labor market, whereas Australia attracted migrants who were not relatively successful in the Australian labor market; (2) these rankings were reversed during the 1970s, with migrants to Australia performing very well, whereas those choosing the United States had very low earnings; (3) changes in immigration policy initiated by the 1965 Amendments to the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act induced a structural decline in the quality of immigrant cohorts who chose the United States as their destination; (4) U.S. citizens who emigrated to Canada had very low earnings despite their relatively high education level. The study concluded that economic theory suggests that much more can be learned about the selection process if immigrants are compared to persons from the same country of origin who chose not to migrate and if immigrants in any given host country are compared to migrants who chose other host countries as their destination. (The document includes a 43-item bibliography, 23 tables, 5 figures, and an index.) (CML)

Many parents on a southwestern Manitoba (Canada) Indian reservation are troubled by the small number of high school students who graduate. Much of the failure can be attributed to the generally poor writing skills of aboriginal students. To increase the students' writing ability, a computer-assisted instruction program emphasizing writing and thinking was implemented for students in grades 7-9. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether students receiving computer-assisted writing instruction would outperform students receiving traditional writing instruction (using pencil and paper) on the language arts component of a standardized diagnostic test. Following a quasi-experimental design, the researcher applied both a pretest and a posttest to the experimental and control groups. Prior to the introduction of the "KnowledgeBuilder" writing program and again at the end of the school year, the students in grades 7-9 of two southern Manitoba Indian reserves were administered the Canadian Test of Basic Skills, and the mean scores for each grade of the two schools were compared. While the findings of this study showed no significant difference between the groups, the experimental school's teachers felt there was an overall improvement in the quality of expository writings. Thirteen tables present results of the study and descriptions and comparisons of the control and experimental groups. (Author/AEF)

This study compared the effects of utilizing children's books, maps, and videos in a theme integrated unit in social studies with the effects of using a social studies textbook in an elementary class. One fifth grade class in New York state was used for this study. In the first treatment, the class received instruction in a unit on Canada using the school adopted textbook, according to the procedures and activities in its accompanying teachers manual. In the second treatment, the class was taught a unit on Mexico using an interdisciplinary approach and children's trade books, maps, and videos that addressed the topic. A pretest and posttest measured achievement and included a brief attitudinal survey. The hypothesis that there would be no significant difference between the samples was accepted. Contains 42 references and 4 appendices including pre- and posttest raw scores, the attitude survey, and teaching materials. (Author/JAG)

Relationships between parents of children with special needs and their children are profoundly impacted by the child's special needs. Literature identifies several discrepancies in reported outcomes of these stressors and also speaks to the impact on overall marital satisfaction in these couples. In this project literature findings were reviewed, variables which influence the effects of having a child with special needs were identified, and an 8-week program for couples with a child with special needs was developed. The program explored various issues pertaining to having a child with special needs, identified how these impact on the relationship, and offered some coping strategies and insights to enhance the marital relationship, thus providing a service which has been lacking in traditional parent support initiatives. The participants in the group responded favorably to the process and with regard to their experiences in the group. Appendices account for approximately one-quarter of the document and include handouts, questionnaires, and other documentation used in the group. Contains 96 references. (JBJ)

A practicum designed to strengthen and expand day care staff members' knowledge about working with preschool children from crisis families had the following goals: (1) to provide staff with information about children in stressful situations; (2) to help staff recognize child behaviors that call for special attention; (3) to help staff implement appropriate play programs for their clients; and (4) to encourage staff to provide an understanding and warm atmosphere for the children. Fifteen staff members at a child crisis center for mainly Native American children in western Canada participated in a four-session in-service training program that dealt with the children's problem behaviors. These included aggressive, withdrawn, developmentally delayed, unusually sensitive, and overly friendly behaviors. Analysis of data revealed that the staff did learn about the problem behaviors, and observation showed that they learned to respond appropriately to such behaviors as well, mainly by encouraging developmentally appropriate play activities for each child and by interacting in ways that respected the child's culture and problems. Participants felt the training program was worthwhile. It has been continued at the center and may be initiated at similar locations in the area. A list of 60 references, as well as related program materials, are appended. (SAK)

This practicum was designed to improve the delivery of special education services to all students with special needs in a rural Canadian school district. The goal was for teachers, as members of program planning teams, to design and implement individual program plans for exceptional students according to district special education policy guidelines. An orientation day for all district administrators and three school-based inservice workshops to each of nine school staffs were provided. Central office personnel were actively involved throughout the process. Assistance was given throughout the year by visiting classes, coaching, participating in individual program planning meetings upon request, providing and sharing materials, and assisting teachers to draw upon their collective expertise. The results of the practicum were positive. During the implementation process, 118 teachers in 9 schools identified 212 students with special needs and participated in the design of individual program plans to meet the educational needs of 158 of those students. The extensive appendices include a teacher survey, a teacher referral form, memos concerning the training sessions, assignments related to the training, evaluations, and samples of teachers' work. (Author/KS)

Designed to rejuvenate an intermediate level Canadian history course, the primary goal of this practicum was to provide students and teachers with resource materials that would be interesting, informative, and challenging. The second aim was to present teachers with the techniques of resource-based learning so that these resources could be a catalyst for attitude changes and increase academic performance in Canadian history students. New resource materials for the Canadian history course were introduced, pre- and post-questionnaires were administered to students and teachers, resource-based learning workshops were conducted, and changes in students' attitude and academic performances were monitored before and after the workshops on resource-based learning. Analysis revealed that attitudes toward Canadian history as a course had switched from negative to positive, student academic performance had improved, and teachers felt more positive about teaching the course. (Author/DB)

A practicum was conducted to determine the feasibility of developing an elderhostel program involving older Indian and Metis adults in Saskatchewan, Canada. A preprogram study of elderhostels and a literature review were conducted. Approximately 30 face-to-face interviews with both Indian and Metis persons in and around Regina, Saskatchewan, were conducted along with telephone interviews of individuals involved in elderhostel programs in Canada and the United States. The study established a definite need for older adult education involving Indian and Metis persons in the area. Three recommendations were made: the planning of any such elderhostel program should include advance assessment of the learning needs and motivation of potential program participants; program activities should be designed in accordance with the principles of older adult education; and feedback should be sought after all learning activities and incorporated into subsequent activities. (Included in appendixes constituting one-third of this document are the following: practicum proposal; project-related correspondence, forms, and brochures; information on elderhostels; a manual for elderhostel coordinators; lists of participating organizations and project committee members; and a 32-item annotated bibliography on topics such as American Indians, older adults, elderhostels, and participatory research.) (MN)

A practicum report addressed the problem of lack of interest in the literacy of young readers and the need to motivate them to want to read. A cross-age peer-tutoring program was established where primary students were paired with upper intermediate grade students who displayed positive reading attitudes and habits. The tutoring pair worked together three times weekly (15 minutes each time) over the implementation period of 10 weeks. The final evaluation indicated a positive change in attitude in most beginning readers. The peer-tutoring program was implemented on a continuing basis. (Teachers' and parents' questionnaires, a letter to parents of primary students, the elementary reading attitude survey, the letter to parents of peer tutors, and a list of resource documents for the development of the peer tutoring program are attached.) (Author/RS)

Alcohol and drug abuse were viewed as a clear way of demonstrating personal or social sophistication in a Canadian secondary school. Neither the school nor the local community had developed a strategy for dealing with the problem of substance abuse among the students. The program described in this report was designed to reduce the level of alcohol and drug abuse among these early adolescents. The major objectives were to foster a greater sense of personal causation in the lives of the students; to teach specific decision-making skills; to develop student-created models for healthy lifestyles; and to have students identify a personal reduction in substance abuse as a result of participation in the program. Needs assessment surveys were developed and administered to students and to the school's Peer Helpers. Results were analyzed and possible solutions were examined. Among the proposed solutions was the use of a multi-faceted approach which took into account the needs of the individual adolescent, the peer group, and the family. The solution chosen utilized strategies designed to increase the self-esteem and sense of personal control of each participant. Results of the program were mixed. Analysis of the data showed that a large number of participants surveyed reduced their personal level of alcohol and drug use, but not as many as expected. (Author/ABL)

This practicum report describes a community college program developed for the purpose of increasing the awareness of early childhood personnel in a central Ontario (Canada) community concerning the benefits of developmentally appropriate practices. The need for the program arose from a discrepancy between the emphasis in community college courses on implementing child-initiated activities, and the prevalence of teacher-directed activities in classrooms used for students' practicum placements. In-service training included a course designed to increase practitioners' skills in designing developmentally appropriate environments and the establishment of a support group for practitioners. A third-year specialist program was also initiated at the community college. The pre-service program was changed in such a way that it more closely linked theory and practice. Evaluation of the program yielded positive results. (PCB)

A Piagetian, language-experience approach to the early teaching of reading to normal young and older developmentally delayed preoperational children was developed. The approach was discussed in a specially-developed manual which was field tested by 42 teachers among 390 children in 16 school systems in several states and in Canada. Subjects were preponderantly residents of suburban communities in the United States, white or black, 3 to 5 years of age, and students at public schools. Specific goals of the practicum were to acquaint the teacher of preoperational children with the developmental characteristics of such children and with the theories, purposes, and procedures of an expanded version of the language-experience approach. The manual also provides complete lesson models including ready-to-use follow-up activities for the teacher, practical management and record keeping techniques, and models to help teachers explain development in Piagetian terms to parents and administrators. Project evaluation data indicate that the approach was effective in beginning the reading process among preoperational children of all ages (2 through 12 years). Teachers using the manual found it to be clear and helpful. Questionnaires used in evaluating the practicum are appended, along with enthusiastic comments made by teachers who had used the manual. (Author/RH)

Cree culture emphasizes non-interference in the affairs of others and delaying actions until the "right time." These values were an obstacle to developing proactive interventions in two adolescent group homes in Cree Territory, in northern Quebec. Group home houseparents and child care workers were native Crees chosen for their traditional orientation, and had considerable experience with youths but little formal education. The non-native group home coordinator facilitated a staff training program designed to integrate Cree traditions with generally accepted practices of treatment planning. Program participants translated non-native concepts by creating the term "Cree Helping Circle" to encompass the people involved in the intervention process, and by naming the treatment plan"Helping Path Plan." The plan outlined the reasons the youth was in care, the youth's destination after care, and criteria for success, and also defined goals, tools to achieve goals, helpers, and the "right time." Other program achievements included (1) expansion of the role of tribal elders and incorporation of legends and the Medicine Wheel in Helping Path Plans; (2) elimination of houseparents' fear of dealing with crisis issues through inclusion of other persons in decision-making; and (3) completion of a model treatment plan. This report contains 11 references. Appendices include a bilingual (Cree/English) community brochure explaining group home services, notes on Medicine Wheel presentation, and a sample Helping Path Plan. (SV)

Despite the current need for strong leadership skills to facilitate task achievement, individual development, and social action in an increasingly complex society, women are failing to make significant headway in educational administration. Lack of leadership opportunities for women limits both individual and organizational potential. The problem transcends personnel functions and processes, as it encompasses social, political, and cultural dimensions. After discussing the background and current situation in Canada, this synthesis paper explores certain socialization variables impeding women's entry into corporate and public-sector management levels. Basically, young females are underexposed to teamwork and overdosed with the "innate superiority" of the white male system. Next is a discussion of theoretical links and social change strategies for women regarding academic preparation, personal training, networking, legislative actions, and perception changes. The forces of change will continue to challenge the male-dominated hierarchy of educational administration until an equitable number of women secure their share of leadership positions. Suggested change strategies will not work unless the participants willingly change their behaviors in response to resistance from the established order. Progress will occur in small steps that demonstrate women's real capabilities. Included are 98 references and an appendix. (MLH)

A teaching master at a community college in Central Ontario implemented a practicum designed to increase the rate of child-directed activities in early childhood education programs. The primary goal was to increase awareness of early childhood educators, parents, and board members regarding the benefits of child-directed activities at early childhood education centers. Practicum goals were attained by collecting time-tables and by conducting interviews with supervisors and staff and informal observations of six participant centers. The percentage of child-directed activities in each program was jointly agreed on by the writer and the staff. A 6-week course was developed to enhance early childhood educators' skill in providing an increased number of child-directed activities. Follow-up activities included two parent and board of directors workshops, staff in-service sessions, on-site support in practicum settings, and writer assistance to anyone who requested it. Practicum evaluation data indicated an increased awareness of the benefits of child-directed activities for young children and an increase in the percentage of child-directed activities at participating sites. Related materials are provided in 10 appendices, including a course outline, rating scales, and questionnaires. (RH)