Search

This article documents the development of a protocol that addresses the anxieties and tensions felt by the families of students with disabilities when they face the daunting transition from middle grades to high school. The tool grew out of a study of schools that form meaningful partnerships with diverse families of students with disabilities, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The article details the process of developing the transition protocol, which is based on the real life experiences of families involved in the study and their experiences with transition. It expresses the families' fears for the social and academic success of their children and how schools can help to counter these. The complete protocol, including assistance with logistics, a sample list of topics for the session and a scripted guide for facilitators are available free of change from the Inclusive School Network.

Located in the Florida panhandle, Apalachee High School has a student population of 1,894 students, 13% of whom have identified disabilities. The school has a highly experienced teaching staff and a special education faculty that provides acknowledged leadership in the school. Apalachee includes students with disabilities in all aspects of school life and sustains a high level of community involvement in students' success. The graphic metaphor used to represent Apalachee's approach is a set of globes and pathways that represent the academic programs and the support structures that students use to progress within and between programs. Three student case studies help to illustrate how the "pathways" respond to students with disabilities at different points on a continuum of academic and social needs and abilities. Four-year transcripts for 39 students reflect the range of opportunities and supports (pathways) that characterize Apalachee and are illustrated by the three students we shadowed.

Objective: The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of 'Talking about Alcohol and Drugs ... Among Greeks' (TAAD), a lifestyle risk reduction program that is research- and theory-based, protocol-driven, and targeted for fraternity and sorority members. Method: One fraternity and two sororities on five campuses participated in the program. A total of 780 participants completed pre-and posttest questionnaires. Posttest data were collected 1 academic year after pretest data collection. Results: Results indicate that the program decreased positive attitudes toward alcohol consumption among program participants, with participants in the true experimental condition indicating greater disagreement than control participants (F = 3.05, 2/701 df, p [is less than] .05). Belief in myths about the etiology of alcoholism was reduced among experimental participants who did not actually attend the program, with those participants indicating greater disagreement than control or true experimental participants (F=10.92, 2/702 df, p [is less than] .0001). The program had no apparent effect on alcohol consumption by experimental participants. Conclusions: The program's ability to influence behavior was hindered by systemic problems, such as trainer credibility and implementation infidelity, and probable participant psychological reactance. Training by professionals and mandatory attendance would set the stage for improved program effectiveness. Beyond that, an approach that emphasized how high-risk drinking norms jeopardize the goals of the fraternities and sororities might be better received than the current approach, which focuses on how individual attitudes, beliefs and behaviors lead to alcohol-related problems and alcoholism. (J. Stud. Alcohol 60: 521-527, 1999), THE PURPOSE of the study reported here was to evaluate the effects of a program designed to reduce the risk of alcohol consumption among fraternity and sorority members, 'Talking about [...]

This study examined the effect of power imbalance and the presence of third parties on vengeful reactions to harm. At the onset of their interaction, participants were unjustly harmed by a confederate who had either more or less power than they had. As predicted, in the presence of a justice-concerned third party, upward revenge (people of low power taking revenge against those of high power) was greater than downward revenge (people of high power taking revenge against those of low power). However in the absence of a third party, downward revenge was greater than upward revenge. These findings highlight the important role of third parties in determining vengeful behavior in situations of power imbalance and add additional evidence for the importance of justice concerns in revenge., The urge for revenge can be powerful. It is often a motive behind many extreme behaviors, such as arson (e.g., Pettiway, 1987), homicide (e.g., Nisbett, 1993), self-injury (e.g., Baumgartner, 1984), [...]

Presents a study which examined changes in medical students' understanding of primary care and what being a physician involves through self-report by the students. Evaluation on the satisfaction of students and physicians with the externship; Goals of the externship; Study results.