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There have been many articles written about the variety of ways faculty and students define eportfolios, collect artifacts, write reflections, and use finished eportfolios. However, little has been written about the dynamic process of adopting electronic portfolios in schools of education. This study employs cross-case analysis to investigate implementation of electronic portfolio initiatives in seven schools of education. Case analysis shows the most commonly identified purpose for initiating an eportfolio system to be program evaluation for national accreditation. With program evaluation as the eventual goal of eportfolio development, at least eight design steps of an electronic portfolio process were found to be necessary for successful implementation. These steps are discussed and various methods of implementation are described. Case analysis results further suggest that the final step involving data gathering, aggregation and analysis has been most difficult for these schools to implement. None of the schools represented in this study have yet made use the data collected from eportfolios to make data driven decisions about their programs of study. Suggestions are made for further study into the use of eportfolio data for program evaluation, improvement and ongoing development.

A survey of the 50 state environmental agencies asked about personnel power and research needs in 11 specific areas (administration, behavioral and social science, education and information, environmental health, environmental protection, epidemiology, laboratory, law, occupational health, policy and planning, and statistics). Four in-depth telephone interviews completed the data collection process to determine whether universities and schools and graduate programs in public health filled these needs. Agencies felt their resources were least adequate in epidemiology and behavioral and social science. They did not feel their research needs were well met by state colleges and universities. There was a general feeling that universities and schools and programs in public health have different agendas than state environmental agencies, and that practical solutions are not forthcoming from these resources. Finally, suggestions are made as to what can be done to improve relationships between those who train environmental health personnel and those who employ them.

Varsity athletes at a Big East University were questioned regarding their attitudes to a mandatory drug education and testing program, and to check if there were variations in drug-related attitudes and behaviors dependent on sex or on team affiliation. Results showed that tennis players were the most likely to treat drug use by college athletes as socially acceptable. Half of the respondents believed that drug testing was not necessary, and did not discourage drug use. Seventeen percent saw the program as an invasion of privacy.

It has been suggested that relaxed rules in dormitories encourage college students to engage in risky behaviors because they are free from the moral supervision of parents. Those who live off campus comprise another segment of students generally free from parental supervision. The authors surveyed 250 dormitory and 250 commuting students at Rutgers University and examined student patterns of risk-taking behavior. The survey contained questions on race, gender, academic standing, and multiple questions about risky behaviors. Four of those behaviors are discussed here in detail: smoking, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, and sexual behavior.

Laments the past misuse and misunderstanding of phonics. Introduces the term "new phonics" to describe the sophisticated, research-based phonics being used in the basal reading scheme, "Language in Action." (JL)

Effective learning communities connect members so that they can share knowledge and experience. This article examines the process and outcomes of building learning communities to increase faculty and preservice teacher use of technology through PT3 funding at three institutions: National-Louis University, the University of Houston, and the University of Vermont. Strategies implemented as well as achievements and challenges for each project are outlined. Recommendations include reinforcing common goals and mutual benefits, connecting distant community members through online communication, dynamic configurations for networking, and incentives for faculty participation. Successful learning communities require nurturing to reduce isolation through improved communication and active participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Little insight is available in the literature on how best to assist the pregnant smoker in public health maternity clinics to quit during pregnancy. A randomized pretest/posttest experiment was used to evaluate the effectiveness of two different serf-help cessation methods. Three hundred and nine pregnant women from three public health maternity clinics were assigned randomly to one of three groups with one-third assigned to each: a control group; a group receiving the American Lung Association's Freedom From Smoking Manual: and those receiving A Pregnant Woman's Self-Help Guide to Quit Smoking,. Using a saliva thiocyanate (SCN) and behavioral report at mid-pregnancy and end of' pregnancy to confirm cessation or reduction, 2 per ¢ in the control group quit and 7 per ¢ reduced their SCN levels substantially. Of the women assigned to the ALA method, 6 per ¢ quit and 14 per ¢ reduced their SCN levels substantially. Of the women who used the Guide. 14 per ¢ quit and 17 per ¢ reduced their SCN levels substantially. Results of this trim indicate that health education methods tailored to the pregnant smoker are more effective in changing smoking behavior than the standard clinic information and advice to quit and/or the use of smoking cessation methods not tailored to the need,; of the pregnant smoker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Racial Diversity and the Future of the Secular Movement" by Juhem Navarro-Rivera in the April/May 2016 issue.