Copyright 1988 Editorial The report was drafted in response to several well-publicized “clusters” of teen-age suicides last year. It urges officials in public- and mental-health agencies, education, the clergy, local governments, police, and parent groups to prepare themselves to deal with potential suicide clusters long before any emergency occurs.
During some cluster crises, the report notes, “opportunities for prevention were often missed during the early stages of response, as community leaders searched for information on how best to respond.”
The report also recommends that teachers be briefed about the death of a student or students before a general announcement is made in school and should be taught how to identify other potentially suicidal students.
Copies of “cdc Recommendations for a Community Plan for the Prevention and Containment of Suicide Clusters” (mmwr Supplement, Aug. 19, 1988, Vol. 37, No. S-6) are available for $1 from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402-9371.
Attempts to censor books or curricular materials were made in 42 states last year, according to an annual survey by People for the American Way.
In more than one-third of the incidents, the group found, books or programs were removed or restricted as a result.
The most frequently attacked book was John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, which was challenged in eight school systems.
The report focused on efforts by religious conservatives to influence materials used in the public schools. It noted that such individuals have become increasingly active in state and local textbook- and curriculum-adoption procedures.
The report also depicted continuing conflict over the teaching of creationism, despite a 1987 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning a Louisiana law requiring balanced treatment of evolution and creationism.
Many state child-care programs “seek to emulate the Head Start model,” but few follow its lead by requiring comprehensive services and parent involvement, argues a new study.
The 92-page report, commissioned by the federal Administration for Children, Youth, and Families and issued by the Education Development Center, a Massachusetts research firm, provides state-by-state data on Head Start and preschool programs.
“The Challenge of Coordination,” is available for $10 from the Education Development Center, 55 Chapel St., Newton, Mass., 02160.
