Guide Advises Schools on ADA Compliance
The U.S. Department of Education’s office for civil rights has issued a guide to help schools comply with the 1990 federal law that essentially bars all forms of discrimination against the disabled.
The 278-page guide focuses on helping schools meet the Americans with Disabilities ACT and the law’s accompanying regulations, which cover most public and private entities.
For example, the guide suggests how schools can, as required, designate an ADA coordinator; provide notice of the law’s requirements; set up a grievance procedure for employees, students, and others; conduct a self-evaluation; and devise a transition plan for making building modifications.
School districts may obtain a free copy of “Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act: A Self-Evaluation Guide for Public Elementary and Secondary Schools” from their regional Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center at (800) 949-4ADA. Other groups may order copies for $21 each from the U.S. Government Printing Office at (202) 512-1800. Ask for item 065-000-00774-6.
Science Partnerships
Students often believe science is tedious and boring because it focuses on memorization and learning about the accomplishments of other people, according to a report from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
The report profiles the institute’s various grant-supportedscience-education partnerships across the country.
Science, the report says, is something students should be actively involved in through discovery and hands-on experiences developed together by teachers and institutions such as museums, aquariums, and zoos.
“Science Museums: Enlisting Communities in Science in Education Partnerships,” free with a letter of request to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Office of Grants and Special Programs, 4000 Jones Bridge Road, Chevy Chase, Md. 20815-6789.
Higher Education
Though Americans remain supportive of higher education, their support is tempered with concerns about its quality and cost, according to a study from the American Council on Education.
The study contains three reports. The first, “First Impressions and Second Thoughts,” summarizes recent public-opinion polls on higher education. “Goodwill and Growing Worry” reports findings from focus groups with residents of Detroit; Memphis, Tenn.; Cherry Hill, N.J.; and San Antonio. “The Fragile Coalition: Public Support for Higher Education in the 1990s” details a survey of community leaders in those cities.
Copies are $10 each, or $25 for all three, from the Publications Office of the American Council on Education, 1 Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C. 20036; (202) 939-9385.
Improving Immunization
More education for health-care professionals and direct contact with families are the best ways to raise the immunization rates of pre-schoolers, the Joyce Foundation concludes in a recent report.
The report stems from a yearlong study by the Chicago-based foundation to identify strategies that helped improve immunization rates in low-income and immigrant communities in that city.
“Testing Strategies To Raise Immunization Rates,” free from the Joyce Foundation, 135 South LaSalle St., Chicago, Ill. 60603; (312) 782-2464.
Girls and Schools
After chronicling the educational disadvantages girls face in a 1992 report, “How Schools Shortchange Girls,” the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation has followed up with some solutions.
The new report describes teaching principles and practices that lead to equitable treatment of girls in the classroom, with a particular emphasis on increasing girls’ participation in math, science, and technology. The study also profiles several model programs and includes a list of related resources.
“Growing Smart: What’s Working for Girls in School,” $12.95 each from the aauw Educational Foundation, 1111 16th Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036; (800) 225-9998.
Systemic Reform
The Education Commission of the States has issued a summary of effective strategies designed to help states seeking large-scale reform of mathematics, science, and technology education.
The report outlines strategies that have proved successful in the Statewide Systemic Initiatives program of the National Science Foundation.
“Scaling-Up Mathematics Science and Technology Education Reform,” $5 each plus postage and handling, from the ecs Distribution Center, 707 17th St., Suite 2700, Denver, Colo. 80202-3427; (303) 299-3692. Ask for No. SM-95-1.
Secrets to Success
A key element in successful schools and workplaces is a well-defined sense of mission, the U.S. General Accounting Office concludes in a recent report.
The GAO examined studies linking school or workplace practices to commonly used criteria of success, and found that a clear focus was an important element in both environments.
Single copies of “Schools and Workplaces: An Overview of Successful and Unsuccessful Practices,” are free, additional copies are $2 each, prepaid, from the General Accounting Office, P.O. Box 6015, Gaithersburg, Md. 20884-6015; (202) 512-6000. Checks should be made payable to the Superintendent of Documents.
Hispanic Opportunities
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities has released a report detailing its efforts to enhance education opportunities for members of the nation’s fastest-growing minority group.
The New York City-based organization seeks to accomplish this goal by creating educational models, demonstration projects, and pilot programs that provide Hispanic students with scholarship and internship opportunities.
The “Quadrennial Report: 1991-94,” free from hacu, National Headquarters, 4204 Gardendale St., Suite 216, San Antonio, Tex. 78229; (210) 692-3805.
