Children experiencing the trauma of divorce often feel alone and ashamed. This article describes a Virginia elementary principal's provision of school support groups to give children a chance to acknowledge their problems and discuss their feelings. The project was developed in cooperation with a community family services agency. (MLH)

For imperative moral and practical reasons, our commitment to children must transcend political rhetoric and produce a continuum of programs beginning before birth and sustained until adulthood. Children need defenses against preventable infant mortality, childhood diseases, homelessness, unsafe childcare, and early sex and parenthood. Families…

Describes a Houston, Texas, school superintendent's effort to establish a shelter for homeless and unattended children. The project, depending on support from community agencies and featuring a modest budget, received board approval through June 1989. (MLH)

Educators alone cannot solve youth's complex problems, but can contribute to their solution by increasing others' awareness and being more responsive to students. This 11-item directory of organizations, projects, and curricular materials is a step in this direction. Organizations include Action for Children's Television, Children's Defense Fund,…

Students in cooperative classrooms encourage their teammates to do well because they also benefit. (MLF)

The collaborative school provides a climate and a structure that encourage teachers to work together with the principal and other administrators toward school improvement and professional growth. (Author)

Cooperative learning focuses group activity on preparing all members to succeed on individual assessments. Research findings show significantly greater achievement for the cooperatively taught class. Describes the elements of two comprehensive cooperative methods and proposes a model of a cooperative elementary school. (MLF)

Developing cooperative structures such as cooperative learning in classrooms, collegial teacher support groups, and collegial administrative relationships within the district will contribute to school effectiveness. Necessary elements are positive interdependence, face-to-face interaction, individual accountability, social skills, and group…

A training model for prospective teachers of cooperative learning involves teachers creating a cooperative classroom for themselves in a workshop setting. The model combines experience, perception, cognition, and behavior. (MLF)

Summary findings from a meta-analysis of 133 research studies of adults comparing the relative effectiveness of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic efforts show that cooperation among adults promotes achievement, positive interpersonal relationships, social support, and self-esteem. (MLF)

Cooperative professional development is a process by which teams of teachers work together for their own professional development. Types of cooperative development described include the following: (1) professional dialogue; (2) curriculum development; (3) peer supervision; (4) peer coaching; and (5) action research. (MLF)

Teachers at a Calgery, Alberta, high school are pooling their talents and expertise within peer support groups to aid one another's professional growth. Evaluation of the program's pilot year indicated enthusiasm for collegial support groups. (MLF)

Teachers at a Larchmont, New York, school have developed an approach to self-analysis through videotaped observations. All participants said the program met their needs for professional growth, and interview data suggest that the program can alleviate some of the isolation that plagues teachers. (MLF)

To recognize outstanding teachers, North Carolina offers them a three-day seminar that contains intellectual discussion, interchange with colleagues, and unstructured time to rediscover and nourish their personal and professional strengths. (MLF)

The Regional Staff Development Center serves the professional development needs of educators in two Wisconsin counties. Through alliances, networks, and study committees, members help each other maintain the spirit of inquiry. (MLF)