EUGENE–Nationally acclaimed experts from the University of Oregon’s College of Education will explore a number of proven education strategies that turn school failure into success during a five-week series on Portland radio station AM 860, Radio Free Oregon.

Six of the UO’s top education researchers will speak on the program, "Kids & Schools–What Works," airing at 7—10 p.m. Thursdays from mid-October to mid-November.

The first program, to be broadcast Oct. 19, features Professor Hill Walker and Senior Research Associate Jeff Sprague, co-directors of the UO Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior, explaining why early prevention not only works, but is worth the cost.

Professor Rob Horner will talk about using school discipline as a positive tool. Horner is one of several UO professors of special education who were instrumental in developing Effective Behavior Supports, a program that eliminates many discipline problems before they develop.

Deborah Simmons, UO associate professor of education and a nationally recognized researcher in teaching reading, will talk about the 40 percent of children in American schools who struggle with reading and why half of those children need special help.

Jerry Tindal, UO professor of education leadership, technology and administration, will talk about how to design smart schools.

Associate Professor Lynne Anderson-Inman, director of the UO Center for Electronic Studying, will conclude the series Nov. 16 with discussion of the center’s success in helping struggling students use computers to better analyze and organize information.

Listeners can call in questions and comments during each three-hour program. Those outside the Portland metropolitan area can hear the programs via streaming audio on the web at http://www.radiofreeoregon.com.

To listen to the broadcasts, you must install Media Player, free software available at http://interact.uoregon.edu/broadcastprep.html. You also will need a JavaScript-enabled web browser.

Media Player for the MacIntosh works best with Mac OS 8.x or newer and Internet Explorer 5 or newer. Mac users also will need a decompression utility such as Expander to decompress the downloaded software installation file.

All programs begin at 7 p.m. The broadcast schedule follows:

• Oct. 19 "Early Prevention of Destructive Behavior," Hill Walker and Jeff Sprague

• Oct. 26 "Fostering Positive School Discipline," Rob Horner

• Nov. 2 "Teaching Early Reading," Deborah Simmons

• Nov. 9 "Designing Smart Schools," Gerald Tindal

• Nov. 16 "Computer Strategies for Struggling Students," Lynne Anderson-Inman

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