The EPICS Program was created in 1995 with the dual purposes of improving engineering education and addressing compelling needs within our communities. The model broke with many traditional academic traditions, involving students in multidisciplinary teams of students from first-year to fourth years for multiple semesters or even years on projects…

Metro Deaf School (MDS), located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is one of the first charter schools in the nation. MDS, provides a bilingual environment in ASL and English for deaf and hard of hearing students, ages 3-21, in pre-K through high school. In its 20 years of operation, MDS has seen its students become more diverse, and with the diversity…

More than ever, people are seeking substance use disorder treatment during the adolescent and young adult stages of development. Developmentally, many of these young adults new to recovery are in the process of making career decisions that may require attendance at a college or university. However, the collegiate environment is not conducive to a…

The human brain develops rapidly in the first five years of life. High-quality early learning experiences can have a profound and lasting positive effect on young children during these years, setting the stage for success in kindergarten and beyond. This is especially true for young children with high needs who are from low-income families; who…

The purpose of this issues brief was to obtain a better understanding of how online programs are dealing with students who have been identified as at-risk. The first section, "Strategies for Working with At-Risk Student Populations in Online Environments," documents a sampling of K-12 online programs currently working with at-risk…

As much as it is eagerly anticipated, freshman year is often a time of confusion, disorientation, and even alienation for many students. One in four college freshmen will drop out before completing sophomore year. The reasons for this high level of withdrawal vary, but a report suggests that new students often feel overwhelmed and unprepared for…

Project Early Kindergarten (PEK) aims to improve the school-readiness of Saint Paul children and help close the achievement gap through offering high-quality educational experiences for preschool children. This report comes at the conclusion of the sixth year of PEK. Following an initial planning year (2004-05), PEK has served children through the…

Noting that Minnesota has developed many innovative services for parents and infants, but does not yet have an organized way to attend to infants' emotional development and mental health needs, this report details a study to ascertain the need for infant mental health services and examined the current level and types of services available. Data…

The Saint Paul Public Schools' Project Early Kindergarten program aims to improve the school readiness of Saint Paul children. The program offers a rigorous academic approach and targets children who are English Language Learners, come from low-income families, or need Special Education services. Ultimately, the program intends to help close Saint…

The Comprehensive Special Education Project (COSEP) is described as involving Indian Youth Advocates and Indian Youth Resource People trained to act as liaisons between Indian families and the schools in Northeastern Minnesota where COSEP goals are to: identify out of school Indian youth and arrange special in-school or out-of-school services for…

This document summarizes the first 3 years (June 1965-September 1968) of the Minnesota Research Coordination Unit's operation. Described are: (1) the factors which influenced the evolution of Unit objectives, (2) the organizational structure, personnel and facilities, (3) the Unit activities which were related to its objectives, (4) a subjective…

This report to the Minnesota legislature examines children and their families who participated in the Head Start program during 1993-1994, and summarizes information on the following program areas: (1) Head Start program overview; (2) funding facts; (3) program year 1993-1994 activities; and (4) agency specific information. The Head Start program…

Report of information on enrollment at 66 Minnesota institutions and programs in five categories (clerical, nursing, personal and community health, rehabilitation and therapy, and technology); student completion; maximum student training capabilities; and possibilities for enlarging programs to meet demands for graduates. More than half the…

In 1989, the Community Partnership: Child Care and Early Education was formed to examine policies and make recommendations with respect to early childhood care and education (ECCE) in Ramsey County, Minnesota. The Partnership established a Task Force to develop a long-term vision for ECCE consistent with community values and to create a blueprint…

Comprehensive Arts Planning Program (CAPP) grants were awarded to 30 school districts in Minnesota to improve their arts education programs. Each district formed a community-based team of eight persons. Each team was then responsible for planning developing, and promoting comprehensive arts education within the district. Following a brief…