This report, summarizing the proceedings at a February 1988 conference at Brown University on youth service, presents briefly an overview of the emerging network of youth service programs in the following states: (1) Minnesota; (2) Pennsylvania; (3) California; (4) Massachusetts; and (5) Ohio. Rationales for youth service are analyzed. Eight…

The author describes Minnesota's Early Childhood Family Education program for all children from birth to kindergarten and their parents. Topics include the types of activities each local program undertakes, administration and planning, and financing. A list of important program attributes is included. (CH)

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…

Conceived by the Minnesota State Legislature, the Minnesota Educational Effectiveness Program is a school improvement and staff development program. Its participants perceive the program as a method for identifying areas of concern and for providing staff with the processes to effect change. As of September 1987, 328 Minnesota schools are in…

The plan documents Minnesota's policies and procedures for implementing state and federal statutes concerning the education of handicapped students. The following topics are covered: right to education, full educational opportunities goal, policy on priorities, child identification, Individual Educational Programs, procedural safeguards, the least…

Presents an overview of an evaluation of the effectiveness and impact of family-centered home-based services as implemented within the Child Welfare Division of Hennepin County, Minnesota Community Services Department, which worked with families of an adolescent who had been approved for out-of-home placement. (BB)

The Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement at the University of Minnesota has been working with SciMathMN to conduct a multi-year study of the implementation and impact of standards-based mathematics curricula in Minnesota in several district settings. Phase 1 of the study began in fall 2000 and continued through the 2000-2001…

In a time of evolving Algebraic standards and expectations for Minnesota teachers and students, the establishment of quality professional development and technical assistance can help educators move more confidently toward greater mathematics understanding and, subsequently, successful teaching and learning. To this end, the Minnesota Department…

Current educational policies require the participation of students with disabilities in state assessments. Their participation has raised a number of issues, among them the need for accommodations. In this article we consider the role that assistive technology (AT) can play to alleviate current accommodations demands, and highlight research and…

To explicate the factors behind standards implementation, the results of a project to develop and pilot test a process that bridges the gap between setting standards and improving student achievement is presented. The text focuses on the Implementing Academic Standards (IAS) program, which was designed to develop and pilot-test a process for…

Minnesota has adopted legislation that provides some guidance in thinking about how a district or state ought to plan for the use of computers and other advanced technology in schools. Characteristics of the Minnesota plan, teacher training, and implementation problems are among the areas discussed. (JN)

This "feature issue" focuses on early intervention with handicapped children, with an emphasis on: Project EDGE (Expanding Developmental Growth through Education), an early intervention research project initiated in 1968; strategies for developing family-friendly early intervention services; and progress reports from various states and…

Early childhood special education (ECSE) program leaders in Minnesota were surveyed to contrast perceptions of programs for children age birth to 3 with those for children 3 to 6. Of the 8,550 children served in such programs, survey responses reflected 64 percent. Survey results are presented for: (1) settings--home, community, and ECSE…

Discusses the Minnesota Early Childhood Family Education program and the Missouri Parents as Teachers program as examples of state-sponsored family education programs. Argues that such programs should use the school as the most approppriate setting for family support and education. (CH)

Interest is growing in planning and implementing new systems of holding child and family services accountable for results. The Results-Based Accountability (RBA) Project at the Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) has supported and built upon recent state efforts to develop these new accountability systems for child and family services. The RBA…