For many non-traditional candidates, the path into teaching is riddled with bumps and detours. They must pay for increasingly expensive coursework and certification costs, attend classes that conflict with work schedules, and forgo wages to complete unfunded student teaching requirements. These roadblocks can deter valuable local…

By providing early access to education, early childhood and community-based programs are helping to close the achievement gap prevalent among children from impoverished homes.

Selected 4-H youth participated in the Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassador program. Forty-five youth participated in the 3-day program delivered by university professors and staff, Texas AgriLife Extension faculty and industry representatives. An instrument was developed and administered to the Texas 4-H Livestock Ambassadors at the end of their first…

This annual report describes the Interagency Child Abuse Network (ICAN) Project, a joint venture of the Texas Department of Human Services and the Alamo Area Council of Governments in Bexar County. The goal of the ICAN Project was to establish a network of agencies in the county that could develop a team approach to handling child abuse cases. The…

The Texas Interagency Council on Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) serves 23,000 children a year and funds 71 comprehensive programs and 12 Milestones programs throughout Texas. Comprehensive programs offer a variety of services to help families who have babies and toddlers with disabilities or delays, providing services in the home or integrated…

The emerging field of assistive technology offers employment and independent living for people with disabilities. However, agency staff, people with disabilities, and their guardians often spend substantial time finding appropriate technological solutions. The integration of technology into the existing service system is needed to maximize scarce…

Second in the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families' national child care initiative, this hearing explored the entire range of issues surrounding child care in order to develop a set of specific recommendations for Congress. Appearing before the committee were representatives of corporations and voluntary agencies in Texas that have…

This paper describes state, institutional, and other community-based programs deemed exemplary (on the basis of design imperatives) for successful interventions to promote meaningful access of minority group youth to postsecondary education. The imperatives include early intervention, comprehensive and integrated intervention, intervention…

A study was conducted to determine how parents perceive their involvement in planning the transition from school to work for their children with disabilities. A random sample of 240 parents in 9 school districts in Texas identified as having exemplary disabilities programs were contacted with a mailed survey, and 17 parents volunteered as a result…

This report offers task force recommendations to provide greater support and understanding for adolescents and young adults. The Commission report and recommendations focus on the issues of teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, juvenile delinquency, dropping out of school, and suicide. Part 1, "Growing Up in Texas," begins with an…

Based on interviews and document analysis, an evaluation of Year 3 of the Capital Area Education and Careers Partnership (CAECP) assessed its initiatives to help youth and young adults advance their educational and workplace achievements in pursuit of satisfying, productive careers. CAECP improved school-based learning activity objectives by…

Based on interviews and document analysis, an evaluation of Year 4 of the Capital Area Education and Careers Partnership (CAECP) assessed its initiatives to help youth and young adults advance their educational and workplace achievements in pursuit of satisfying, productive careers. CAECP improved school-based learning activity objectives by…