"Managed care" is a term used to describe health care plans in which a primary provider typically monitors all of a patient's care within a specific network of providers. It differs from the traditional fee-for-service model in that patients often are expected to pay extra if they want to see out-of-network providers. Additionally,…

The "Goals 2000: Educate America Act" emphasizes including all students in education reform considerations and expects all students to achieve world-class educational standards and learn challenging content to a high level of performance. The Act also establishes voluntary opportunity-to-learn (OTL) standards. OTL standards are defined…

Following a discussion of a number of objective methods of program evaluation, the author recommends a more subjective or existential model. Described briefly are the behavioral objectives model, the goal-free model, the systems analysis model, the decision-making model, the accreditation and adversary models, and the transactional model. The…

The Infant Monitoring Project was initiated in Polk County, Oregon, to address the need for monitoring the development of infants and young children designated as "at risk." The project involved a cooperative effort between the Polk County Health Department and the Teaching Research Division of the Oregon State System of Higher…

This issue of the "Early Childhood Bulletin" highlights some of the major concerns raised by parents during the second national meeting of parent members of state Interagency Coordinating Councils (ICCs) for early intervention, which was held in conjunction with the Partnerships for Progress Conference IV in Crystal City, Arlington, VA,…

This publication discusses education reform and the movement toward standards and assessments and its impact on students with disabilities. It is designed to provide parents with information about changes in assessment and graduation criteria, and assist parents in investigating the changes happening in their districts and states. Different…

In response to new provisions in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), this issue describes the promising special education research that is helping all students participate successfully in large-scale testing programs. The first article, "State-Wide Assessment Programs," discusses the new provisions in IDEA that…

The articles in this issue consider key issues in the selection of populations for gifted education program services. Titles and authors of articles include: "The Identification Blues and How to Cure Them" (Ernesto Bernal); "Recognizing Giftedness in Your Child" (Linda Kreger Silverman); "Instructional Grouping, GATE and Honors Classes" (Bill…

This monograph offers a series of questions which are intended to serve as a framework for investigating the status of arts education programs within elementary and secondary schools. It is intended as an aid to parents, educators, and other interested citizens as they evaluate and/or seek to improve arts education programs. The questions are…

These two issues include articles under the following headings: themes in education, curriculum and instruction, and theories, practicals, and experiences. The first issue includes: "Parent Participation: The Implications of a Complaint Case" (Ping Man Wong and Antony Yuk Cheung Chan); "Education for New Arrivals and Multicultural…