A quality improvement system (QIS) is an intentional effort to raise the quality of afterschool programming in an ongoing, organized fashion. There are a number of reasons the QIS is gaining popularity. The main reasons community leaders are drawn to improving quality is that they know that 1) higher quality programs will mean better experiences…

The second edition of this essential handbook provides a comprehensive, updated overview of the science that informs best practices for the implementation of response to intervention (RTI) processes within Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to facilitate the academic success of all students. The volume includes insights from leading scholars…

Integrating infant mental health services into early education programs leads to better child outcomes and stronger parent-child relationships--the big question is how to do it appropriately and effectively. Clear answers are in this accessible textbook, created to prepare early childhood professionals and programs to weave best practices in…

While librarians have traditionally provided story times for 3- to 5-year olds and more recently for toddlers, it is important to introduce children to books and libraries at an even earlier age. Young children's intellectual development is faster than that of any other age group. This book is a guide to developing library programs for babies and…

Seven evaluation questions and strategies are presented about the quality of services provided by early intervention programs. Questions address such aspects as exemplary practices model implementation, performance and progress monitoring, and sensitivity to client/community needs. (Author/CL)

The Mariner Model provides a step-by-step systems-building process and tool by which schools, school districts, and communities can develop capacity and create an infrastructure that supports continuous improvement in health-promoting environments for children. The Mariner Model follows a public health program planning development model that is…

Based on a Handicapped Children's Early Education Program (HCEEP) Outreach Project Directors Conference in 1977, the monograph examines the nature of outreach in the education of young handicapped children. The first part provides an overview of outreach efforts, including a summary of previous Bureau of Education for the Handicapped directions…

This manual provides guidelines and materials for librarians planning a summer reading program for children in North Carolina on the theme of outer space. An evaluation form to be returned to the State Library of North Carolina at the end of the summer is included. The introduction includes discussions of summer reading materials and programs;…

This manual is designed to accompany the 1999 Florida Library Youth Program, focusing on the theme of the library as a destination. This introductory section of the manual contains: an overview of the program that discusses basic philosophy, outreach to children in poverty, age and ability levels, and materials and incentives; a schedule of…

The manual provides suggestions for planning inservice teacher training. Basic foci of the booklet are explained to include examination of time distribution, room arrangement, audience participation, stimulation of audience interest, measurement of inservice effectiveness, and communication of inservice results. The manual is divided into…

The article describes the program evaluation requirements as delineated in P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, and specifies the type of evaluation that is necessary to meet the stated requirements. (Author)

Increasing demands for evidence-based early childhood services and the need by policymakers to know whether a program is effective or whether it warrants a significant investment of public and/or private funds--coupled with the often-politicized debate around these topics--make it imperative for policymakers and civic leaders to have independent…

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) compiled this guide for schools, community groups, and individuals who are choosing programs that teach personal safety to children. A task force of eight other organizations contributed to the guide. The guide defines child victimization as sexual abuse and assault, abduction,…

Family support programs have proliferated in many different settings in response to an increasing emphasis in the public policy arena on a family support strategy. These guidelines for effective family support practice represent the consensus of family support practitioners as assessed in focus groups with over 2,000 staff and parent participants.…

Drawing on H.R. Davis' A VICTORY model of factors associated with organizational change, the article argues that accepted models of educational evaluation will be most useful with programs for mainstreaming handicapped children when they are expanded to include critical factors associated with organizational acceptance and successful…