The National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (NECTAC) was charged by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) from 2001-2006 to develop, implement, and evaluate an approach to technical assistance that would result in sustainable systems change in state Early Intervention and Preschool Special…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) requires states and the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) to define and determine whether schools are making adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward meeting the goal of 100 percent academic proficiency. To address tribes' needs for cultural preservation, NCLBA allows tribal groups to…

The National Health Planning and Resources Deveplopment Act of 1974 (PL 93-641) grants review authority to Health Systems Agencies (HSAs) which seek to improve the quality of health care and insure the rational expenditure of financial resources. Their review process necessitates the development of adequate mental health standards and criteria and…

The process of reauthorization of college student financial aid legislation may be instrumental in reducing the burden and complexity of the financial aid application and need analysis process through simplification. Exempting some students, permitting more to use simplified need analysis, and streamlining reapplication are steps in the right…

The monograph presents preliminary results from 27 states that received systems change model demonstration funds from the U.S. Rehabilitation Services Administration in 1986 and 1987. These funds were targeted to modify existing adult day programs for persons with severe disabilities and provide supported employment programs as alternative…

To assess the impact of the 1973 Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) on older worker's problems, article examines CETA's history, options, and authority. Finds major systemic factors that encourage local prime sponsors to understate aging populations' needs. Concludes there is a need for substantial CETA changes to effectively serve…

The papers presented at this conference review current research on effective educational practices for low-achieving students and identify those that might be applied to programs funded under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981. This report is a reaction to three papers which were presented at the final session of…

Needs assessment is part of the decision making and program planning process in mental health centers. Four commonly used approaches for identifying needs are: (1) social indicators; (2) analysis of resources and patterns of use; (3) community surveys; and (4) group approaches. Rarely does a single approach provide all the information necessary to…

A study analyzed the policies of 20 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member countries pertaining to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Aims of the study were to assess the current role of SMEs as generators and users of innovations, to analyze the components of a favorable climate for innovation in SMEs, and to…

The land grant universities have, for the most part, performed the organizational and procedural processes stipulated by Title V of the Rural Development Act of 1972 and have succeeded in helping rural people satisfy high priority needs, thereby demonstrating that Title V is a valid approach to rural development. The three-year pilot period,…

This four-part report deals with minimal competency testing with a focus on test development and the federal role in competency testing. The first section presents highlights of a 1978 conference on "Achievement Testing and Basic Skills" chaired by Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Joseph Califano. The second section contains the…

Using a case study approach, an eighteen-month review assessed the implementation of the Youth Employment and Demonstration Projects Act (YEDPA) in thirty-seven prime sponsorships in twelve states. Most states showed progress in establishing a role for local educational agencies in the prime sponsor employment and training service matrix. But too…

The Employment and Training Administration's (ETA's) development and implementation of America's Career Kit (ACK), which is an online career development resource for individuals needing job search assistance, career guidance, salary data, and training and educational resources, was evaluated. The evaluation was designed to determine whether ACK…