The Partners in Action and Learning Program at Florida's Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC) was established in 1994 to aid the integration of service learning into the college's general education curricula. Goals for the first year of the program included the establishment of service-learning centers at MDCC's Homestead and Medical Center…

This seven-chapter report explores in depth how issues relating to race, language, and culture can be incorporated into every stage of a reform process targeting supports to disadvantaged children and families. The report draws on 1993 research involving a survey of 98 collaborative programs in California, site visits to seven collaborative…

This booklet advocates and describes the establishment of community run preschool and day care centers. The type described is based on the Laborie Community Education Centre in Saint Lucia, West Indies. Chapter 1 advocates establishing small, local institutions that are community managed, community owned, concerned with quality, and sustainable.…

Increasing numbers of children begin formal schooling without the requisite skills or abilities to succeed, most often due to deficiencies in language and emotional maturity. This study sought to identify potential precursors to later kindergarten difficulties that would suggest specific areas needing further study and support. Study participants…

This study examined postschool vocational options for people with disabilities in New South Wales (Australia), by means of a survey and interviews with representatives of government agencies, tertiary education facilities, and unions and employer organizations. Results indicated a lack of vocational facilities for young people with severe…

The Minnesota Dialogue on Education project was a comprehensive statewide survey of public opinion on educational issues conducted by the Minnesota Department of Education from September 1983 through February 1984. The project involved dissemination of 250,000 copies of a Dialogue on Education Study Guide with a questionnaire attached, followed by…

Emphasizing strong partnerships with family and community, the School-Based Early Childhood Centers Project of the Child, Family, and Community Program (CFCP) identifies, develops, and evaluates early childhood partnerships with six Northwest school sites to provide case studies of the restructuring process. This report presents the results of a…

This report is the result of more than 2 years of extensive review of the education of Latino students in the New York City school system. The investigation found that Latino students, who numbered 355,000 during the 1992-93 school year, now account for 36 percent of the total student population. Over one quarter of these students have limited…

This manual on development of transition planning programs/services for high school youth with disabilities and their families is based on the premises that both youth and family members need to be actively involved in every step of the transition planning process, that empowered families can access necessary transition and adult services needed…

This report describes the results of a regional needs assessment of workforce issues related to the delivery of community-based services for children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance or mental illness and their families in a region comprising 12 southern states. The assessment involved a survey of key stakeholders, principally…

Sustainability seems generally thought to mean raising money. But money is only part of the equation. Money cannot be raised without a quality program, a quality program demonstrates results, effective results are based on sound management practices, etc. Sustainability therefore, is many things that in combination make something capable of…

Recommendations for preventing school vandalism and theft are provided in this guide. Following an introduction which cites factors related to school violence and steps which can be taken to reduce crime, the following general measures are discussed: (1) firm and fair school discipline including codes of conduct; (2) enforcement against loitering…

This book presents a rationale for developing new approaches to conceptualizing the costs associated with the implementation and operation of models supporting comprehensive, community-based support systems (CCBSS) for children. CCBSS are broad-based approaches that have no single model or specification for reform; the configuration of the model…

This report describes a "third wave" of educational reform that focuses on improving academic achievement and preventing dropping out among disadvantaged children. It contains eight sections. The Executive Summary surveys the dimensions of the at-risk situation and strategies to confront it. "The Scope of the Problem" provides background on the…

This book is intended to assist anyone who is interested in the quality of life afforded persons with moderate and severe disabilities, including educators, residential providers, vocational rehabilitation personnel, social staff, parents, and advocates. The first section, which deals with the reasons why transition is needed, covers the following…