The "Making Special Friends Project" of the Burlington, Vermont public school system resulted in a series of six manuals: (1) A Review of the Literature; (2) Model Overview; (3) Implementation Guidelines and Inservice Training Manual; (4) Strategies for Implementing Model Components; (5) Developing Community Resource and Accessibility…

This collection of 43 activities represents an initial sampling of the creative efforts that Vermont teachers are currently making to improve the learning environment of their students. The resources are the outcome of a campaign initiated by the regional service teams of the Vermont Department of Education to collect information about promising…

Since 1992, Vermont has been pioneering the development of community partnerships for improving social well-being, using indicators to track success. The working definition of a community, for outcome purposes, is the area served by a school supervisory union. Vermont is divided into 60 such supervisory unions (school districts), but…

Hearings before the House Subcommittee on Education, Arts, and Humanities were held in February, 1987 to reauthorize the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act. The purpose was to report on the contribution made in education by Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 programs and to refine and explain the goals for reauthorization. Teachers, coordinators,…

An analysis of variables effecting the success of mainstreaming programs in 27 school districts in Vermont--five of which were unsuccessful in that consulting teacher services were not maintained for more than two years, and 22 of which were successful in that consulting teacher services were maintained for more than two years--was undertaken.…

The year-long Lighthouse District Planning Process culminated in the development of a plan that addresses the needs of at-risk students in the Burlington School District and the Orleans Southwest Supervisory Union in Vermont. This final report on the project also serves as a guide that can be used by other districts to construct a comprehensive…

The five states featured in this second edition of "Innovative States" were chosen because they reflect crucial elements in an emerging understanding of state policy making in family support and education. Creative state partnerships involving program development and funding are a key ingredient to successful endeavors. States rely on…

This book espouses service learning as an important and integral part of school for students. It stresses the positive benefits to be gained from service learning, as well as the good the activities do for the community. It notes that service learning should be used to promote a sense of civic responsibility and pride in students. It also promotes…

The first of a series designed to advise school staff on the use of computers in the curriculum, this booklet outlines several ways that computers can fit into the program of study in Vermont schools and suggests a method for schools to use in planning for their use. Emphasis is on computers as tools to help reach traditional educational goals.…

This evaluation of reading programs funded by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title I, in Vermont provided an assessment of the success of the programs. It was prepared to assist classroom teachers in improving instructional programs. The Prescriptive Reading Inventory was developed as a criterion referenced test to aid instruction. It…

This booklet provides guidelines and suggestions for planning school library media facilities. The intended audience is library media specialists; however, it is expected that administrators and architects may also find it useful. The importance of helping the architect understand the school media center's unique mission and relevant educational…

This final report describes a demonstration project in Addison County, Vermont, to increase the capacity of families, educators, and other service providers to serve children and youth with serious emotional disturbances in their homes, schools, and community settings rather than in residential settings. The project developed, field-tested, and…

This booklet, part of a series of profiles on family support and education programs across the United States, contains profiles of five diverse programs designed to improve the future of children through family-focused and comprehensive service delivery. Programs examined are North Dakota's Child Welfare Reform Initiative, Iowa's Decategorization…

Since 1988 the Vermont Department of Education has been developing an innovative statewide performance assessment program. In 1990, the RAND Corporation began evaluating the Vermont assessment program, focusing specifically on the portfolio component of its assessment system. This report presents results from the evaluation in the 1992-93 school…

Outstanding community based work now going on in Vermont schools is described in this booklet which also suggests ways to develop similar work in other communities. The term "Community Studies" is used to encompass a broad range of activities carried out with the local community as the focus of and location for students' work. The…