Briefly reviews findings from the school effectiveness literature and suggests local strategies and policies that will stimulate school reform. Thirteen characteristics of effective schools are discussed as model guidelines for action; four general policy recommendations are made. (RH)

Describes an evaluation study of a special English-as-a-second-language program developed for a group of 18 to 21 year olds with a severe gap in their schooling due to political upheaval and war. The five stages of the study, its recommendations, and its outcomes are outlined. (Author/SED)

Three adaptive models encompassing variations of instructional support, incentives, and context of presentations were developed and validated through eight separate studies which compared the teaching of statistics under computer-managed instruction or teacher-managed systems. Results indicate instructional support adaptations were effective, but…

Examines setting-culture interaction as a force contributing to the real or imagined ineffectiveness of vocational programs for American Indians on or near reservations. Uses a program serving the Mississippi Band of Choctaws as a case study to discuss potential effects of setting-culture interaction on program design and evaluation. (SB)

Takes a systems approach to designing classroom instruction, providing models for program and course syllabuses, as well as for instructional units. Included are checklists for designing the three levels of instruction: the program, the course, and the instructional unit. (JW)

The readings in this ready-reference report on specific program evaluations, offer critical guidance in the development and utilization of instruments for assessing gifted and talented programs, and are designed to stimulate the discussion of issues surrounding the evaluation of gifted programs. Key features include: (1) Carolyn M. Callahan's…

Early Head Start (EHS) is a comprehensive, two-generation program providing intensive services from before birth to age 3 to promote improved outcomes in children's development, family development, staff development, and community development. The second of a 3-volume series designed to share the experiences of the 17 EHS programs participating in…

Starting Early Starting Smart (SESS) is a knowledge development initiative designed to: (1) create and test a new model for providing mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment for young children (birth to 7 years) and their families; and (2) inform practitioners and policymakers of successful interventions and promising practices…

With the support of a planning grant from the National Library of Medicine, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) School of Information and Library Science (SILS), in collaboration with the UNC Health Sciences Library and the Program in Medical Informatics, evaluated five curricular models designed to improve education for health…

One educational innovation that is having a widespread and disproportionate impact on the gap in academic achievement between African-American and Latino children and their White peers is Success for All (SFA), a comprehensive reform model for elementary schools piloted in Baltimore in 1987. SFA, a whole-school reform model that focuses primarily…

This paper describes the Community Collaboration Project, a program in one rural Vermont community (Addison County) to maximize resources serving children with serious emotional disturbances. The project uses an interagency collaboration "wraparound" model which emphasizes consultation instead of direct services. The project utilizes an…

Based on the view that programs with a strong academic component may reduce the substantial educational disparities for American students from disadvantaged backgrounds or in chronically underperforming schools and school districts, this synthesis of research on academic achievement programs describes how such programs may help children and…

The report provides a survey of staff development (SD) managers in 505 English, Welsh, and Scottish further education colleges (227 responses). The objective was to determine how much SD has changed and matured since incorporation, and how much it has created benchmarks. Findings indicated that few staff developers had a relevant SD qualification.…

Federal funding for children's health insurance may significantly reduce the problem of uninsured children in New York and subsequently improve child outcomes. This study evaluated the effectiveness of two program models in educating parents about available sources of health insurance and in increasing enrollment of uninsured children into…

This booklet introduces the principles and practices of benchmarking as a way of raising quality and achievement at further education colleges in Britain. Section 1 defines the concept of benchmarking. Section 2 explains what benchmarking is not and the steps that should be taken before benchmarking is initiated. The following aspects and…