The federal government increasingly expects child welfare systems to be more responsive to the needs of their local populations, connect strategies to results, and use continuous quality improvement (CQI) to accomplish these goals. A method for improving decision making, CQI relies on an inflow of high-quality data, up-to-date research evidence,…

A societal sector perspective looks to a broad array of actors and agencies responsible for creating the community contexts that affect youth learning and development. We demonstrate the efficacy of this perspective by describing the Youth Data Archive, which allows community partners to define issues affecting youth that transcend specific…

Teen birth rates and teen pregnancy prevention strategies vary widely across individual states in the US, which has the highest overall teen birth rate among developed nations. California and Texas, the two most populous states currently accounting for a quarter of all teen births, have taken very different approaches to addressing adolescent…

The document lists California preschool agencies outside of the public school system which offer special education and/or related services to children 3-4.9 years old. The information was gathered through mail surveys and telephone verifications. Each entry (presented in an extensive appendix) provides information on the following aspect: county,…

During the last 30 years, the state of California has had a great obsession with determining appropriate preparation programs for public school administrators. In all reform cases, the alterations have come in the name of strong leadership, school improvement, quality leadership, and instructional leadership. Political posturing has been evident,…

This report describes a cooperative effort by a city college, a private group (Work Training Program, Inc.), and government agencies to rehabilitate local, long-time unemployed families. After considerable frustration and bureaucratic delay, the project concentrated on basic education and three vocational courses: gardener/groundsman,…

Presents trends in adoption between 1964 and 1982 for four types of adoption in California: public agency, private agency, independent, and intercountry (foreign) adoption. For each type, the characteristics of adopted children, of their biological parents, and of their adoptive parents are compared. (Author/BB)

Part I of this annual report of the California State Department of Education on child care services addresses policy questions suggested by the legislative reporting requirements for child development programs. These requirements include descriptions of the children and families served, the agencies providing subsidized child care services, and…

In an interview, Professor David Cohen discusses the lack of political accountability of nonpublic institutions which influence education, such as the testing industry. Strategies for increasing citizen participation in educational policy formulation are also illustrated. (MH)

The second part of the California State Department of Education annual report on publicly subsidized child care services, this document describes services provided by California's preschool programs during the fiscal year of 1979-80. Included are brief statistical descriptions of the children and families served, the providers of state preschool…

The results of a one-year project to determine the status of provisions for consumer education throughout the country are reported in this document. A section on the observations and recommendations of the advisory committee of the consumer's education project serves as the document's introduction. Part I, background and overview, analyzes the…

The Joint Action Committee of Organizations of and Serving the Visually Handicapped is a coalition of 24 California consumer, parent, and professional organizations; agencies; and product distributors. This article highlights coalition accomplishments in the areas of information dissemination, public policy influence, and public education and…

A study compared the training activities of 15 community colleges in two California counties with job training programs offered by private industry (companies and industry-related organizations) in the same two counties. Twenty-four companies (of 94 identified) offering training programs in the areas of electronics/electrical technology and…

Compares the state governance and power structures in early child education in Michigan, California, and New York. Focuses on the informal, dynamic networks of power and influence among public and private agencies and, in turn, between these agencies and clients attached to a variety of interest groups. (Author/GC)

This study of performance contracting was made in 1974-75. It differs from other studies in that it is based on a comprehensive body of data, including information about state-supported contracts in Michigan and California; it is focused on the role of monetary incentives in education rather than on the particular instructional programs; it made a…