PAPA: Plans, Action and Progress Assessment, a process whereby the professional educator can effectively organize professional growth and development efforts, is presented. The process can also aid teachers, counselors, professors, or administrators in improving job performance. The three parts of the program are described. (CT)

The Maine Occupational Information Coordinating Committee field-tested the Guidance Information System. Students showed an increase in career awareness and information-gathering activities. Counselors became stimulated to do more reading and studying in the career guidance area. (Author)

The need for planning in higher education institutions is discussed in light of the financial restrictions imposed by a period of retrenchment. Planning is defined as a systematic assessment of goals and objectives based on available resources and institutional priorities. A planning model is presented and steps of the planning process are…

The Benton High School values clarification program is an orderly sequence of structured group activities directed toward clarifying students' values and decisions as part of a one-semester elective sociology class open to all juniors and seniors. Evaluation indicates program participants moved toward a stronger belief in internal control in…

Fairleigh Dickinson University (New Jersey) students take four core general education courses from the second half of the freshman year through the first half of the junior year. All sections have the same syllabus, and faculty teaching them on separate campuses review and refine the courses together. Core course faculty participated actively in a…

Used a variety of measures to assess the effectiveness of the PALS program (Parents Altogether Lending Support) in England. Found that participants enjoyed the course and found it beneficial, particularly for altering their behavior to promote positive behavior among their children. The key lesson identified in regard to developing parenting…

Explores the successes and setbacks in developing and implementing a middle grades teacher education program as part of the Excellence in Teaching Partnership (ETP) in Pennsylvania. Focuses on the preservice teachers involved over the last 3 years, the effectiveness of the ETP partnership, and the lesson learned from creating and implementing an…

Examines U.S. spouse-abuse program directors' survey. Compares programs according to region and urban-rural location. Results show rural programs offer more services, but few programs accepted clients from outside service areas, and few programs used proactive outreach methods. Discusses findings, social-work implications, and further study…

Discusses the characteristics of child-centered home visits in early childhood and preschool programs. Offers strategies for making the visits and for evaluating them. Benefits of visits for children are considered. (BG)

This article describes the goals, challenges, strategies, and successes of second-language teachers involved in The Books Project, in which teachers learned about writing workshops and received support to implement such workshops in their schools. The teachers involved found that they were particularly constrained by limited time, space, and…

Offers guidelines on evaluating services provided by Advanced Technology Centers on an ongoing basis. Discusses the meaning of impact; strategies for measuring impact; evaluation variables; examples of possible measures (e.g., total wages paid by service area industries); and the need to invest time and resources in evaluation. (DMM)

The background and dual evaluation approaches used in a nationwide arts evaluation project for Very Special Arts (arts programing for disabled and nondisabled children and adults) are described. Results of a field test in eight states of one of the assessment instruments developed in the evaluation are discussed. (SLD)

The University of Minnesota's required six-week ambulatory medicine clerkship provides a comprehensive orientation to ambulatory care through planned integration of patient care with academic work. Responses of both students and faculty have been enthusiastic, with the benefits compensating for high costs in preceptor time. (MSE)

Describes and reports evaluations of the Developmental Toddler Educational Care Program of Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. The program's purposes are to (1) demonstrate model toddler care; (2) provide a facility for research; (3) provide training for undergraduate and graduate students; and (4) offer university-affiliated families day care for…

Describes a federally funded partnership between Northeastern Illinois University and Chicago Public Schools to provide an inner-city family literacy program. Details program components, highlighting use of computers, video technology, and photography as tools to develop literacy and to document progress of parents and children. Notes evaluation…