Peer relationships are just as important for students with autism, intellectual disability, and other developmental disabilities. Through their interactions with peers across the school day, students develop new skills, encounter new perspectives, access needed supports, find camaraderie, develop social capital, learn prevailing norms, and elevate…

Attempts to assess the effectiveness of basic skills programs have been difficult. There is disagreement on the factors which underlie the reported gains. The Urban Education Studies program, through on-site studies, is uncovering programs and procedures which appear to be working well. Efforts are being made to gain a better understanding of the…

Teachers and staff as well as students are not immune to substance abuse. Presented are simple guidelines on what to look for in physical effects, what to do if someone is suspected, and how to get help. (SI)

Schools which have successfully implemented mastery learning (ML) programs show many similarities in their plans for ML development. These similarities stand out so strongly that knowledge of them can help all schools in planning for ML. The following program commonalities observed during visits to several schools in New York, Washington,…

This summary of the literature provides an overview on adult probation, with attention to the conceptual problems associated with often conflicting definitions of probation, the legal and statutory development of probation, its major objectives and tasks, and its effectiveness. Some of the critical areas addressed include: (1) the locus of…

Reported in this executive summary are findings of a survey and comparison of the transition efforts of a responding sample of 108 Head Start programs (out of a stratified random sample of 144) and 15 additional Head Start programs that received special transition grants in 1986. Respondents included, for each program, the Head Start director, the…

A project was undertaken to (1) develop a prototype for installing career education in two regions of the Detroit Public Schools through staff development activities, (2) monitor the involvement level in local schools in these regions, and (3) assist each school on an ongoing basis to plan for effective career education implementation. The first…

The two-year process of establishing and implementing a by-mail outcome evaluation system in a community mental health center is described. The effect of active executive leadership and the subsequent effects of staff cooperation on client participation rates are discussed, as well as specific responsibilities of the program manager. Illustrative…

Because the transition of Head Start children into elementary school can be a stressful time for children and parents, Head Start implemented a national transition initiative. This study examined the transition efforts of a responding sample of 108 Head Start programs (out of a stratified random sample of 144) and 15 additional Head Start programs…

Efforts of the Center for Career Development (Mesa, Arizona) to compare various strategies for promoting available career education materials and services in the Mesa Public Schools (to determine which strategies are more effective in increasing utilization of career education resources) are described. After identifying the career education…

The impact of a 3-year effort to implement career education into the South Portland school system through Project REVAMP (Revitalize the Vocational and Academic Multifarious Program through Career Education) is examined. Evaluation assessed observable curriculum changes, guidance services in response to the career development needs of all…

This volume, second of two, presents results of the formative evaluation of 14 Head Start programs that received grants for the purpose of demonstrating a variety of approaches to improving transition between Head Start programs and elementary schools. The evaluation was designed to obtain data on project implementation, successes, and obstacles.…

This report provides background and data from an investigation of New York City's summer youth employment program. It concludes that the program was poorly planned and poorly administered by both the Department of Labor and the city. Although some of the worksites visited were providing useful work experience to enrolled youths, over half of the…

The University of Texas Pilot Program was operated in five sites in Texas (Abilene, Brownsville, El Paso, Houston, and Temple) to demonstrate the utility of competency-based high school diplomas for Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) clients. Included among the program features common to all five sites were the following: (1) the…

During 1985-86, its first year, the Comprehensive School Improvement and Planning process (CSIP) operated in 156 of 392 New York City schools identified by the State Education Department's Comprehensive Assessment Report (CAR) as most in need of improvement. CSIP offers a holistic approach to school improvement and planning, and is designed to…