Reports an impact study of the Western Australian School Leadership Program, a development program for administrators. Questionnaires completed by 357 program participants and 287 colleagues indicated the impact of the training on leader behavior in schools. The effect was enhanced when several leaders from the same school had participated. (SLD)

This commentary discusses the wide acceptance of and the expenditure of limited resources on unproven behavioral therapies for individuals with autism. Considerations that need to be reviewed before adopting a behavioral treatment are outlined, including the need to establish whether direct effects can be attributed to a treatment. (Contains 11…

Evaluated a project to catalyze New York State medical schools to develop and implement strategic plans for curricular change to enhance palliative care education. Found that the project's process of self-assessment and curriculum mapping with the Palliative Education Assessment Tool, along with strategic planning for change, appears to have…

Describes how the Family Resource Center (FRC), one component of a School-Family-Community Partnership Program (SFCPP), was created and implemented to assist with institutionalizing SFCPP linkages at urban high schools. Data from surveys, focus groups, and observations highlighted four positive impacts (e.g., increasing visits to the FRC and…

Expresses opinions about administrative attitudes, teacher preparation, and teacher support concerning attempts at reading improvement programs in schools. Suggests professional development efforts lack planning and proper support. Suggests too few are accepting their responsibility while too many students are still not learning to read. (RS)

This study assessed the impact of a prevention program on the growth of delinquency from 13 to 16 years of age and examined whether its impact operated through a chain of events compatible with many developmental models. Analysis showed that the program had an indirect effect on the growth of delinquency from 13 to 16 years of age. (Author)

Considers the requirements of the Children Act (1989) in Great Britain and the use of "Looking After Children" materials in assessing the progress of children in out-of-home care. Demonstrates how simple indicators in the key areas of needs, objectives, services, and outcomes can be used to develop answers to complex questions regarding…

Presents a multidimensional perspective to training transfer for performance professionals that concerns both task adaptability and worker autonomy. Offers principles for effective transfer as well as specific problems which must be solved to achieve the best results. Provides suggestions for evaluating training success. (AEF)

Describes the stages of the transtheoretical model of change, in which the locus of control is with the changer. Compares this to the action model of change widely used in experiential education, and draws upon experiences in adventure therapy to show how using the transtheoretical model in debriefing can make experiential learning more effective.…

Reports on the need for developmental education to prepare students for success in higher education. Looks at the performance of developmental students and their characteristics. Describes the role community and technical colleges play as providers of developmental education, characteristics of a successful developmental program, and ways to…

The following dimensions for effective reaction evaluations as a tool in training program evaluations are described: program objective(s)/content; program materials; delivery methods/technologies; instructor/facilitator; instructional activities; program time/length; training environment; planned action/transfer expectation;…

"The Future of Schools" (1998), by Australia's former Minister of Education Don Hayward and Professor Brian J. Caldwell, recounts the development, implementation, and early effects of a far-reaching change effort. The authors'"lessons" are undercut by insufficient data connecting the reform with improved teaching and learning.…

Offers a description of innovations in the sociology program at Santa Clara University (California) focusing on the three stage approach to program improvement: (1) mission/vision; (2) time budgets (continuity between goals and effort); and (3) effectiveness. Discusses additional lessons that may be useful for other campuses. (CMK)

The Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research (CAP LTER) project includes training elementary and secondary teachers. This training component, Ecology Explorers (EE), prepares teachers in grades 4 through 12 to teach about ecological principles and processes. The EE pedagogy employs scientific inquiry and data collection protocols.…

Social skill deficits have become a defining characteristic of students with specific learning disability (SLD). Attempts have been made to enhance social functioning through structured training approaches. The effectiveness of these efforts was evaluated in a quantitative research synthesis (meta-analysis), which revealed a "small" effect with…