Presents evidence that high-quality early childhood programs can partially offset negative effects of childhood poverty and produce modest but definite benefits in children's education and early adult socioeconomic experience. Contrasts different types of early childhood programs and favors those focusing on child-initiated learning. (RH)

Calls for further research evaluating corporate adventure training (CAT) programs. Reviews activities and benefits associated with CAT, summarizes studies conducted on the efficacy of CAT programs, describes appropriate research designs for investigating how and why CAT programs work, and addresses barriers to producing meaningful research. (LP)

Provides references related to the most common learning goals mentioned in the eight general education programs described in this volume: civic education, communication, critical thinking, ethics, and international/intercultural education, along with mathematics, science, and technology. Includes a brief discussion of journals dealing with general…

Argues that for early intervention programs to become part of national, state, and community efforts to assist families in early education, they must represent the cooperation and joint planning of constituencies involved, including the research, policy, consumer, and practice communities. Describes an early education demonstration program that is…

The wellness program is applied within the higher education setting as one means to control health care costs. Discussed are the program's design, objectives, content, facilities, structure and staff, financing, and evaluation. It is noted that wellness programs are not only cost effective but can help to improve morale and increase productivity.…

This study of 126 gifted young women 14 years after participation in a career development program called Project CHOICE found that educational and career attainment compared favorably with other gifted women and with criteria reflecting social expectation. Personal and relational accomplishments were identified almost as frequently as educational…

Describes a caseload weighting system used by a voluntary child welfare agency which successfully increased caseworker-client contact and improved the quality of the delivery of child and family services. (BB)

Comparison of residential rehabilitation outcomes of blind clients with (n=45) or without (n=67) previous psychiatric diagnosis found no intergroup differences after rehabilitation in skill, attitude, and overall adjustment. All clients improved significantly during rehabilitation. (DB)

This study evaluated the extent to which individualized service plans (ISPs) for individuals with disabilities are consistent with established policies. Evaluation of 50 ISPs from Australian community residences for people with moderate to severe disabilities found major deficiencies in the plans, such as a lack of measurable objectives. (DB)

Describes the use of interactive computing in a college reading/study skills course. Focuses on the use of Realtime Writer, an interactive communication system, and Word Perfect, a word processing program, to improve students' writing skills. Reviews major software and hardware components, uses of both programs, and advantages. (DMM)

This commentary on the demonstration programs of the Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program discusses their role in inducing educational change, their usefulness in illustrating new ideas, their broadening of the definition of the gifted student, their ability to change participating teachers' perspective, and their…

The effects of independent living training programs for 1,498 people with developmental disabilities were examined. After seven years, individuals who had received greater amounts of independent living services and improved/maintained their independent living skills were more likely to still live independently. There was no relationship between…

The University of Hawaii posttenure review focuses on collegial professional standards rather than salary. By administration-union agreement, chairpersons apply departmental expectations to assess deficiencies, subject to final adjudication by a peer committee. Individual remediation plans emphasize faculty development. The process is seen as…

Budget-conscious Americans are increasingly asking that staff developers provide hard data about program effectiveness. The concept of return on investment (ROI) is useful in documenting the effectiveness of staff development programs. To calculate ROI, baseline data must be compared with results realized by the organization. (SM)

Poses 10 questions regarding research and policy issues in comprehensive school health promotion (CSHE). The answers are regarded as having potential for significantly influencing future funding, adoption, and implementation of CSHE. (GLR)