"R&D Alert" covers issues affecting schools in the Western Regional Educational Laboratory's four-state region--Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah--and throughout the United States. WestEd researchers and assistance providers have been focused on secondary education for many years. This issue of "R&D Alert" goes beyond describing the problem…

The book comes out of a University research project that has worked closely with one local programme over five years from its beginning. Sure Start is a national government initiative that targets families with children aged up to the age of four in areas of social and economic disadvantage, to promote development so children are ready to thrive…

This study examined undergraduate foreign language programs at five institutions that were diverse in size, type, and geographical location. At each site, interviews were conducted with four students, two faculty members, and one program administrator; two classes were observed; and related documents and program literature were collected. Using…

This paper provides a case example of simple regression analysis, a forecasting procedure used to isolate the effects of training from an identified extraneous variable. This case example focuses on results of a three-day sales training program to improve bank loan officers' knowledge, skill-level, and attitude regarding solicitation and sale of…

This document is comprised of four reports related to the evaluation of the Kentucky Preschool Program (KPP), serving 4-year-olds who qualify for the free lunch program and 3- and 4-year-olds with disabilities. Report 1 focuses on the differential effects of the preschool program related to race and to gender. Three key findings are reported: (1)…

Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) deliver specialist vocational provision with a focus on increasing learner numbers at Level 3. They aim to produce skilled and appropriately qualified workers to meet the needs of the economy by enhancing the skills and careers of those already in work, the employability of new entrants to the labor …

The influence of Kids Voting USA, an interactive civics curriculum taught during election campaigns, is assessed in the context of three field experiments that took place during the fall of 2002. The research sites are Maricopa County, Arizona; El Paso County, Colorado; and Broward/Palm Beach counties, Florida. The authors present findings from…

Performance appraisal continues to be an area of research within Human Resource Development. This case study explores the impact of promotion portfolios upon the performance and professional development of university professors. Specific themes from data analysis indicated that portfolios are viewed as a performance appraisal measure/learning tool…

Establishing school-based drug prevention programs was the aim of the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1986 (DFSCA). The extent to which DFSCA-funded programs made a difference in helping states and localities prevent or reduce drug use and some of the effective prevention strategies and programs for use with school-aged youth are examined…

This brief paper describes a special, informal seminar for international students that used an adjunct instruction model to focus on technical terminology in the field of instructional technology. Foreign students are enrolled concurrently in two linked courses--a language course and a content course with the two courses sharing content base and…

This case study evaluated a second grade teacher and her students and the implementation of a conflict resolution program in the classroom; the goals of the evaluation were to provide descriptive data on the success or failure of the program and why those results occurred, and to make recommendations for program improvement. The study used…

This report summarizes the findings of a study of the effects of home environment on child outcomes as influenced by the Infant Health and Development Program, an intervention aimed at improving the health and development of premature, low birth weight infants through parental education and support and enriched educational day care and health…

This report describes achievements of the Accelerated School Project, a cooperative effort between two Florida school districts and the Florida A&M University to provide intensive educational services to at risk elementary students. The accelerated school approach focuses on transforming the entire school to produce high academic achievement…

Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) is a federal program aimed at equalizing access to higher education for low-income students. GEAR UP, created in 1998, attempts to provide information and support to students beginning no later than seventh grade while promoting lasting partnerships among school districts,…

The School, Family, and Community Partnership Program is an integrated, school-based intervention for improving the outcomes of students served in classrooms for children who have emotional and behavioral disabilities. This report briefly describes the intervention, the characteristics of the children, and initial results of measuring fidelity to…