This report discusses the findings of a study that investigated whether the New York State Education Department's Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) has improved its oversight of special education by implementing a system for evaluating the performance of special education programs, and whether…

This report contains the second year evaluation of the Student Assistance Program (SAP) in Pennsylvania. These school-based and school-linked programs address barriers to learning for youth at risk for social and emotional problems, drug and alcohol use and abuse, and depression. Second year evaluation focused on identifying essential components…

The Texas "Families First" project was started to accomplish the following: (1) strengthen the capacity of local family literacy projects to design, support, and administer high quality programs by leveraging resources from several agencies in the state; and (2) finalize the indicators of program quality (IPQs) in early childhood…

Discusses the elementary school counselor's role in providing affective education to special needs students. Explores the need for special education courses in counselor training. Results of a national survey indicated only two states required a course in special education for counselor certification. Suggests recommendations for updating…

This article describes a reading improvement program operating in elementary schools near Copenhagen. Students take an annual reading test. The classroom teacher and the reading specialist review class scores to identify special-needs students and to plan reading program changes. General reading progress has been improved by this method. (SJL)

Describes strategic planning model as means of dealing with social and economic factors affecting camp programs. Details model's five steps: organizing for planning, situation analysis, determining strategic issues, developing plan outline, and implementation and evaluation. Recommends planning process of six months to one year. (TES)

Describes how hypermedia technology is being used in content methods courses in Vanderbilt University's elementary teacher education program to achieve improvements in preservice teacher education. Evaluation data indicate that use of video examples in the mathematics methods courses influenced the way preservice teachers taught mathematics.…

High-quality care is essential to the optimal development of young children. While many children attend childcare away from the home for an average of six hours per day, the environment is not necessarily of the highest quality. An assessment of the indoor and outdoor space, curriculum and activities, teacher and child interactions, materials,…

This article introduces the issue of articles on research assessments and rankings. It focuses on the British Research Assessment Exercises (RAEs) and New Zealand's Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF). It contrasts these with systems that are not tied to funding formulas and emphasise quality enhancement rather than quality assurance. It…

Could the labour market gender balance be improved by introducing new types of apprenticeship-trained workers? This article investigates what happened in the wake of the Norwegian VET programme for health and social care, a new approach introduced via the 1994 educational reform. By upgrading this traditionally female-dominated area of education,…

This document, which highlights the efforts of the National Institute for Literacy to pilot the development of state literacy accountability systems in four states, outlines the components, operation, and importance of state accountability systems and discusses considerations in developing a systems approach to planning and implementing a quality…

This interview guide can be used to determine whether a workplace literacy provider has the skills to develop and deliver a successful workplace literacy program that will meet the needs of a business and build the productive capacity of its employees. It can be used to assess the capabilities of a wide variety of literacy providers, including…

This report discusses the accomplishments and limitations of the Nine-Site Program Improvement initiative, a 3-year venture in which federal contractors provided technical assistance to schools. The contractors, Chapter 1 Technical Assistance Centers (TACs) and Rural Technical Assistance Centers (RTACs) received about $60,000 per year for their…

Describing the evaluation and planning process at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, this document presents guidelines, procedures, and indicators used at the college for the systematic review of academic departmental effectiveness. First, the five-column program review model used at the college is outlined and the purposes of review are…

This document is designed to provide enough information for technical colleges and similar institutions to conduct their own focus visits. A focus visit is defined as a full-day activity that takes place on the campus during which a team of 10-25 individuals (program faculty, former and current students, technical college staff, advisory committee…