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…

The foster youth education program strives to increase graduation rates by improving academic performance and encouraging student retention through an innovative collaboration between tutors, social workers, and schools to provide individualized support. The pilot program was funded by U.S. Department of Education Innovation Funds, which evolving…

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in the U.S. Department of Education funded the National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII, or the Center) in 2011. NCII's mission during the first five years of funding was to build the capacity of local education agencies (LEAs) to support schools, practitioners, and other stakeholders in the…

Describes a staff development framework having four main components: a definition, a mapping sentence, a description of participant roles, and an evaluation perspective. Conditions are discussed for judging the worth of staff development activities, and examples of such activities are analyzed to show how the evaluation perspective is used in…

This paper documents the development of a mindfulness meditation component within a University Counseling Center setting. The specific focus is upon the inclusion of meditation as it pertains to both organizational structure and psychotherapy training. The integration of a meditation practice into any organization is a slow process that poses…

This project report presents findings on the implementation and progress of the On the Right Track program during the second year of a four-year grant period. The project, which began in July of 1997, is designed to assess and document the magnitude, severity, and secondary conditions of disabilities for persons with disabilities in Texas, to…

This paper reports on evaluation of a sex education program (the Bawnmore Personal Development Programme) and staff training for Irish individuals with mental handicap. Results indicate the need for attitude change among staff and administration toward sex education and a need for structural change in staffing arrangements to facilitate such…

Describes a conceptual framework that provides for the principal to be the "school leader" but not the "instructional leader." Defines the principal's primary duties as program planning, implementation, and evaluation. Discusses implications of framework on training and practice. (Author/NEC)

Examines the implementation and operation of Tri-County Technical College's developmental education program. Specific topics covered include the selection of program personnel, the development of a diagnostic testing component, articulation with other academic departments, and the compilation of progress reports which provide for continuous…

Evaluators usually assume that the data they receive are valid, or at least, that the data reflect that which is being evaluated. In a recent evaluation in a large southern school district, evaluators compared their raw interview notes with interview notes edited by the teachers interviewed or project staff. The program evaluated was Project SEED,…

This report provides a comprehensive description and discussion of 5 years of activities supported by the National Institute of Mental Health for the Personnel for Parent Development Program designed to train mental health, social service and educational professionals to deliver specific types of group parent training services. The report details…

A 3.5-year study of dropout prevention programs in New York City public schools shows that current programs have been effective in increasing professional and public awareness of the dropout problem and providing needed support to some students. However, the categorical approach of most programs is inadequate, providing special services to only a…

The evaluation plans for the Orange County Public Schools, Orlando, Florida, are summarized. Both instructional programs and support services are assessed, to determine the effectiveness of the programs as well as their value. Evaluations are planned and conducted by the Program Evaluation Section, using the Educational Planning and Resource…

A study was done of the degree to which a program of comprehensive training in shared decision-making was implemented in Chicago (Illinois) Public Schools. Focus was on reliably measuring the implementation of shared decision-making processes and principles and identifying factors that might promote the adoption of this model at the local level.…

The document provides guidelines for the education of gifted and talented students in Hawaii. Following an introduction which includes a brief historical overview of gifted and talented programs in Hawaii, the document addresses nine major topics (sample subtopics in parentheses): the nature of giftedness and talent (definitions, student…