The standards and accountability movement of the last decade has resulted in the collection of more assessment data about students than ever before. Often, the results from high-stakes tests have been used merely to grade and rank schools and students. A new trend, however, has emerged where school leaders see the power of using these same…

The Fort Bend Independent School District (a large, growing school district in Sugar Land, Texas) elected to become a Reading Recovery Teacher Training site and faced many decisions regarding effective implementation, including campus (school) selection. They began slowly with only two campuses the first year, added four to five the second year,…

To directly address the state of Washington's concerns regarding student alcohol and other drug use, in 1989 the state Legislature passed the Omnibus Alcohol and Controlled Substances Act (ESSHB 1793). One part of this act called for the creation of a school-based alcohol and other dug abuse prevention and early intervention program. The Office of…

The Cognitive Enrichment Network Educational Model (COGNET) is a comprehensive elementary school approach to assist children in becoming effective, independent, life-long learners, by using mediated learning to address each child's personal and cultural characteristics and social milieu. This paper describes the COGNET approach for nurturing…

Conducted study to assess nature and extent of alcohol consumption by college students and to make recommendation about university responses to alcohol use and abuse on campus. Students (n=247) completed questionnaires assessing various alcohol-related issues. Results were used to guide in planning and implementation of alcohol education,…

This article argues that current models of intervention for infants and toddlers with disabilities suffer from conflicting research results and practical implementation problems and discusses alternative approaches, including the need for comprehensive needs assessment, protocols for matching services with needs, interagency system changes, and a…

The Autism Program at Camarillo State Hospital and Developmental Center (California) has implemented "deinstitutionalization" within a large facility by providing effective and appropriate treatment based on individual needs. This paper describes the design of treatment services, quality assurance mechanisms, medical care (including…

This paper identifies four key issues in the implementation of Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) to provide services to young handicapped children as required by Public Law 99-457. These include sensitivity to cultural diversity, family assessment, intrusiveness, and establishing family outcomes. A typology of family outcomes which…

The article describes Louisiana's approach to implementing Individualized Family Service Plans, including four model formats developed by early intervention service providers and families of young children with disabilities. Formats differ in the way the required elements are expressed, allowing application to the unique characteristics of…

A family-focused intervention model was implemented with 16 families having young children (birth to 3 years) with moderate or severe disabilities. Individualized Family Service Plans were formulated and implemented, resulting in high levels of parental satisfaction, accelerated rates of progress by the children, and acquisition of functional…

A coordinated school health program has numerous mutually reinforcing components: a healthy environment; comprehensive health education; physical education; health services; counseling, psychological, and social services; nutrition services; staff health promotion; and family and community involvement. Program implementation steps are outlined. A…

Describes a culturally congruent intervention in which Afrocentric concepts are applied in single-session counseling for African American drug users. Called the Engagement Project, the intervention attempts to engage clients in a psychosocial process conducive to recovery. The client, counselor, and a former drug user (peer) see a video and…

Describes organizational change procedures used to promote acceptability of a prereferral intervention program. Presents evaluation data concerning the program's acceptability to team members and participating teachers, integrity of consultative process, and effect on number of children referred to special education. Discusses implications for…

An escalated curriculum and higher standards are leaving some high-school students even further behind. Even with superior instruction, some students are not chronologically, developmentally, or academically ready to succeed in a particular grade. Principals must identify which students need an additional year of schooling and provide feasible…

Solution-focused intervention deviates from using negative labels (angry, aggressive, or shy) to describe misbehaving students, and reframes behavior descriptions more positively. Four steps (goal setting, looking for exceptions, visualizing a new life story, and practicing the desired behaviors) are vital to facilitating positive behavior…