This study used an ethnographic approach to evaluate the impact of the South Dakota Head Start/Public School Transition Demonstration Project on school climate and parent involvement, focusing on the impact of family service coordinators. The demonstration group was composed of children and families who received comprehensive Head Start-like…

Early intervention programs have been designed to improve the educational chances for at-risk or poor children who are more likely than middle class children to come from families lacking characteristics that contribute to children's educational success. This study used an ethnographic orientation to evaluate the impact of the South Dakota Head…

The educational processes for youth who participated in a county-run correctional facility for juvenile offenders were studied. The county's Leadership Academy, a 48-bed correctional treatment center where juveniles are placed when ordered into direct care, is designed to divert repeat male offenders from the state-run correctional system. The…

This policy brief examines states' experiences and data regarding implementation of the transition planning mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It reports on a study which investigated whether implementation of transition planning was associated with decreased dropout rates for youth with disabilities and whether the format…

This paper critiques current "school-to-work" practices in rural schools. A look at the rural context reveals that rural workers are more likely to be unemployed and are paid less than workers elsewhere, resulting in high rural poverty. In addition, many kinds of rural decline (in services, transportation, job availability) are tied to…

This report outlines the proceedings of a symposium held to discuss ways of strengthening linkages and transitions between pre-kindergarten programs and early elementary school. The 63 symposium participants included Head Start representatives, elementary school teachers and principals, state and federal department of education employees,…

This report examines efforts in Idaho to provide transition information and planning to secondary students with disabilities and their families. It offers an ideal profile of best transition practices. It then reports on a survey of 247 teachers, 170 principals, and 105 special education directors/superintendents in Idaho. The survey examined: (1)…

This guide gives youth with disabilities and their families an overview of some of the major elements of the transition planning process. It introduces families to the adult service system that will provide supports and services after high school. Each chapter is intended to encourage families to be proactive in the planning process. The workbook…

This book provides 12 papers on assessment, instruction, and policy making in special education and rehabilitation. Part I focuses on assessment, with the following papers: "A Theory of Human Behavior" (Ronald Eaves); "Describing the Cognitive Aspects of Intelligence" (David Sabatino and Hubert Vance); and "Critical Issues in the Diagnostic…

In October 1996, the Big Picture Company set out to find six urban high schools that use school-to-work strategies as a lever for whole-school reform. In the schools finally selected for the New Urban High Schools Project, and in others examined for the study, "school-to-work" is a misnomer, because the majority of students are entering…

This training manual is part of Project STEPS (Sequenced Transition to Education in the Public Schools) and focuses on training participants to develop a community wide transition system. It contains an overview of the STEPS model, a description of the training materials, overhead masters, a guide for trainers in presenting visual and handout…

The use of young children's art work in the assessment of reading readiness was studied through a qualitative research design. Subjects were 12 transitional-first-grade students from an elementary school, each of whom was treated as a case study. Artwork was collected from each child each month of the school year and reading levels were recorded.…

The report looks at programs and approaches for educating students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. It is intended as a guide for school and district decision-makers to help them identify instructional approaches and programs appropriate to their students' needs. Four program alternatives are discussed: newcomer programs;…

This report describes a 3-year project (1987-1990) implemented to assist migrant families and their children in transition to public school kindergarten and developmental kindergarten classes. The project served 30 children and 24 families in Ft. Pierce, Florida, approximately 75 percent of whom were Hispanic and 25 percent were Haitian. Goals…

Recent research indicates that problems in the transition from school to employment are frequent among students with learning disabilities, particularly those in rural areas. While a systematic approach to transition appears to be beneficial, the best method for implementing such an approach is still in question. One hundred seventeen special…