The Beginning with Books project distributed 1,000 free packets of children's books to disadvantaged families, and questionnaires showed favorable effects on literacy activities and family reading patterns. The program is now affiliated with the Pittsburgh public library, and a new literacy program is aimed at children in families of adults who…

A variety of uses of College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests has emerged, including rewarding high school seniors for competence in English and excellence in other subjects, college and university community outreach and public relations, encouraging college aspirations, student recruitment, and integration with freshman orientation. (MSE)

Profile of the Houston Public Library, which was established in 1904, covers the opening of a new central library building in 1976, library services and collections, the building of branch libraries including a portable mall facility, information and referral programs to ethnic groups and business, and development of library automated systems.…

Academic and student services officers from the largest 61 state university users of American College Testing (ACT) data systems were surveyed. The study revealed a high degree of role ambiguity and organizational resistance to enrollment management strategies. A need for clarity and coordination in organizational performance is demonstrated.…

Community service projects that are part of a religious studies program in a Catholic secondary girl's school in Canada are described. The experiential social education projects are intended to foster and nurture responsibility in students and to help them develop participatory skills. (RM)

In June 2002 the National Leadership Council (NLC) applied the knowledge and understanding gained from its yearlong seminar series on education to create a vision, guiding principles, and program goals to renew the National Park Service's commitment to its education mission. These, along with priority national action items, are presented in this…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of National TEEM Outreach, a 3-year project designed to support the inclusion of young children with disabilities in kindergarten and subsequent general education classrooms in 12 school districts located in 5 states. The project focused on disseminating and replicating the previously…

This study sought to identify factors that lead to successful educational partnerships between school staff and families. Parents of students in a Boston, Massachusetts K-5 school were interviewed about how and why they were involved in their children's education and what they believed were the factors that influenced their participation. Given…

Many members of the Hispanic community are separated from the larger community by language barriers and different cultures and belief systems. These factors can affect Hispanic Americans' ability to seek and gain access to the health care system. The Program To Address Sociocultural Barriers to Health Care in the Hispanic Community, known as…

For more than half a century the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) has served the West well. Organized formally in 1951 as an intentional collaboration between state governments in the West, and launching an embryonic program of activities in 1953, WICHE has continuously and effectively served one mission: to expand access…

The purpose of this study was to develop a description of the Gateway Grants Program, providing data on the activities that states and Gateway Grantees have undertaken in response to the Adult Education Act, as amended. Information was gathered through a survey of state officials administering the Gateway program and local directors of Gateway…

This publication documents the successes of a Mississippi Arts Commission program, entitled the "Artist Is In!". The program was created to provide arts experiences in rural and inner-city communities which have historically had little access to the arts. The program produced other benefits: spurred economic development and tourism; improved…

Working Connections is a program resulting from a partnership between the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the Microsoft Corporation. The program was designed to help increase the number of skilled information technology (IT) workers by providing focused training in IT careers. Since 1998, AACC and Microsoft have awarded cash…

This paper asserts that early childhood teachers need to consider the families with whom they work in order to select the most effective ways to involve them in their child's education. The paper presents strategies mentioned most often in interviews with teachers and families working in effective family involvement programs. Each strategy is…

The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in 1997 signaled a major increase in time, energy, creativity, and money devoted to enrolling eligible children in health insurance programs. Child advocates and others have focused on developing outreach and enrollment strategies to bring the benefits of these new SCHIP programs to children…