Provides an overview of the health care reform context in order to explore the emerging role for psychologists in the delivery of health and mental health services to children in the school setting. Discusses current trends and introduces the articles that constitute the special theme issue on school psychology and health care. (JPS)

Describes a new analytical tool, data envelope analysis (DEA) model, which can provide better understanding of the efficiency of academic research libraries. Reports the results of a study using 1994-1995 Association of Research Libraries statistics together with expert judgments, in terms of constraints, to make the model more applicable to the…

Proposes that training paraprofessionals for routine reference desk service is an inexpensive way for libraries to allow professionals to address tasks such as long-range planning, policy making, and sophisticated information retrieval. Suggests that training should focus on specific questions that are likely to come up and on appropriate…

Describes the results of a study that examined the classroom dynamics in a K-12 technology-rich learning environment and also assessed the educational outcomes associated with intensive use of technology by teachers and students. Discusses changes in the teacher's role and whether this level of instructional technology is cost-effective. (LRW)

Details the research methodology for an evidence-based evaluation of a pilot long-term crime reduction program for at-risk 4- to 12-year-olds in England and Wales. Considers the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of intensive interagency cooperation to identify at-risk children so they and their families can be provided with consistent services…

Addresses the many hidden costs related to the purchase of an authoring program as well as the decision to bring multimedia development in-house. Examines the following concerns: programming skills needed for authoring; the learning curve cost; software and hardware costs associated with multimedia development; and media development cost. (AEF)

The drive for privatizing public education comes from two different movements: load-shedding and outsourcing. Districts hope to reduce perceived labor problems, avoid managing "uninteresting" services, save money, and/or buy quick-fix education reform. Privatization of charter schools is becoming big business, but its cost-effectiveness…

Argues that technological skills and self-efficacy with computers are as fundamental to education as are English, math, and science. Examines the debate over educational technology, concluding that researchers stressing the short-term learning outcomes and cost effectiveness of technology are overlooking its long-term consequences. (PEN)

Educational institutions that wish to implement a specialized teaching laboratory often have a variety of obstacles to overcome. Some of these obstacles are related to adapting existing classroom infrastructure, building the laboratory, and meeting the demands for multiple-use classrooms to maximize the return on investment. In some cases, such as…

Many school systems, in both the developed and developing world, are implementing educational technology to assist in student learning. However, there is no clear consensus on how to evaluate these new technologies. This paper proposes a comprehensive methodology for estimating the value of a new educational technology in three steps: benefit…

Various elementary schools and middle schools across the U.S. have purchased one or more mobile laboratories. Although the wireless labs have provided more classroom computing, teachers and technology aides still have mixed views about their cost-benefit ratio. This is because the proliferation of viruses and spyware has dramatically increased…

In this article, the authors compared student perceptions about distance learning (DL) across location, type of business course, and level of instruction. Results indicated that there were no differences in student perceptions based on type of course or level of instruction. Onsite students found the DL classroom more distracting than did remote…

Effective early childhood intervention and child care policies should be based on an understanding of the effects of child care quality and type on child well-being. This article describes methods for securing unbiased estimates of these effects from nonexperimental data. It focuses on longitudinal studies like the one developed by the National…

Since Jonathan Kozol's 1991 publication of "Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools," East St. Louis, Illinois, District 189 has endured unswerving criticism and study. While Kozol's work made publicly known the horrible conditions of schools in the district, it did not bring immediate relief. In 1994, the state appointed a…

This study aims to compare the cost-effectiveness of an online teacher training method with a face-to-face training method in teaching "ICT integration in the school curriculum". In addition, the study explores the possibilities of a school-based voluntary training method in supporting other approaches to ICT teacher training. The analyses of…