The first meetings with a family, including the first Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) meeting, set the tone for the family's emerging relationship with early intervention professionals. The IFSP meeting and document are a vehicle for parents and professionals to partner together to target outcomes that are meaningful to the family and to…

Many children in the foster care system are at great risk of academic difficulties and school failure. The purpose of this study was to bring together individuals within the foster care system to discuss the challenges to obtaining an appropriate education for foster youths and how best to provide the supports and structures needed for educational…

The attractiveness of computer-based tests (CBTs) is due largely to their capability to expand the ways we conduct testing. A relatively unexplored application, however, is actively using the computer to reduce construct-irrelevant variance while a test is being administered. This investigation introduces the effort-monitoring CBT, in which the…

Criminal justice programs at community colleges have often been used to subsidize other programs and often have only one full-time faculty member. To examine issues confronting programs with only one full-time faculty member, surveys were conducted of faculty in one-person programs at 11 community colleges in New Jersey. Completed questionnaires…

The Mississippi Community College Fellowship Program (MCCFP), a project of the Department of Educational Leadership at Mississippi State University, is designed to assist in the identification, development, and training of the state's future community college leaders. Two participants are nominated by each of the 16 public community college…

The Model Career Option Program (MCOP), mandated in 1988 by the Louisiana Legislature, provided funds to pay superior teachers additional salaries for performing a variety of additional services. There were three option categories for teachers in the 1991-92 school years: (1) mentor or peer consultant; (2) supplemental teacher; and (3) staff or…

This publication contains 46 papers on self-study and improvement in institutions of higher education, particularly those institutions associated with the North Central Association of Colleges. The papers are grouped under six topic headings. The two papers in Chapter I, "Seeking Initial Affiliation with the Commission," describe…

This paper provides a transcript of a videotaped roundtable discussion on illiteracy among young people (aged 16-30) in Canada. The discussion centered mainly on French-speaking Canadians and school dropouts. Panelists declared that the present adult literacy education system focuses on adults and that young people cannot fit into that system.…

In response to findings in a 1994 accountability report, and specifically data related to student retention, colleges in the Illinois Community College System were asked to report on local initiatives to track and improve retention. In describing their retention initiatives, 30 colleges specifically mentioned assessment and placement activities,…

A study examined structures, processes, and practices of assessing competence in nursing and midwifery education programs in Britain. The methodology included documentation, interviews, and observations. Most interviewees were clear about the shortcomings of traditional assessment. In a satisfactory partnership, all the partners made a significant…

The decline in Federal funding for state-provided social services during the 1980s triggered a transformation in the states' roles in family policymaking. This booklet documents four state initiatives designed to bring about systems change: (1) Healthy Start (California); (2) the Governor's Families and Children Initiative (Colorado); (3) the…

This booklet reflects the past 10 year's thoughts and experiences and presents the current debate concerning multicultural early childhood education, as experienced by the Lady Gowrie Child Centre, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The booklet describes how the center experienced the satisfying process of change and growth with such a program…

This book reviews the effectiveness of job training programs in the United States, concentrating on the most recent and most sophisticated evaluations. Chapter 1 identifies seven differences between education and job training. Chapter 2 describes the types of job training programs that are examined. Chapter 3 outlines the preferred methodology in…

This publication describes the accreditation process for day care centers in Australia and illustrates how the process is being managed in three child care centers in inner city, rural, and suburban areas. Guiding the process is the Quality Improvement and Accreditation System (QIAS), developed by the National Childcare Accreditation Council,…

Prepared as Book Two of a focused evaluation report submitted to the North Central Association (NCA), this document describes the characteristics and activities of New Mexico State University's two-year branch campus at Carlsbad (NMSU-C) that fulfill the NCA's general institutional requirements and five criteria for accreditation. First,…