A pilot study tested an intervention to provide basic skills of touch therapy to parents of 13 children with disabilities. Post-intervention interviews indicated that both parents and children found touch therapy enjoyable. Parents felt more confident in their own abilities and felt closer to their child. Children had improved sleep patterns, more…

A pilot study evaluated the viability of trained co-workers (n=12) providing direct job training and support to 10 individuals with mental retardation. Employment outcomes for consumers with co-worker support were as good as for those with job coach support. Consumers also experienced high levels of involvement with co-workers. (Contains…

Inclusion-oriented schools should define their philosophy, form a committee, develop a written plan, provide early staff development, review children's individual needs, develop program modifications, and prepare parents and students. During the second year, schools should implement a pilot program, provide ongoing staff development, and evaluate…

Discusses linear, or systematic, instructional design and development, including a 15-step model. Topics include needs assessment; formative evaluation; performance objectives; instructional materials development; pilot testing; design alternatives that challenge linear instructional design, including constructivism, anchored instruction, and…

Describes an innovative values education program at a suburban New Jersey high school. The ABCD program's premise is that teachers and students must know themselves before they can benefit from a school's educational and teaching experiences. The pilot project, which emphasized self-awareness training, showed that ninth graders could understand…

Multirater or 360-degree feedback is a sampling technique that can be used at three levels: for developmental purposes, appraisal, and compensation. It was designed to be small-scale, personalized, and occasional. Implementation tips and pitfalls for districts are described. (MLH)

The authors explored the psychometric properties of the Correctional Treatment Resistance Scale. The Scale showed preliminary promise as a screening instrument that can be used in a variety of treatment settings. (Author)

Alberta, Canada, welcomed nearly 16,000 landed immigrants in 2003, of whom more than half came to the Calgary area. Approximately 200,000 immigrants of various ethnic and cultural groups now live in the region. Many of these new arrivals have no natural support networks while struggling with language, cultural, and economic barriers. Recognizing…

When students graduate from college, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) wants to make sure they hold the keys to economic success. And one of those keys, the CBCF says, should unlock the door to their own home. Toward this end, the foundation has embarked upon an initiative to help young people graduate from renters to homeowners.…

This article discusses the community-based vocational rehabilitation (CBVR) of persons with disabilities. In 1991, a pilot project was instituted by the International Labour Organisation and the United Nations Development Programme in conjunction with Oyo State Government in Nigeria. The aim was to facilitate the reintegration of persons with…

Data from 25 participants in the Family Assets for Independence in Minnesota (FAIM) project were used to identify factors that enabled these low-income wage-earning families to save money and build assets. FAIM, part of the Individual Development Account movement, is a pilot program for families with incomes [less than or equal to] 200% of poverty…

The NASPE STARS program is a national recognition program featuring three levels of excellence to recognize outstanding physical education programs in K-12 schools across America. The criteria for this award are based on the essential elements that are necessary for a quality physical education program, as defined by the published national…

This paper chronicles the process undertaken by one community college to analyze its Developmental Studies Program. A participant/observer faculty member involved in the college's assessment activities contemplated the institution's complex past, the challenging present, and the unfolding future. An interesting account explicating committee…

A decade after passage of the Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993, a pilot study at the University of Arizona examined the impact of one selective depository library's decision to select, whenever possible, Web-based government information instead of tangible formats such as print and microfiche. The…

Using the World Wide Web (hereinafter the "Web") has become an increasingly viable way to source information in academic writing. However, the Web is a fundamentally different type of resource from conventional sources such as books and journals. This paper argues that there is a need among learners for a heightened critical awareness of…