The processes and effects of state performance audits of postsecondary academic programs are illustrated by case studies in Wisconsin and Virginia. Main problems are: the difficulty of establishing legislative intent; lack of appropriate performance indicators, measures, and standards, and issues of timeliness and impact. (MLW)

Reviews the current community college literature by author group, focusing on the writings of faculty, researchers, state agencies, national associations, university professors, and journalists. Examines the ability of the literature to critically evaluate the meaning and purpose of the community college as a social institution. Calls for a more…

Recommendations to the Virginia Department of Education to promote more opportunities for preschool integration were elicited from 9 early childhood special education (ECSE) staff, 10 ECSE educators, 8 special education administrators, and 5 parents. Recommendations included the provision of written information, staff development, financial…

A recent report of the British Mental Health Foundation identified key issues in service provision for children with learning disabilities and severe challenging behavior. Recommendations addressed issues such as definitions of challenging behavior, early intervention, implications for educational services, residential education, and…

Discusses historic significance of kinship care in preserving African American families, development of kinship care and family preservation programs, and importance of the natural relationship between the two. Presents findings on states' use of kinship care in plans for the Family Preservation and Support Services Act, and explores whether they…

In an effort to manage change at Bennington College (Vermont) in the face of financial problems, its trustees engaged in an institutional symposium for a year and a half and issued a report addressing some significant questions in liberal education, including pressures for political correctness, the relativity of truth, individual responsibility,…

Introduces recent trends in international development cooperation. Argues that applying these trends to information and communications technologies (ICTs) would make them more effective, empowering, and efficient. Presents current strategies of the International Institute for Communication and Development to illustrate applications of these…

A study explored the types of services that 40 schools for students with visual impairments provided to students in local education agencies, the extent of collaboration, and perceived changes to improve the process. Most schools continue to serve a dual role as residential/day schools and as outreach service providers. (Contains 8 references.)…

The federal government has emerged recently as a central funding source for schools and colleges to develop educational technology resources, providing funding to build an infrastructure to integrate technology with traditional curricula. Such funding has increased steadily during the Clinton Administration. Programs originate in a number of…

Fitchburg (Massachusetts) State College, surrounded by rapidly expanding African American, Asian, and Hispanic populations, was awarded a 1990 federal Student Literacy Corps grant to initiate a Literacy Corps Program. The program created and fostered literacy opportunities for area children, adolescents, and adults and helped participants develop…

A federal appeals court has upheld an amendment to California's constitution that bars government agencies from granting preferences based on gender or race. The California Civil Rights Initiative, or Proposition 209, was found not to violate the Equal Protection Clause. If the ruling is not reversed, public colleges and universities will be…

Criticizes recent attempts to redefine the forced education of American Indians as a triumph of Indian coping strategies and adjustment. While admitting that the process was more complex and symbiotic than earlier models suggested, still maintains that the U.S. government exerted more control than did the Indians. (MJP)

Complex community health promotion programs are being held accountable for their effectiveness, but rural public health departments lack staff and expertise to carry out evaluations. In Kentucky, a university evaluation expert trains local public health staff in technical skills for program evaluation and provides ongoing mentoring and technical…

This article reports on DISCOVERY, a conceptual model for a clinical system of early detection and early intervention in cases of autism that has been implemented in Yokohama, Japan. Longitudinal data from 49 children who participated in a program during 1987-1990 indicate 32 were still being followed in 1999. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

A series of four consultative meetings between the Local Education Authority of Derbyshire, England and voluntary organizations representing various disabilities is described. Major issues which emerged during discussions included resources, the role of special schools in integration, the 1981 Education Act and Multi-professional Assessment, and…