Employee assistance programs (EAP) are evaluated in questionnaire responses from 73 of 109 (67 percent) Canadian school boards and 35 (50 percent) of the clients of the EAP in London, Ontario. Explores the nature of current programs and emerging trends in this field. (MLF)

Discusses evaluation procedures for public libraries. Topics addressed include accountability; cooperation among libraries; economic factors; evaluation options, including the use of staff and/or consultants; problems uncovered; and factors to consider when deciding to keep or discard materials, including community needs, circulation statistics,…

When seeking to maintain autonomy, universities must be aware of three temptations: politicization, through both involvement in external political conflicts and imposing political orthodoxy internally; diversion of faculty energy from teaching and research toward excessive external consulting; and emphasis on commercial activity for its own sake…

While evaluation of higher education in different countries shares many features, it is subject to range of interpretations and operational procedures. This variation is evident in the use made of external experts, the role played by various stakeholders, and the scope and level of evaluation. Pilot assessment projects in Europe are noted, and the…

A study of leading state-level policy actors in Florida's higher education identified a hierarchy of power and influence. Policy elites were legislators and key legislative staff consultants, the university system chancellor, and the state board of regents. Least influential in policy formation were faculty and student interest groups and…

We have set out to investigate an approach to improve patients' ability to self-manage chronic illness. For effective health care in chronic disease, we believe patients need to work in partnership with their doctor; patient-centred consultations are one way to achieve this. This report describes our experience of training specialists in…

Despite mandates for Head Start programs to provide mental health services to families and children, considerable variability remains in the level and type of services provided by mental health consultants. A qualitative study was conducted to explore staff perceptions about the role of mental health consult- ants and, in particular; the ways in…

French farms have to adapt quickly in an economic and social context that is in profound change. For this, advice procedures must themselves be reconsidered. The aim of this work was to characterize the advice practices in beef-cattle systems in Creuse and define farmers' and advisers' requirements according to future methods of providing advice.…

"On the day we heard that there was agreement to establish an upper secondary school in the region, every house in Snaefellsnes flew the Icelandic flag," explained one parent in the first workshop to develop the Snaefellsnes Upper Secondary School. The new school in this rural Icelandic region will be a "meeting place to learn"…

This article describes a type of intervention with parents that attempts to stimulate and encourage empathic imagination in relation to their child's difficult behaviour. Some barriers to this process are explored in the context of wider cultural influences, particularly as they pertain to the USA. Basic cultural assumptions about children, their…

People are often driven to become "independent" as part of the desire to go out on their own. Independent evaluation consultants, however, frequently collaborate with others on evaluation projects. This chapter explores such collaborative relationships from both sides: those leading evaluations with subcontracted consultants and those who work as…

This unique resource provides a comprehensive review of current knowledge about phonological awareness, together with practical guidance for helping preschoolers to adolescents acquire needed skills. Up-to-date findings are synthesized on the development of phonological awareness; its role in literacy learning; and how it can be enhanced in…

Dual or multiple relationships may be one of the most controversial of all issues in counseling. The nature of these kinds of relationships, the current thinking on the topic, and the diversity of opinions and perspectives touching this issue are explored in this book. The introduction provides an overview of dual relationships, followed by…

This paper describes efforts to improve education in a poor rural Mississippi school district that failed to meet minimum state educational standards. Part of the Mississippi Delta, the county school district is rural and agricultural, contains no large towns or cities, and is characterized by declining population and pervasive poverty. African…

The roles and responsibilities of the emerging position of "inclusion specialist" were studied through a review of the literature, analysis of job descriptions and other documents, classroom observations, and interviews with relevant personnel. The literature review briefly examines the historical background of special education reform…