Of 1,700 homeless in Orange County, Florida, 40 percent are families. In 1988, a coalition of 34 agencies formed to address this challenge. A school district task force composed of community members, university student tutors, and key players from transportation services, pupil assignment, health services, Chapter 1, extended day, exceptional…

A study of transition coordinators (n=39) to determine how state departments of education were addressing policy issues related to the transition mandate in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act revealed that coordinators are facing three major challenges: (1) productive interagency collaboration; (2) assisting local agencies in…

Policy issues of the future workplace are expansion of resources, enhanced collaboration among service providers, role of the private sector, a holistic view of families and communities, and rigorous evaluation to strengthen policymaking. (SK)

Born out of a 1981 murder, Buffalo (New York) Public Schools' EPIC (Effective Parenting Information for Children) program successfully combines parenting, effective teaching, and community programs to help family and school life support each other. Under EPIC, teachers are advised to help students acquire 23 skills involving self-esteem, rules,…

Presents some findings of a national study on effective linkages between job training and local economic development and focuses on the processes used by two communities and their community colleges to link organizations, resources, and efforts in planning for proactive long-term economic development and occupational training. (Author)

Extension educators can increase the effectiveness of resource management programs for low income groups by (1) realizing that what works for middle income consumers may not necessarily work with other groups; (2) combining resources of service and educational agencies; and (3) mobilizing volunteers to multiply outreach efforts. (SK)

This article examines factors influencing the provision of high-quality services to individuals who are deaf-blind. Various definitions of this population and the unique challenges in serving them are addressed, as are transitional services, gaps in services, the importance of interagency collaboration, and components of a successful service…

This paper discusses the importance of interagency coordination in developing services for young children with handicaps and their families. It suggests strategies to improve the functioning of interagency coordinating councils by considering council membership, role definition, goal commitment, vision of the early intervention system, and use of…

Interagency collaboration to serve youngsters' needs should be comprehensive, preventive, child-centered, and flexible. Streamlining collaboration involves mapping the territory, surveying the field, reviewing current needs and services, developing a plan, and getting started. Pitfalls include talking without acting, creating an interagency czar…

Examines the benefits and the limitations of educational reform literature as applied to implementing collaborative services. A practical, research-based strategy for developing collaborative relationships includes getting started, developing a community collaborative council, identifying a shared vision and goals, conducting a needs assessment,…

California Senate Bill 620, "Healthy Start," was sponsored by Governor Pete Wilson as the centerpiece of his prevention-focused initiative for children. The program involves schools in community partnerships to restructure children's services. The first projects were funded in 1991-92 with a $20 million appropriation. Key concepts and…

This article considers ways for schools and community-based youth organizations to build on each other's strengths, respond explicitly to youthful realities, and incorporate the attributes of learning environments found most effective. Over the past decade, CBOs have been creating and maintaining institutions that are highly educational and keenly…

State efforts to produce coordinated employment and training programs are complicated by lack of clear lines of command and complexity of intergovernmental policies. Leadership, acceptance of the legitimacy of multiple programs, and degree of coordination effort are essential for successful coordination. (SK)

Discusses the implications of evidence on the connections between social and economic deprivation and special educational needs in a British context. Focuses on several recent government reports which detail evidence of the association between poverty and low educational attainment and urges schools to work with other agencies to address the…

In 1994, a multiagency service team, consisting of state and federal agencies, colleges, private consultants, and nonprofit organizations, was formed to coordinate delivery of technical assistance services to small manufacturers in Maine's wood products industry. Results were generally positive but showed the need to carefully match assistance…