This guide, volume four of a six-part series, describes several community-outreach methods and provides practical outreach suggestions that are based on experience, as well as typical problems and the ways practitioners have chosen to resolve them. The guide is divided into three parts. Part 1 focuses on recruitment. Specific topics cover ways of…

Twelve corporate and political leaders met at a forum to discuss educational reform, particularly education for disadvantaged populations and corporate involvement in such reform. Participants opened by discussing issues surrounding on-site child care, during which participants considered the need for these services and the demography of current…

Twenty of America's foremost leaders from business, education, and government met to develop a strategy for assisting the country's disadvantaged children and to send an action plan to President Bush for consideration at his education summit. The meeting's goal was to format active and practical models for the following basic ideas developed at an…

This report highlights selected states' attempts to meet the requirements of the 1990 amendments to the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (SMHAA), which lays the groundwork for assuring that homeless children and youth have access to and success in schools. A homeless child's success story and an issue that impacts a state's ability to…

Demographic changes are causing leaders in education, business and civic affairs to address new questions about racial and ethnic diversity. What opportunities does diversity provide? What difficulties does it create? What changes are needed in the ways that people look at problems, define solutions and do the everyday business of their lives? The…

States use many high-stakes assessments to make decisions about individuals. These tests may be criticized by those who believe that their purpose or application is discriminatory. Because litigation is time consuming and costly, it is advantageous for states to plan assessments carefully to maximize legal defensibility. This handbook is designed…

Civil rights issues affecting the Latino community in Washington (District of Columbia) were explored in a 3-day fact-finding hearing involving the sworn testimony of more than 100 witnesses. Information from extensive field investigation and research was also included. The District's Latino population is a small but rapidly increasing minority…

Jersey City State College (New Jersey) developed a local evaluation model to assess all salient aspects of the institution's basic skills program. The college's Academic Foundations Program was implemented to address the needs of urban educationally disadvantaged students. It includes faculty and staff development and research, freshman course…

This bulletin examines some questions that arise when children are not ready for promotion: Should they be retained? Who decides? Are there alternatives to retention? What is the effect of retention on the student? Despite research limitations, those who examine the studies on grade repetition say they show that grade retention does not have a…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates special education and related services to be delivered in the least restrictive environment to preschoolers with disabilities. The act also mandates that educators and administrators find appropriate educational placements for children who are entitled to receive a free public…

This study examined the factors contributing to the early school adjustment of children at risk of school failure from preschool enrollment to fourth grade. A longitudinal model that used data on 1,255 low-income, minority children was tested in an effort to bring about an improved understanding of the factors that influence a wide range of early…

An evaluation of the New Opportunities for Women (NOW) program in Western Australia was undertaken. Questionnaires were mailed to a stratified random sample of NOW enrollees. Responses were received from 308 women, a 45.7 percent response rate. Findings included the following: 81 percent of NOW students went on either to paid employment or further…

The Alternative Youth Employment Strategies (AYES) Project began as one of the demonstration projects funded under the Youth Employment and Demonstration Project Act in 1980. The program, which features three training models, is targeted toward high-risk, disadvantaged youth, especially minority youths from urban areas who had prior involvement…

A literature review examined the extent to which public funds for adult basic education and the guidelines under which funding is granted are meeting the needs of the target population as delineated by law. Research was limited to adult basic education programs funded by Federal and state monies and operated through the public school systems of…

The Children's Art Carnival (CAC) Creative Reading Program, a community arts and educational organization, combines instruction in reading with art activities. Operating in sites in Manhattan and Queens, New York, the program served 294 second to sixth grade students during the 1986-1987 school year. Students who scored poorly on the Degrees of…