Describes efforts in Illinois to improve permanency outcomes for children in formal kinship care: the state developed Delegated Relative Authority (DRA) status for children in stable family foster care with relatives while maintaining state support in situations where adoption was unlikely. Presents findings from 1,116 feasibility assessments. (SD)

Reviews Michigan Kinship Project, a case management approach that is competency based and designed to assist child welfare staff members in working effectively with relatives as foster parents. Focuses on attention to culture, family participation and empowerment, systematic assessment, and individualized and comprehensive services. Provides case…

Data collected in the Federal District of Brazil were analyzed in terms of information transfer through mass media and interpersonal communication and how they influence farmers in the Federal District of Brazil in their decisions to adopt agricultural innovations. (42 references) (EAM)

Discussion of the impact of computers on education highlights the role that educational technologists can play as change agents. Topics discussed include models of the diffusion and adoption of innovations; computer interfaces; integrated software; teacher training; teachers' roles; and the use of magnet schools to demonstrate the effectiveness of…

Discusses the adoption of computer technology for use in education in developing countries. Topics discussed include criteria for technology adoption; costs; instructional effectiveness; cost effectiveness; the concept of computer literacy; meeting job market demands; educational improvement; computer education policies; hardware and software…

Discussion of self-efficacy as a predictor of acceptance of innovative practices focuses on a study of early childhood administrators in Illinois and their use of microcomputers for administrative and instructional purposes. Dependent and independent variables are described, including gender differences, attitudes about computer technology, and…

Considers the value and success of computer based marketing simulations from the standpoint of both instructors and participants. Distinctions are drawn between simulations and games; applications in higher education in the United Kingdom are described; future possibilities are suggested; and hidden costs in adopting new innovations are examined.…

One trend in educational and cognitive learning theory being adopted by designers of computer-aided learning (CAL) tools and expert systems is case-based reasoning, or the use of previous examples or cases to solve new problems. This article examines principles of this method, including guided exploration, memory aids, and partially self-directed…

This article addresses how community-university digital media literacy projects are redefining literacy, literate practices, and institutions. Using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), which emphasizes the organizing process itself, I analyze the shifting definitions of literacy within one particular university-community collaboration. My analysis…

This article provides an updated review and synthesis of the empirical literature of the determinants of business performance, and discusses directions for future research aimed at developing better theories and advancing knowledge of the specific influence of ethnic minorities on firm financial achievements. The review is intended to overcome the…

This paper analyzes principles of knowledge diffusion and provides a framework for applying new ideas or innovations, particularly in relation to rural community development. As new knowledge is created or old knowledge is found to have new applications, the art of spreading knowledge and managing innovation has become more crucial in both urban…

There are 3.2 million children in the United States living with their grandparents or other kin, a 40 percent increase since 1980. This exploding sociological trend with far-reaching implications for our future spans every segment of our society--rich and poor, black and white, Asian and Hispanic, urban and suburban. Based on interviews with…

This paper provides 1- to 6-page fact sheets on 15 programs administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families. Each fact sheet provides information on program services and funding. The fact sheets cover the following programs: Youth Gang Drug Prevention, Refugee Assistance, Runaway and…

Introducing children from kindergarten through junior high school to the joy and benefits of reading, this book examines children's literature and its treatment of important, sometimes controversial issues. Focusing on the personal and societal concerns of today's youth--including sexuality, divorce, heritage, abuse, and death--the book offers…

This paper reports on a study of the perceptions of 10 teachers as they sought to gain acceptance for curriculum practices considered to be child-responsive. The teachers worked with 5- and 6-year-old children in schools where some perceived their child-responsive practices as innovative, introducing practices which differed from those already…