Educational Assessment is at the cornerstone of education in the 1990s. Advocates for alternative assessment believe that the new tasks should be redesigned to more closely resemble real learning tasks. Portfolio assessment encourages an integration between assessment and instruction and results in several positive educational outcomes. Portfolios…

Children in Sub-Saharan Africa face the greatest challenges to healthy development of any region in the world. This report presents reviews of 11 Early Childhood Development programs, studied to define financial and institutional conditions necessary to sustain early intervention efforts. Interviews and existing documentation from governmental and…

This report presents a framework to help educators improve teacher training in family involvement. Information comes from the Harvard Family Research Project, which documented the nature and scope of preservice education in family involvement. Researchers reviewed state teacher certification requirements, surveyed courses and requirements at…

This report discusses the activities of the Caring for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities: New Roles for Physicians Outreach Project (CFIT Outreach), a program designed to increase physician participation in the early intervention system through replication of a proven model of inservice training. The model, which provides continuing medical…

This article reviews recent ground-breaking research studies that can provide guidance for policymakers and practitioners interested in improving literacy in the United States. Each section provides a brief analysis of major research findings, followed by a series of recommendations. These issues are identified: the close relationship between…

This document consists of ten issues (covering January through December 2000) of the Newsletter, "Community Update," containing articles on community and family involvement in education. Article topics include: grants to improve local schools in the 21st century; the Telephone Pioneers of America; learning resources on the World Wide…

This report highlights three of the programs funded through the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative in Pinellas County, Florida. These programs are: (1) Think First, an anger management program for high school students; (2) Families and Schools Together (FAST), a parenting program for parents of at-risk elementary students; and (3) On-Campus…

This report contains findings from a descriptive study of the characteristics, services, and outcomes of consumers who achieved a supported employment (SE) outcome after exiting Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services. Data were obtained through case file abstraction, consumer interviews, and an extended service provider interview of 259 SE…

This resource guide lists materials that could be used for early childhood/early intervention training. Resources are provided for the following areas: (1) assistive technology (6 resources); (2) cultural diversity (36 resources); (3) early care and development (36 resources); (4) evaluation/assessment (17 resources); (5) family-professional…

Part of a series designed to provide practical resources on topics essential to the process of preparing individuals with disabilities for adulthood, this manual focuses on family involvement in transition planning and implementation. Chapter 1, "Overview and Introduction," discusses the history of family involvement in education, and the…

Selecting and using effective instructional strategies is a challenge facing those involved with preservice teacher education. Two instructional strategies with emerging empirical support include WebQuests and Case Method Instruction; however, both have limitations. This study examined the effects of using a CaseQuest--a hybrid of WebQuests and…

Conjoint Behavioral Consultation (CBC) is discussed as an emerging and effective model of home-school collaboration and shared problem solving. A case study is presented to demonstrate how practitioners can use CBC to deliver high quality consultation and intervention services to students, teachers, and parents in a real world setting. An…

Family literature circles are literacy events that provide children with the opportunity to talk about a book in whatever language they choose at home prior to discussing it in English as required at school. These discussions help to create a context for language acquisition in the child's first and second language. While state law restricts one's…

Researchers and policymakers have pointed to the lagging scores of eighth graders on international, national, and state assessments as evidence that students are not prepared to meet high academic standards and that middle grades reform is needed. In response to these concerns, educators have introduced reforms designed to provide middle-level…

This book presents 11 author-contributed papers covering the theory and practice of effective assessment and instruction of African American students with exceptionalities, including both disabilities and giftedness. Emphasis is on effective delivery of empowering services to African American youth and their families. The first seven papers have…