The Education Improvement Act of 1984 established the half-day child development program in South Carolina for 4- year-olds to help children who were most at risk for school failure get ready to learn before they entered the first grade. Students in the program met from 2 to 2.5 hours per day and used the High/Scope Preschool Curriculum. Each…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of the Carolina Model Inservice Training Project, a federally supported program in North Carolina to develop an effective and replicable inservice training model for assisting early intervention programs to apply a family-centered approach in their work with young children (birth to 8…

A language-focused curriculum emphasizes the development of language skills as a key to learning. The curriculum is designed to be appropriate for 3- to 5-year-olds, whether having difficulty acquiring language, developing language skills at a typical rate, or learning English as a second language. Intended to accompany the first volume's…

Two important topics in early literacy development in Slovakia are discussed in this paper: the conceptual framework for its stimulation by efficient preschool curriculum, and the continuity of formal elementary school education with respect to children's preceding developmental achievements. The paper discusses the ongoing research project…

This paper discusses three Federal programs related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): (1) Part H, the Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; (2) Section 619 of Part B, the Preschool Grants Program; and (3) under Part C, the Early Education Program for Children with Disabilities (EEPCD). An overview of each of…

Noting that one of the biggest challenges in the United States today is the increasing number of infants and toddlers younger than age 3 who are cared for by someone other than their parents during work hours, this issue of NCEDL Spotlights announces the publication of a book examining out-of-home care for infants and toddlers. The book is an…

This paper reviews the American Association on Mental Retardation's (AAMR's) presentation of issues surrounding the field of early intervention. AAMR's publications are the primary sources of information in the paper. Specific sections address: (1) the impact of public laws on the rights of children and families to a free and appropriate public…

The purpose of this report is to provide an initial set of indicators for the success of African American students in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, Public Schools (APS). The major data gathering activity was a survey of parents and students completed by 244 students and 251 parents. Parents and students presented a relatively positive picture of…

This paper, presented at a symposium on expanding the research base of systems of care for children's mental health, describes an ongoing study of school reform in urban settings and effects on youth with emotional and/or behavioral disabilities and their families. The paper presents information on the first 99 (out of an expected 200) youth and…

This publication introduces the concept of therapeutic recreation (TR), illustrating its natural fit into the educational process and its use with at-risk students, and providing resources for further use. Section 1 examines what places a child at risk, focusing on educational goals, student behaviors, and home life. Section 2 defines TR as a…

This brief explores the challenges of documenting dropout rates and ways to support students with disabilities so that they meet academic standards and graduate. It begins by discussing the high dropout rate for students with disabilities and the rise of standards-based reform and high-stakes tests. Characteristics of high-risk students are…

This document is comprised of a training package to help practitioners strengthen relationships with parents. Designed for use with direct service staff and their supervisors from various programs, the package can be used for group training or in individual training and supervision. The package has three components: (1) a 22-minute videotape with…

The Academic Assistance System (AAS) at Rio Hondo College in California is the early academic warning system that flags students in academic trouble. The AAS aims to assist these at-risk students through counseling, time management/study skills workshops, tutoring, and other programs. Students who received early warning letters and who responded…

The primary goal of this study was to assess the Community Awareness Motivation Partnership (C.A.M.P.) theater intervention based on the behavioral ecological model. C.A.M.P addresses the role of contraceptive use in safe sex behavior through an informative and entertaining culturally relevant dramatization program. Adolescents (N=1613) between…

The ability to read is critical for a child's future learning, and it opens the doors to social and economic advancement. Unfortunately, 17% to 20% of children in the United States encounter significant difficulties in learning to read. Although not all reading disabilities can be traced to obvious risk factors, such difficulties occur in…