This paper discusses the issues surrounding the transition from home or preschool to elementary school for children from low-income families, and examines the future direction of transition programs to help alleviate many of the difficulties that these families face. Noting that there are two venues for reform action, the curriculum and the family…

This guide provides background information and youth activities for youth leaders and classroom teachers interested in integrating waste management issues into current educational programming. Five parts suggest ideas for action that youth can take at home, in their group, or in the community to solve waste management problems. Part 1 introduces…

This document presents a follow-up report on a school-community partnership program developed and field tested by the Federal Way School District in Washington State from 1989 through 1993 and designed to focus on substance use intervention and prevention at Continuation and Contract-Based Education (CBE) High Schools. This report describes the…

This status report presents progress data concerning the Graduate Fellowship Program that was initiated in Washington State in 1987. The Washington State legislature enacted the Graduate Fellowship Trust Fund Program to strengthen partnerships between citizens and public four-year institutions. It does this by providing a matching grant program to…

This fundamentally encouraging book describes programs that offer young Black males from high-risk environments the same nurturing opportunities that other young people have to develop the competencies needed for adulthood. Chapters and their authors are (1) "Introduction" (Ronald B. Mincy); (2) "Adolescent Development"…

Developed to assist employers in implementing a company-sponsored, on-site workplace literacy program for their employees, this guide is the result of experiences gained by the Seattle-King County, Washington, Private Industry Council, its partner agencies, and participating local employers. The guide contains sections on the following stages in…

This paper presents an example of "optimistic research," a qualitative approach which focuses on positive interventions helpful to practitioners, in this case an examination of programs successfully integrating people with severe disabilities. The study evaluated 40 programs through site visits which focus on observation, interviews, and…

This information package compiles several resources for supporting children and teens with severe disabilities in integrated recreation/leisure activities. The package contains: (1) an overview article by Pam Walker titled "Supports for Children and Teens with Developmental Disabilities in Integrated Recreation/Leisure Activities," with…

This research project sought to identify, at a local community level, the needs and concerns of American Indians with disabilities. The selected target community was Denver, Colorado, and its surrounding metropolitan area. Data were collected through 100 face-to-face interviews with a volunteer population of American Indians with disabilities. The…

The report presents 10 brief issue papers that focus on improving Illinois state planning and administrative functions for the ultimate purpose of improving conditions for Illinois citizens with disabilities. Common themes include more active involvement of the disabled themselves and their families in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of…

The papers selected for this reader represent the broad range of "practice oriented" interests, problems, populations, and interventions found in both rural social work and at the Seventh National Institute. Section 1 contains four papers which deal with program development and community practice, i.e., planning social services in a…

Intended for community leaders (public and private) and also for correctional leaders, this resource guide outlines the design of a model community-operated program to provide comprehensive services for the employment and training of ex-offenders. An introduction provides historical perspective and discusses the relationship between crime and…

The National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges' Kellogg Commission notes the perception that "despite the resources and expertise available on our campuses, our institutions are not well organized to bring them to bear on local problems in a coherent way." This article suggests some organizational patterns and…

This report outlines the major rural development programs and initiatives of the Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies. Diverse economic realities make necessary differential rural development policies and programs. The federal budget deficit makes it necessary that the government use creative and efficient management techniques to…

This report presents findings from a national survey of secondary and postsecondary institutions offering vocational education that sought to determine state and local response to the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. The study involved qualitative case studies of state and local programs as well as a national survey of local vocational…