The Foster Care Charter and the philosophy of the United Kingdom's National Foster Care Association are described. The philosophy distinguishes between "foster carers" and foster parents. (BC)

This section of the 1991 yearbook of the Association for Educational and Training Technology provides information on areas of interest, services, research activities, publications, and contacts for centers of activity in the United States, including universities and colleges (listed by state) and other organizations with an interest in education…

A study of the financial aid applications of 2,979 parents of college students and of 136 independent students filing both actual and estimated income data on the applications found that contrary to Department of Education assumptions, procedures for income verification established by individual colleges produce effective and efficient results.…

Annotated bibliography of publications by the Office of Technology Assessment includes its major publications since 1988 and major publications written about the agency since 1984. A description of the agency and its role as a provider of unbiased information to the U.S. Congress on technological issues introduces the bibliography. (four…

Teachers and administrators are not adequately prepared to address the range of children's social and psychological needs but must rely on parental and community assistance. Instead of merely referring students to social services and health departments, schools must become multiple-service brokers and forge broad community alliances to protect and…

This article describes the Summer Work Experience Program developed by 3 agencies in Dallas, Texas, for students (ages 14-18) with visual impairments. The article describes student training; expectations for employees; attitudes of students, parents, and employers; and problems encountered. (JDD)

Explains the North Central Association's Outcomes Accreditation (OA) alternative to traditional accreditation status. Reviews the Effective Schools and Outcome-Based Education (OBE) literature, and considers basic requirements for OA. Considers OBE compatible with OA. (DMM)

Reports on a study to determine whether there were particular recommendation categories that appeared in the North Central Association Commission on Schools' visiting team reports. Categories with most recommendations in all three states studied were related to facilities, staffing, curriculum development, equipment, and curriculum articulation.…

The primary purpose of state dental licensing boards is to protect the public, but clinical testing of dental graduates is not critical to this function and may even distract from it. Ensuring the continuing competence of practicing dentists is a more important focus for licensing agencies. (MSE)

Discusses issues related to the High Performance Computing and Communication program and National Research and Education Network (NREN) established by the High Performance Computing Act of 1991, including program management, specific program development, affecting policy decisions, access to the NREN, the Department of Education role, and…

Demographic changes, migration, and industrialization are having drastic effects on older adults in developing nations. Local programs such as Pro Vida in Colombia, supported by Help Age International, rely on the support of volunteers to improve the quality of life for elderly people. (SK)

This article describes a model project for promoting interagency collaboration at state and local levels to facilitate transitions of young special needs children and their families from infant/toddler programs to preschool programs. Project Sequenced Transition to Education in the Public Schools (STEPS) has four major components: interagency…

The breakdown of traditional families and increasing numbers of at-risk children have greatly increased need for building collaborative networks to reduce disabling risk factors. Building children's resilience involves reducing overall vulnerability, reducing impact of emotional stressors, increasing resources available to provide for interagency…

Describes the general characteristics of family support programs in North America. Summarizes the rationale for such programs. Describes an example of a support program, the family resource centers in Canada. Outlines such key planning considerations as the diversity of today's families, needs assessment, program variety, and cultural relevance.…

The Coimbra Early Intervention Project was undertaken in Portugal to develop the first coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency program involving health care, education, and social service, using existing resources in the community. The program now operates regionwide and supports more than 100 families and children with disabilities or at…