The document consists of a 125-item evaluation instrument for use in assessing the overall plan and quality of programs in the area of serious emotional disturbance (SED) or behavior disorders. Questions are organized according to the following nine categories (based on identified components of a well-designed SED program): (1) respondent and…

This guide to designing an effective second language instructional program in the public schools provides parents, community leaders, and school personnel with practical guidelines for reviewing current foreign language instructional programs and for introducing changes in the curriculum that are in line with the emphasis on communication. An…

Under the Teacher Education Center (TEC) Act in Florida, the state's universities, colleges and public school districts were placed into a collaborative working relationship. Using money allocated by the state, school districts can contract with one or more universities or colleges for the delivery of inservice. This paper illustrates strategies…

This paper discusses the effective restructuring of schools to accommodate at-risk children. Broadly, it addresses some issues of school structure and management for meeting the educational needs of this large and increasing group of students. Specifically, it defines and analyzes effectiveness within the accelerated schools model developed by…

Research in staff development and in teacher career development provides useful information so that staff development programs can be tailored to accommodate teachers' needs at different career stages. Findings of studies on staff development have identified characteristics of successful inservice programs. Collaboration between all participants…

Designed for use by elementary school principals, this guide contains suggestions for (1) assessing the effectiveness of the school reading program, (2) determining the instructional needs of teachers and the reading skill needs of students, and (3) implementing specific strategies to effectively accomplish desired reading program improvements.…

The booklet reviews and illustrates program evaluation methods that can be used by providers of services to handicapped infants and their families. It distinguishes between outcome evaluations to determine the effectiveness of service programs and process evaluations to describe the actual activities of service programs and their relation to…

This annotated bibliography reviews 12 publications dealing with substitute teaching, including an article listing at least five ways principals can avoid problems with substitute teachers, a guidebook providing detailed advice for substitute teachers, an article suggesting community people with special knowledge be called in as an alternative to…

As part of the ongoing process of self-assessment begun with the 1973 Graduate Follow-up Study of the 1971 graduates and continued in 1978 with the 1976 graduates and in 1983 with the 1980 graduates, it was decided to conduct a survey of the 1983 seniors of the Mesa Public Schools during the spring of 1983. The data collected and analyzed at that…

This handbook is designed to help community-based organizations that provide adult education improve their program quality in order to better achieve results that matter. The target audience for this handbook includes administrators and other members of program improvement teams in community-based organizations that want to use Equipped for the…

A large and growing body of research supports the critical relationship between early childhood experiences and successful life-long outcomes. Assessing the readiness of children as they enter school is a high priority. This report describes findings from Year Two of the assessment of school readiness with a larger random sample of children…

At Santa Maria Middle School in southwest Phoenix, Arizona, teachers have decided to maintain their relationships with their students by looping through sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Here, they describe the results of the first three years of the program, discussing the development of their team's priorities and the strategies they embraced…

Encouraged by evidence linking quality early care/education programs and improved student outcomes, a variety of school readiness programs and initiatives have been created. This report reviews and synthesizes evaluation studies conducted on early childhood interventions, focusing on programs emphasizing a school readiness goal. The report…

A study compared student use of and satisfaction with the central advising office and departmental advising in a college of engineering by surveying 57 central office walk-in advisees and, by mail, 103 other advisees. No significant differences were found in advisor availability and concern, but more students used departmental faculty advisors.…

Educational needs and economic pressures are creating opportunities for colleges and universities to enter into partnerships with business. Through such partnerships, colleges can experience growth, corporations can improve efficient use of training and education dollars, and corporate employees can have a broader, more efficient learning…