Community coalitions (CCs) have labored with some difficulty to demonstrate empirical evidence of effectiveness in preventing a wide range of adolescent problem behaviors. Training and technical assistance (TA) have been identified as important elements in promoting improved functioning of CCs. A reliable, valid, and inexpensive method to assess…

In 2006, more than 6 million individuals were victimized by violent crimes. Although violence is below levels of the early 1990s, it remains high. The extent of violence and its impact highlight a critical need to develop and implement effective programs to reduce violence and victimization. Communities have initiated a wide range of such…

Improving the quality of out-of-school time activities and creating effective learning environments is of keen interest to practitioners, funders and policymakers. Funded by The William Penn Foundation, "Quality Time After School" identifies characteristics of after-school activities that are linked to youth engagement and learning…

Intended to assist local school districts in meeting the requirements of the Pennsylvania Code, Title 22, Chapter 5, this publication provides guidelines which school districts can use to develop a flexible integrated K-12 school library media program supported by local school policies and operational procedures. Following a diagram showing the…

When a program with demonstrated effectiveness is expanded, knowing how it works and why it works the way it does is an indispensable first step in preserving its quality. This report draws on P/PV's experience with different programs to show how to define a model's essential elements to increase the chances of successful replication. It contains…

A 10-week course called "Communiclearsory" Training was developed to improve the written and oral communications skills of supervisors/foremen in the manufacturing trades. A total of 39 selected supervisors from 2 manufacturing industries in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, were assessed by using the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE)…

A project was conducted to provide staff development workshops about adults with learning problems to agencies throughout Pennsylvania. Workshops and accompanying guides on nine topics ranging from understanding learning differences, problems, and disabilities to alternative instructional techniques were developed. Workshops were conducted…

A project was conducted to prepare unemployed or underemployed adults to enter the work force by continuing and expanding an adult education and career enhancement program that embraces the National Education Goals and contains all the elements of a school-to-work model. Staff were recruited and trained, a curriculum integrating work-based and…

This publication presents the family literacy program performance standards for which all Pennsylvania family literacy programs (both Pennsylvania Adult Basic and Family Literacy Education Act 143 and Even Start) will be held accountable. It begins with an implementation plan that discusses the legislative background of the performance standards…

This document consists of abstracts of research and development activities of 29 studies completed in Pennsylvania during the period from January 1 to December 31, 1982. Included in the collection are abstracts of 21 masters theses and eight doctoral theses. Various topics pertaining to agricultural education are covered, including the…

This guide was developed during a demonstration project conducted in three diverse, multiethnic Western Pennsylvania communities to use older adult tutors as mentors to improve Head Start parents' literacy skills and ability to develop their children's literacy. The guide is intended to facilitate tutors' learning about family literacy and to give…

The Services for Transition to Independence through Education (STRIDE) project evaluated a model for providing comprehensive training and employment services to adults with mild handicaps, using existing vocational education classes and special needs support programs in a secondary vocational technical school in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Services…

Based on research studies of effective staff development and rural education, the Inservice Leadership Team (ILT) was designed to identify key teachers in school buildings, team them with principals and central office staff, and train the team to design, deliver, and evaluate staff development at the school level. Rural Pennsylvania school staff,…

Based on the experience of 130 local adult basic education (ABE) directors in Pennsylvania, this guide presents suggestions for recruiting the least educated adults into ABE programs. Following an introduction that defines ABE and examines whose responsibility ABE is, the guide is divided into 12 chapters. Each of the chapters develops one…

A project was undertaken to develop an inservice staff development program for vocational teachers working with disadvantaged students in local school districts in Pennsylvania. The focus of the inservice activity was on the improvement of instructional approaches such as individualized instruction, teaching and reteaching, small group…