Care Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRISs) have advanced and matured, a number of states and localities have undertaken evaluations to validate the systems. Such efforts stem from the desire to ensure that the system is designed and operating in the ways envisioned when the system was established. Given that a central component in a QRIS…

Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) is a competency-based approach to intervening with adolescents, particularly within the schools, who are experiencing emotional pain, psychological distress, or behavioral disruption in their personal lives. LSCI is used to help classroom teachers, guidance counselors, administrators, and other school staff to…

The second edition of this essential handbook provides a comprehensive, updated overview of the science that informs best practices for the implementation of response to intervention (RTI) processes within Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to facilitate the academic success of all students. The volume includes insights from leading scholars…

K12 Inc. enrolls more public school students than any other private education management organization in the U.S. Much has been written about K12 Inc. (referred to in this report simply as "K12") by financial analysts and investigative journalists because it is a large, publicly traded company and is the dominant player in the operation…

Describes a two-year (1983-1985) systems study of the human services provided adolescents aged 10-17 and their families in one rural Pennsylvania community. Describes teacher/student survey, human services utilization survey, case reviews, and development of community-based advocacy plan. Discusses study's impact on local human services network…

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…

Describes an interview between a retired assistant superintendent in a Pennsylvania school district and a Pennsylvania Department of Education student services advisor. Discusses changing role of counselors, weaknesses in school guidance programs, challenges to counselors, and threats from litigation. (FC)

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…

TECHNIQUES OF PROGRAMING WHICH ALLOW FOR A MORE SYSTEMATIC METHOD OF RELATING THE DIFFICULTY OF A FRAME TO THE ABILITY OF THE LEARNER WERE DEVELOPED AND EVALUATED IN FOUR SEPARATE STUDIES. EXPERIMENT ONE TESTED THE HYPOTHESIS THAT ACHIEVEMENT IS A FUNCTION OF THE INTERACTION OF THE ABILITY OF THE LEARNER AND THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION CONTAINED IN…

To assess the merit of vocational education programs receiving federal funds, and to identify existing problems, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare ordered the review of programs in four states: California, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Contained in this document are the findings, conclusions, and recommendations resulting from…

This report contains the second year evaluation of the Student Assistance Program (SAP) in Pennsylvania. These school-based and school-linked programs address barriers to learning for youth at risk for social and emotional problems, drug and alcohol use and abuse, and depression. Second year evaluation focused on identifying essential components…

Highlights of the findings of eleven program evaluation and planning committees within the division of special education in Pennsylvania and options in the future implementation of each program area are summarized. The committee had the following purposes: (1) to revise the structure of long range and short range planning within the division of…

This study explores the effects of Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) training on school personnel and the students they serve. The goal of the study was to evaluate how LSCI was being used by staff and whether interventions reduced school-wide disciplinary referrals. Results showed that LSCI was used frequently by trained school personnel from…

An evaluation of four experimental programs designed to stimulate participation of agricultural and rural leaders in public affairs assessed the effectiveness of leadership training on young men and women in California, Michigan, Montana, and Pennsylvania. Varying from two to three years in length, the programs emphasized the analysis of major…

With the existence of 67 monographs and approximately 60 practitioners trained in action research in the western and central parts of Pennsylvania from project years 1995-98, the 1998-99 Section 353 project expanded the action research network (ARN) to include teachers, administrators, and researchers in the northeastern and southeastern parts of…