Positive Behaviour Support is an applied behaviour analytic system of support that is utilised in schools and in residential care settings for children and adults with disabilities who engage in challenging behaviour. Implementation fidelity depends on appropriate staff training and organisational behaviour management. A systematic literature…

Nursing Assistants (NAs) are the largest workforce in nursing homes, but often lack adequate preparation for their role. The Living Classroom (LC) is an integrated learning approach, whereby a NA program is delivered in a nursing home (NH) in collaboration with a community college. This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of the LC.…

State and national organizations recently developed policies focused on increasing physical activity (PA) in afterschool programs (ASPs). These policies emphasize "activity friendly" environment characteristics that, when present, should lead to higher levels of PA and reduce the amount of time children spend sedentary during an ASP.…

With Washington trapped in budget battles and partisan gridlock, cities have emerged as the best source of government innovation. Nowhere is this more visible than in New York City. Since taking office in 2002, Mayor Bloomberg has introduced a steady stream of innovative policies, from a competition to recruit a new applied sciences campus and a…

Several recent studies have shown that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are less physically active than their typically developing peers and are thus at risk of health problems associated with inactivity (e.g., obesity or diabetes). There is a need to examine the effectiveness of interventions such as swimming that are aimed at…

Inner-city schools located in high poverty communities often operate with insufficient resources to meet the educational needs of students. Community residents serving as paraeducators offer the dual benefits of expanding instructional capacity and fostering family-school relationships, provided they are appropriately prepared and incorporated…

Research Findings: Research suggests that early care and education programs are most effective when they include strong components of family involvement. The Center for the Study of Social Policy recommended that early care and education programs build family-centered practices to strengthen families and reduce the incidence of child abuse and…

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a staff training-and-management package on nutritional practices in two community-based group homes serving adults with developmental disabilities. Food storage, menu development, and meal preparation were covered. All staff behaviors increased after training and were maintained for up to one year.…

Seventy mildly to severely mentally retarded adults living in group homes and apartments throughout Pennsylvania were evaluated with an instrument to assess adaptive behavior (Assessment of Basic Competence Scale) on two occasions separated by a 6-month interval. Prior to the initial assessment, direct-service staff participated in a 4-day…

Effects of inservice training and consultation with 33 staff members involved with 97 mildly to severely mentally retarded children and adults living in group homes and apartments throughout Pennsylvania were examined. Training focused on behavior management and group dynamic strategies for skill development and alteration of socially aversive…

This policy research brief summarizes three studies on training direct service personnel serving people with developmental disabilities, conducted at the Research and Training Center on Residential Services and Community Living, University of Minnesota. The studies provide information on competency-based training, effective training strategies,…

Summarizes the results of a needs assessment survey of 186 disability service coordinators of Head Start programs in one region. Three important challenges were identified: serving young children with emotional-behavior issues, working with families, and working with community institutions. Implications for staff training are discussed. (Author/CR)

The following papers are included: "Setting the Scene" (Brian Peace); "Different Training for Different Adult Educators?" (Michael Newman); "The Training of Part-Time Teachers in Adult Education: The UK Experience" (Brian Graham); "Adult Education Tutor Support" (Aileen Kelly); "Six Category…

Identified in this research report are variables acting as supports and constraints to the development of a school community relations program. Background information concerning the characteristics of the school studied and its administration is provided. Major influences on the development of a school community relations program in this…

An assessment was made of the staff structures of Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs, recommended staff backgrounds, current staff backgrounds, and staff development measures. Recommendations were made on how staff development could be improved. Data for the study were gathered through a survey of all state JTPA directors and a random…