The third-party evaluation, divided into six sections, begins with a history and background of the project. The three goals for elementary, junior high, and secondary education were: awareness, orientation and exploration, and job training and placement. In chapter 2, the evaluation of the elementary program (which included only fifth and sixth…

An evaluation of the College Aides Program in Baltimore, Maryland, public schools was prepared by an independent agency. This program, funded under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, offers low income college students the opportunity for full time study by providing part time jobs. Students from Morgan State College were…

This report encompasses the evaluation of vocational-technical education in four New Mexico post-secondary vocational-technical education schools. The first section provides an overview of the state and national settings within which these educational programs operate. A second section reports on the four schools individually, giving a collective…

Summarizes the University of Tennessee's teacher education improvement plan which included creation of the Institute for Teacher Education--a transdepartmental organization overseeing all teacher education functions. Discusses selection of students in teacher education, curriculum redesign, student teaching requirements, responsibility of faculty…

This article provides results about a high school's support for its peer mediation program and the effectiveness of that program. The four subject groups surveyed included faculty, students in eight home room classes, trained student mediators, and students who had used the program to resolve an interpersonal conflict. Individuals directly…

In response to recent state legislation, school districts in New York developed plans for universal prekindergarten (UPK) programs for the 1998-1999 academic year. Based on an analysis of the first year prekindergarten program plans for 63 upstate New York districts (with follow-up information on 29 districts) and 32 New York City districts, this…

Describes recent state initiatives to improve child care for Mississippi children. Efforts include development of a child care director's credential, on-site training through staff at mobile training vans, initiatives to heighten consumer awareness and help parents make informed choices, voter education projects, and free yearly conferences for…

A two-way bilingual program was developed for children in preschool through second grade. Observation identified gaps between the program that was planned and the one implemented; data indicated few differences in academic gains between the bilingual program and the English-only classrooms. Findings pose implications for how teacher-researcher…

It has become accepted wisdom that there is a shortage of leaders in the library profession. A number of leader and leadership development programs have emerged in Australia, Canada and the United States that attract interested participants, yet what is the core purpose of these programs? Do they work? Review of leadership programs reveals that…

This article aims to share experience from a Swedish project on the introduction and implementation of Open Educational Resources (OER) in higher education with both national and international perspectives. The project, "OER--resources for learning", was part of the National Library of Sweden Open Access initiative and aimed at exploring, raising…

Today, many higher educational institutions are forward thinking about promoting strategic initiatives by establishing partnerships with other universities nationally and internationally. Being financial and academically savvy, universities are reaching out to meet the demands of public interests in different types of college programs and…

Reading and understanding texts of all kinds form a basic competence for participating in social and cultural life and for being successful on a job. Although most European adolescents have adequate reading competences at their disposal by the end of school, about a quarter of them cannot meet the minimal standards. The urgency of this societal…

The evaluation examined issues related to: (1) Rationale and Relevance; (2) Implementation; and (3) Success. In addition, the interim evaluation was intended to: (1) Determine whether sufficient data was being collected to inform the summative evaluation and identify opportunities for improvement to fill any potential gaps; (2) Assess whether the…

In response to findings in a 1994 accountability report, and specifically data related to student retention, colleges in the Illinois Community College System were asked to report on local initiatives to track and improve retention. In describing their retention initiatives, 30 colleges specifically mentioned assessment and placement activities,…

The decline in Federal funding for state-provided social services during the 1980s triggered a transformation in the states' roles in family policymaking. This booklet documents four state initiatives designed to bring about systems change: (1) Healthy Start (California); (2) the Governor's Families and Children Initiative (Colorado); (3) the…