This paper introduces the Connecticut Community Conversations project and discusses the origins of the partnership between Public Agenda and the Graustien Memorial Fund in Connecticut. It describes Public Agenda's model of community dialogue and engagement and how it was specifically applied in the project. It then looks closely at the experience…

Noting that the federal government spends more on Head Start than on any other early childhood education and care program, this report was requested by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions to describe how Head Start fits into the array of early childhood education and care programs available to low-income children and…

This working paper examines why Project Giant Step, a well-received policy initiative for universal preschool for 4-year-olds in New York City, was discontinued after overcoming many of the challenges it faced. Project Giant Step forced collaboration between large public agencies differing in their institutional structures, funding sources, and…

Talent Search projects identify and assist individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education. The program provides academic, career, and financial aid counseling to its participants and encourages them to graduate from high school and continue on to the postsecondary school of their choice. Talent…

Drawing on case studies of six urban community colleges, this report examines the community college mission with respect to economic and workforce development and describes model partnerships involving colleges, community-based organizations, government, and social service organizations to create pathways to employment for the urban poor.…

The Even Start program, designed to demonstrate ways of implementing and delivering family literacy services, has had strong evaluation requirements since its inception. An analysis was conducted to determine the types of evaluations programs had conducted and their findings concerning Even Start outcomes. A convenience sample of 4 state…

Many educators across the country have expressed interest in visiting a school district where there is an effective and comprehensive guidance program in place. One such program is presented here. The program is detailed in four sections, each with a chapter devoted to the district level, the elementary school level, the middle school level, and…

Noting that various types of evaluations of after-school programming conducted over the last several years have provided useful information to providers and to policymakers, this report summarizes the lessons learned from independent evaluations of after-school programs. The following overall findings are supported with a delineation of findings…

The theme of this issue of the quarterly journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) is the system of early childhood education in the United States, focusing on various challenges to making high-quality preschool education a reality for all children. The following articles are featured: (1) "Principles and…

This KIDS COUNT pamphlet is part of a 3-year campaign to bring business and child care together to increase the quality and availability of child care for at-risk children in West Virginia. The pamphlet reports on the components of quality child care and on West Virginia's early childhood initiative, Educare. Emphasizing the positive effects of…

In 1994, the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Services for Families with Infants and Toddlers set forth a vision for Early Head Start programs in declaring that all child care settings used by Early Head Start families, whether or not the program provides the care directly, must meet the high standards of quality embodied in the Head Start…

Discusses the engineering career guidance program developed at the University of Nebraska on the basis of results from freshman student surveys. Indicates that dissemination of positive'' aspects of engineering to the public is the first step toward completion of an effective program. (CC)

Describes elements of Sweden's child support system, such as provisions relating to eligibility, benefits, absent parent liability, enforcement and financing. Analyzes the role of child support in the broader context of other kinds of aid to single-parent families. Considers prospects for child support reform in the United States. (Author)

Describes Job Corps, an expensive residential program for employability training and renewal services, offered to disadvantaged American youth aged 16-22. Six principles (i.e., voluntary participation, open entry/open exit, individualization, accountability, comprehensiveness, and contractor competition) are the reasons for an employability record…

Identifies and elaborates several programs in British Columbia which have been designed to strengthen the family. The programs are evaluated to assess their impact on family health. Some forces in education which have affected the family-school partnership are also analyzed. (JAC)