This report examines the effectiveness of elementary school-based family literacy programs and describes the first year evaluation of a middle-school-based family literacy program in Baltimore, Maryland. In section one it reviews the literature on adult education and early childhood intervention and proposes a hypothesis of the broad pathways by…

In 1996, Kansas launched the nation's most sweeping attempt to radically transform the child welfare system by implementing a privatized form of managed care. Four years later, the child welfare system shows signs of instability and seems very much in transition. This report examines the current status of the child welfare system in Kansas and…

The Free to Grow pilot project, developed by the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and its Head Start project, operated between 1994 and 1999. Following a 2-year planning and development stage, 5 project sites went on to complete the 3-year implementation phase in California, Colorado, Kentucky, New York, and Puerto Rico; the…

Noting that the need for basic skills education among the current labor force cannot be easily met by vocational training alone, this booklet presents the case for family literacy education to improve the skills of unemployed workers and describes the work of the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL). Family literacy is defined as having four…

This document consists of the three 1999 issues of The Bernard van Leer Foundation's "Early Childhood Matters." This periodical, addressed to practitioners in the field of early childhood education, evolved from an in-house publication directed to projects funded by the Bernard van Leer Foundation. Articles in the February 1999 edition…

Describes a reading program that features systematic instruction in comprehension that has been developed for Polynesian and Hawaiian children identified as educationally high risk. (AEA)

During 1977-78, Ventura Unified School District (California) provided special education services to more than 785 Indian students. Elementary level offered special activities in speech therapy, reading and language instruction, cultural enrichment, and academic testing. Secondary level featured career and counseling support and a continuing…

Describes the development and operation of the associate degree program conducted by South Georgia College at the Georgia State Prison, a large maximum security prison, and compares it with a similar program conducted by Tallahassee Community College at the Federal Correction Institution in Florida, a small minimum security prison. (JP)

Pediatric residents from Children's Hospital National Medical Center in the District of Columbia rotate through Holy Cross Hospital in Maryland to experience pediatrics at the community level. A structured rotation in pediatricians' offices is part of the resident training program. (JMD)

A variety of consortial arrangements in higher education are discussed noting advantages such as savings realized through the cooperative efforts, enrichment of academic programs, improved student services and community outreach, as well as obstacles (organizational, procedural, and cultural). Success factors identified include presence of…

In a Canadian program, adult volunteer mentors meet with elementary student mentees for an hour each week during school. An evaluation of five such school-based mentoring programs found that mentored students developed a more positive attitude towards school, achieved higher grades, and improved relationships with adults and peers. Mentors report…

Discusses four educational methods designed to deal with the risk of kindergarten failure. Methods include increased provision of prekindergarten programs; adoption of a later school entrance age; a developmental placement system; and a continuous progress plan with multi-age groupings. (BB)

A nationwide network of clinics to educate health care providers about clinical aspects of sexually transmitted diseases has succeeded and led to development of a 13-clinic network for training in the clinical, epidemiological, psychological, and social aspects of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), drawing on the earlier clinic…

Describes the Crosswalk program in Spokane, Washington, which provides teenage street mothers with housing, day care, and the opportunity to attend school. Discusses the development of the program, and describes the cases of several typical teenage mothers in the program. (MDM)

A joint cholesterol research venture between a University of Massachusetts medical center and a health maintenance organization, the Fallon Healthcare System, is described, focusing on issues arising from the two institutions' differing priorities and perspectives concerning health care and research. While such a collaborative arrangement can hold…