A conference in Washington, D.C., brought together leaders from six communities to share their strategies to mobilize residents to fight substance abuse problems. The actions taken by community groups and leaders in the following cities are described: Portland (Oregon); Hampton (Virginia); Baltimore (Maryland); New Haven (Connecticut); Newark (New…

Primary prevention strategies (prevention at the community level) for disadvantaged populations are discussed. A number of factors in Canadian society have placed additional stress on many poor and working class families. These include issues of housing, unemployment, lack of education, and social changes with adverse effects on the disadvantaged.…

The results of a performance review of educational programs for youth in residential commitment facilities are presented including background, methodology, and findings. Most juvenile justice students enter residential programs performing below their grade level in reading and math but improve by at least one grade level during their stay.…

Cost-effectiveness analysis and cost-benefit analysis are two related yet distinct methods to help decision makers choose the best course of action from among competing alternatives. For both types of analysis, costs are computed similarly. Costs may be reduced to present value amounts for multi-year programs, and parameters may be altered to show…

This report reviews the background of the Instructional Systems Design (ISD) model (used to develop training for Naval personnel), identifies problems in the ISD process and in its management and implementation, and recommends methods of ISD improvement. The ISD model is described as a process originally developed to remind instructional…

The author finds that students who have not previously mastered arithmetic skills do not benefit from an individualized review course. He describes such a course and presents four case studies in support of his position. (SD)

Community education is a learning program dedicated to fulfilling the unmet needs of all individuals in a community by offering learning opportunities throughout the day and year and by using many of the resources of the community. (Editor)

Alcoholism is a growing problem in America today. Children are becoming addicted to chemicals at a much younger age. Those children who have alcoholic parents and/or grandparents are more susceptible to addiction because of hereditary factors. Children of alcoholic parents live amidst conflict and confusion. Because of this conflict and confusion,…

This study describes and evaluates an experimental program for reducing tardiness in a rural junior high school. The subject school housed approximately 1,500 seventh- and eighth-grade students. Under the "Lock Out Program," first-time tardy students were given a one-day work detail in the cafeteria for 15 minutes of their lunch period.…

This report on a study of the first year of implementation of the Portland Reading Recovery Program assesses the current status of the program in terms of program planning, teacher outcomes, student outcomes, and parent involvement. Following preliminary data about the 91 first graders and their teachers who were involved in the program, the…

The communicative approach to second language instruction has gained disproportionate publicity in the language teaching profession through the Communicative Teaching Project in Bangalore, India. Because of a series of articles and books and presentations at conferences advertising the project's alleged innovativeness and effectiveness, it has…

Home based family centered (HBFC) service programs have been developed as alternatives to out-of-home placement. These programs have reported relatively high service success rates at costs signficantly lower than foster home and institutional care while, at the same time, avoiding the social and psychological risks of out-of-home placement.…

The Child Support Enforcement Amendments of 1984 require that every state not qualifying for a waiver appoint a commission to look at the success of the state's child support enforcement program in securing support and parental involvement for all children needing such services, whether they were eligible for public assistance or not. This…

This discussion traces the legislative, fiscal, and programmatic history of Project Follow Through and analyzes the many problems and controversies that have surrounded it. It is argued that problems have been largely a result of the attempt to combine research and development (R & D) and social action service programs. Lessons learned as a…

The New Jersey State Department of Health, Gerontology Program, awarded grants to 32 adult day care centers statewide for the provision of specialized service for victims of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders and their caregivers. The primary goals of the programs were to reduce caregiver burden through providing social supports and to…