Contributors to this collection examine how today's federal education programs work and show how, instead of working for school improvement, these programs have begun to function as obstacles to the efforts of reform-minded states and schools. The following essays are included: (1) "Overview: Thirty-Four Years of Dashed Hopes" (Chester…

This bulletin is designed as a how-to-do-it workbook and guide to help young people plan and implement crime prevention projects to make their communities safer and healthier by using a five-step Success Cycle. Some examples of programs around the country provide a starter list to show the sorts of programs young people can develop. A wide variety…

To directly address the state of Washington's concerns regarding student alcohol and other drug use, in 1989 the state Legislature passed the Omnibus Alcohol and Controlled Substances Act (ESSHB 1793). One part of this act called for the creation of a school-based alcohol and other dug abuse prevention and early intervention program. The Office of…

Ganado Primary School located on the Navajo Reservation--in its attempt to decrease absenteeism--has formulated and implemented an attendance improvement plan which has provided encouraging results show positive implications for its adaptation into similar programing in other schools. (ERB)

Describes an assessment procedure used by the American Institutes of Research in a management-oriented evaluation of the Women's Educational Equity Act Program (WEEAP). Also summarizes findings of the assessment and recommendations in the context of WEEAP's legislative mandate and equity issues. (GC)

An experimental Indian education program allows impoverished primary and secondary school students to earn money producing consumer goods as an adjunct to learning activities while in school. The program's organization and implementation strategy are described, and the social factors determining its success are examined. (AM)

In order to implement special education courses in high schools, the Massachusetts Department of Education, Division of Special Education, developed an inservice training program which utilized a peer-training approach. (CM)

Describes a successful school-wide reading program at one high school which sought to change students' attitudes toward reading. Discusses envisioning the program, promoting it, gathering momentum, and ensuring its continued success. (SR)

Data from 13 supported employment programs and 680 employees with developmental disabilities show little or no increase in wages or hours outcomes for people in jobs acquired in the late 1990s compared to the early 1990s. There are, however, improvements in the typical features of job acquisition, roles, and orientation. (Contains references.) (CR)

A practicum course for prospective teachers of the gifted was designed, implemented, and evaluated. The 209 teachers found the practicum teaching, observations of their teaching, and papers they wrote to be effective learning experiences. Observers' ratings of the teachers indicated that a majority performed well in the practicum. (Author/JDD)

A program was implemented in Oregon to screen infants at risk for hearing impairment, based on a birth certificate question concerning family history of hearing loss and subsequent parent notification of the need to have the infant's hearing tested. Preliminary results concerning efficacy of the program are reported. (JDD)

The Utah Elementary Integration Model places students with severe disabilities in neighborhood schools that provide supported integration in age-appropriate grade-level homerooms, peer-referenced and community-referenced curriculum, a transdisciplinary team approach, and data-based training in natural settings. Twenty-seven participants achieved…

The implementation of bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language programs in public schools was examined as part of a larger study on school district personnel's perceptions of change and roles played in change efforts within school systems. Results suggest a need for more sophisticated knowledge of program implementation techniques. (10…

Partial results of an evaluation of an alternative criminal-sentencing program indicate considerable disagreement among stakeholders over perceived program effectiveness. It is argued that these disagreements are not isolated events but are likely to be inherent in any program with the potential to change established systems within a complex…

A family-focused intervention model was implemented with 16 families having young children (birth to 3 years) with moderate or severe disabilities. Individualized Family Service Plans were formulated and implemented, resulting in high levels of parental satisfaction, accelerated rates of progress by the children, and acquisition of functional…