Social skills training has been recommended as an intervention for students having difficulty establishing meaningful social relationships with peers and teachers in school settings. Several meta-analyses of the relevant literature have shown weak to moderate effects, whereas other syntheses have shown somewhat larger effects. The meta-analyses…

The 1994-1995 study of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) Preschool Programs constitutes the fourth year of evaluation of the state-mandated preschool programs for at-risk 4-year-old children and 3- and 4-year-olds with disabilities. The report is divided into sections which discuss the methodology and the results (the bulk of the report) of…

This study examined the effect of using an outdoor nature investigation program on the ability of third-grade students to transfer knowledge. Specifically, the study determined whether the program enhanced students' ability to transfer declarative (facts and concepts), procedural (process skills), and schematic (experience) knowledge to a set of…

A study investigated the introduction of an experimental school-centered and neighborhood-oriented communication system in a small midwestern town. It was anticipated that normal parent-teacher-school communication would be enhanced by the electronic messaging potential of the system. Researchers observed the entire adoption process from the…

This paper examines how creative thinking techniques can be used to help rural educators provide effective transition programs and services to secondary students. Factors affecting transition in rural areas include a small, homogenous economic base; travel time and distance between job sites; lack of services and trained staff; the community role…

This report is based on a review of literature, statistical data, and a range of community-based programs for juvenile offenders, studied during the past 5 years by the National Governors' Association. The report provides an overview of innovative approaches to program design and coordination of services for delinquent youth. It describes several…

There is an increasing body of literature about runaway and homeless youth, but few studies have investigated what happens to the youth after they use Runaway and Homeless Youth Centers (RHYCs). This study examines the services available and the impact these services have on the youth. Data are analyzed from a survey mailed to all RHYCs operated…

A review of current research on workplace literacy programs reveals few programs reporting rigorous evaluations. Assessments are often limited to the completion of questionnaires, surveys of program participants, and anecdotal reports of effectiveness. Occasionally, a standardized reading test provides an indication of learner gains. Only a few…

The Evaluation System of the District of Columbia Public Schools has several purposes. It is designed to enable the school system to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and to identify characteristics of programs that seem to increase effectiveness. Also, it is designed to enable the schools to follow particular students over a period of years,…

The major purpose of Project CAUSE (Collaborative for Alabama Urban School Educators) as explained in section I of this report was to get educators in the Birmingham and Mobile school systems, in the Alabama State Department of Education, and in the Appalachia Educational Laboratory to (1) collaborate in identifying and solving problems; and (2)…

Program evaluation guidelines are drawn from experience evaluating residential child-care programs at the Starr Commonwealth Schools (Michigan). Delinquent and behaviorally disadvantaged youth participate in treatment based on the Psychoeducational Model (Brendtro and Ness), including full-time school, service learning projects, physical education…

Employment problems of black males remain substantial. The unemployment rate for black males is 2.3 times that of white males. Less than one-third of 16- 19-year-old black males were employed in 1988. The most important policies affecting the employment of black males are monetary and fiscal policies. No employment and training policies can come…

The School-Community Guidance Center (SCGC) program was established in November 1984 to serve high-risk Austin (Texas) Independent School District students removed from their home campuses for school disciplinary reasons, or by juvenile justice authorities for purposes of probation or judicial detention. Two project specialists are assigned to the…

A study was conducted to identify the factors that lead single parents and homemakers to choose nontraditional job training and the barriers they encounter in this effort. Data were collected from 14 sites in New Jersey through a mailed survey of 73 single parent/homemaker program clients and 10 program directors. The survey found that the…

This report on young adolescents 10 to l5 years old, who are on their own from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. discusses after-school programs, barriers to providing a broader array of programs, and strategies for decision making about after-school opportunities for latchkey children. Explored are the nature and extent of the problem, its multiple causes and…