As states face increasing fiscal pressures, many are considering proposals to cut eligibility levels, eliminate outreach, and retract simplified enrollment procedures for children and families eligible for Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). This paper presents evidence on the importance of maintaining gains made in…

This annual performance report describes the activities and progress of the Colorado Part C early childhood special education program from July 1, 1997, through September 30, 1998. It includes information on: (1) the interagency agreements for providing services; (2) agencies involved in the provision of services and other supports in early…

This evaluation report contains information on the teacher professional development (Teacher Reading Academies) and the Accelerated Reading Instruction program. According to the report, the evaluation design utilized case study research, survey research, focus groups, and analysis of administrative data and student information in producing the…

This report is the third part of a policy research study of the counselor's role in Texas schools. It was conducted as a follow up on a key finding from a previous study, which led to the recommendation that counselors be relieved of extraneous duties in order to concentrate on guidance and counseling services to students. Case studies of 21…

This manual explains what graduated driver licensing (GDL) is and why the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration believes it is so important for every jurisdiction to take steps towards its implementation. Section I introduces the need by defining the teen driving problem: inexperience, risk-taking behavior and immaturity, and greater risk…

New Jersey GEAR UP has met, or nearly met, its recruitment and retention goals beginning in 1999-2000 and sustaining cohorts through 2003-2004. Student participants are members of low-income families and communities in four urban locations with high unemployment rates and high numbers of children living in poverty. The evaluator finds that New…

Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCOR), a National Science Foundation-funded program is in the third year of its five-year grants to scientists in five states. Program objectives, financial support (including cost-sharing by states), state programs resulting from EPSCOR, and EPSCOR achievements are discussed. (JN)

Massachusetts' Employment and Training (ET) Choices Program--a work-incentive demonstration--assumes that recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) would choose work over welfare if given genuine opportunities for economic improvement. Models for estimating caseload without the ET Program indicate that the program had only…

A survey of 27 states receiving federal supported employment grants was conducted. Results indicated that the number of participating individuals increased 157 percent during the 3-year study period; over 1,400 programs of supported employment were authorized by state agencies during this time; and the individual placement model remained the most…

Analyzes state performance incentive programs in California, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. Findings suggest that incentive programs vary in effectiveness, indicating that program design is critical to success, and that most of the programs do not have high monetary costs. (FMW)

Describes features of the federal-state Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) Program for teenage parents. JOBS Program strategies focus on teenage parent identification, financial incentives, enriched educational services, strong case management, networks with community agencies, and a commitment to responsibility by teenage parents.…

Describes the process used to evaluate the writing across the curriculum (WAC) program in the Minnesota Community College System, focusing on evaluation components (i.e., workshop surveys, faculty and student surveys, faculty interviews, student compositions, and subject experiments). Considers programmatic and evaluation coordination. Reviews…

Reports on an ongoing evaluation of the Vermont portfolio assessment program. Indicates that the positive news about the instructional effects of the assessment program are in contrast with the empirical findings about the quality of the data the program has yielded. (SLD)

In this article, the author takes a critical look at current assessment practices in social studies education, especially those at the state level. He defines some key assessment terms, then considers the major issues of statewide assessment, focusing on the reliability and validity of the means by which government agencies across the United…

Since 1988, the Association of California Community College Administrators (ACCCA) has sponsored a statewide mentor program intended to prepare junior-level administrators for senior positions and to create a more diverse pool from which future college leaders can be drawn. This article is an initial report of this program. As the report…