This follow-up study of a special demonstration project (Oregon, 1973) evaluates the placement of children in foster care by exploring the stability and quality of placements. The project included 509 children who were under 12 years of age, unlikely to return home, and adoptable. The following questions were investigated: (1) How does the…

In 1973 the Children's Services Division (Oregon State) initiated a project to reduce the backlog of children in indeterminate status by developing more Permanent alternative placements. This follow-up study evaluates the placements of foster children who returned to their parents, were adopted, or remained in foster care. A literature review…

Two methods (generic or specific) of assessing competency based teacher performance were compared in three studies with 158 special and regular teachers. Two classroom observation instruments - one designed to measure generic teaching competencies at all levels and across all subjects, the other developed for special education teachers only - were…

There is plentiful discussion about the importance of accountability, but much needs to be done to translate it into a manageable and credible system of ongoing feedback. In this book, evaluative inquiry is used in a way that balances attention between the investigation process and its purpose. The book is divided into three parts. Following an…

This article discusses health fraud in special education. Psychopathology of health fraud, standards by which pseudoscience and quackery are defined, and the complexities of learning disorders are considered. A scale to determine whether an alternative therapy is reasonable is presented. Several popular therapies are used as examples. (Author/PB)

PEECH (Programing for Early Education of Children with Handicaps) is a center-based program combining child-initiated and teacher-directed activities for children with mild to moderate disabilities, ages 3-5. Results of an evaluative study at the demonstration site and replication sites revealed participants' improvement in receptive and…

This paper provides a review of "Applied Economics," a curriculum package developed by Junior Achievement, Inc. (Colorado Springs, Colorado). The materials are used in high schools across the nation and provide students an opportunity to study economics, learn about the U.S. free enterprise system, and explore their roles as citizens,…

This information package offers guidelines on conducting program evaluations to improve services. Though the examples relate specifically to respite care services for families of individuals with disabilities, the information is more generally applicable. In the first of four factsheets, titled "Local Program Evaluation," the form of evaluation…

This report provides background information on the nation's first family day care accreditation system, a system established by the city of San Antonio in 1985. Program components, including workshops, home visits, and validation, are described. Information concerning a 1988 incentive and recruitment campaign that was funded by Mervyn's…

Designed to accompany the Project CONSTRUCT Validation Survey, this booklet begins with an overview that presents answers to commonly asked questions about the project, a process-oriented curriculum and assessment framework for working with children aged three to seven. The remainder of the booklet is divided into three sections which correspond…

Three studies identifying the characteristics of program submittals approved by the Joint Dissemintion Review Panel were examined. Between 1978-1985, 358 demonstration programs were submitted. For each of these years, between 51 percent and 83 percent of the submittals were approved. In this study, the submittals were reviewed on the basis of the…

Section 20-2-250 of Georgia's Quality Basic Education (QBE) Act, passed in March, 1985, provides for three types of innovative activities: developmental projects, training center/dissemination projects, and adoption projects. This part of the Act is administered by the Georgia Department of Education under the Innovation Program. The activities…

Based on a state-of-the-art analysis of Army training, this report was the initial step in an effort to systematically improve the training in the combat arms and ultimately the entire Army. This study found that a comprehensive set of procedures was needed to provide for the development of effective training and for assessment of the training's…

This report, the second of three prepared for the Massachusetts Department of Education, focuses on a formative evaluation which identifies descrepancies between innovative Title IV-C educational programs as planned and as the programs operated. Contents are organized in five main chapters each of which represents a different perspective but all…

The State of New York Education Department requires that school districts submit applications demonstrating their efforts to provide remedial instruction to all students in need. The program plans reported in the applications should reflect unified procedures for needs assessment, evaluation, and data analysis. The reporting procedure should…