A discussion of family literacy projects focuses on alternatives to traditional methods of program evaluation. In the first chapter, the distinction between standardized and alternative assessments is clarified and the special evaluation needs of family literacy projects are highlighted. The remainder of the handbook is intended to help program…

For the Webster Avenue Family Resource Center (WAFRC) in Rochester (New York), growth and diversity marked 1989, with a total of 615 persons (up from 512 in 1988) from 273 families participating in over 12,000 hours of service. There was a related growth in space and staff. Diversity was enhanced through the following means: (1) development and…

This paper describes a project designed to facilitate and evaluate child and family mental health in the community, inside and outside of Head Start programs. Also detailed is a study of the effects of "Community Impact" programs and 6-week, focused, group interventions for children and families in programs predicted to increase…

This report documents the planning and development of Families First, an early intervention program to be implemented in Marin City, California. The program has been designed to integrate and coordinate the provision of a wide range of services to families of children from the third trimester of pregnancy to the age of 8 years who live in a…

This monograph is based on experiences of the national Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) and describes a plan for developing and implementing community based systems of care for children and adolescents with serious emotional disorders and their families. It draws on examples from state mental health plans to illustrate planning…

This report details the evaluation of Target 2000, a South Carolina parent education program that involves parent and literacy training as well as social services for children and parents, and that is intended to increase parents' effectiveness as the primary teachers of their preschool children. The evaluation process described was shaped by the…

This handbook discusses the following types of parent involvement in education: (1) decision-making; (2) parents as educators; (3) advocacy; (4) school support; and (5) parent education and support. The benefits of parent involvement are outlined. Examples from New York City's 1987-88 Parent Involvement Program (PIP) demonstrate that parent…

This final report provides an evaluation of the Family Matters program, an experimental program building on family strengths and local resources which was offered for an average of 24 months to 160 families in 10 Syracuse (New York) neighborhoods. Chapter 1 provides a conceptual overview and program description. Chapter 2 describes the research…

Focusing on program development and evaluation, this document presents the summative evaluation of the community development component of the Mountain-Plains Career Education Model IV, a residential, family-based education program developed to improve the economic potential and lifestyle of selected student families in a six-state area. The report…

This document contains the report of the preliminary analysis of data collected during site visits to Head Start centers conducted in the fall of 1980 as part of the Child And Family Mental Health (CFMH) Evaluation Project. The report is limited to data from two of the three components of the evaluation project -- the process component and the…

Successful coordination of social service agencies, aimed at serving eligible families with children from the prenatal period to age 8, has been the focus of the Child and Family Resource Program (CFRP) in Salem, Oregon, one of 11 sites in this Head Start affiliated program. The Salem program also includes an infant-toddler program emphasizing…

Migrant farm workers were the primary target of the Child and Family Resource Program (CFRP) in Modesto, California, one of 11 sites in this Head Start affiliated program. The CFRP focused on an infant day care center operation providing day care service to families working in the agricultural fields. This report describes and evaluates: (1) the…

This document is the final report of the study of impact on parents of the Parent Child Centers (PCC) which are administered through Head Start, Office of Child Development (OCD). Designed for families whose incomes fall below the federally established poverty levels, the Parent-Child Center program focuses upon meeting the needs of children from…

A model program was developed and implemented by the Tucson Unified School District in Arizona to establish a family-school partnership to improve the educational achievement of at-risk preschool students. Program participants included 411 at-risk students, 405 families, and 25 staff members. The program, entitled Families First, provided…

This final report describes the objectives, activities and outcomes of a federally funded project designed to develop a model for fostering emerging literacy and language skills in young children with disabilities. The model promotes the belief that literacy is one of the primary avenues by which an individual gains access to full community…