In October 1994, legislation established a requirement that Public Health Services (PHS) programs spend at least 0.2% of appropriated funds on program evaluation. Legislative changes are a result of a study of the use of PHS set-aside funds from 1988 through 1992. They are intended to encourage more and better evaluation. (SLD)

This review of literature on Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) focuses on EAP delivery options. More than half of the 48 studies reviewed used a case study approach. EAPs provided by on-staff professionals were the most frequently discussed delivery option, although this is not the most dominant form of EAP provision. (SLD)

Assessment can assist key steps in the development of effective school improvement planning (SIP) programs. The article refers to an SIP Action Guide, highlighting four occasions during use of the Action Guide when assessment processes are key (assessment within action plans and assessment to identify strengths, concerns, and possible causes). (SM)

Telephone surveys of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention employees investigated the impact of an agencywide smoking policy that initially restricted, then banned, smoking. Nearly all of the employees and 56 percent of the smokers supported the policy. One quarter of the smokers reported increased interest in quitting following policy…

Evaluates an approach that supplemented existing Reading Recovery programs with small-group, early literacy instruction in 28 Arkansas public schools. The program enabled many children to receive timely support. When space became available in Reading Recovery, these children made accelerated progress and were discontinued earlier than children who…

Project Participate has developed and implemented a model for making decisions about interventions that enhance the ability of a preschool child with severe motor disabilities to actively participate in educational programs. The effectiveness of the process in increasing child participation in play, communication, social interaction, and mobility…

Reviews research literature concerning the rates of participation in and the effectiveness of instructional development programs in community colleges. Considers methodologies and findings, and concludes that the most effective methods (e.g., microteaching, minigrants, consultants) respect teachers' desire to be experts in specialized disciplinary…

Includes "Outdoor Training: Revolution or Fad?" (Wagner, Baldwin, Roland); "Getting the Most out of Outdoor Training" (Buller, Cragun, McEvoy); and "Outdoor Training Companies" (a directory of more than 100 firms). (JOW)

Issues in documenting the efficacy of consultation services in speech-language pathology are considered. These include documenting remediation and prevention outcomes, collateral changes in service delivery, changes in consultee self-efficacy attitudes, changes in consultee problem-solving skills, and changes in referral patterns. Differences…

Summarizes literature on early childhood (EC) program evaluation, presents an overview of the national standards addressing quality in EC programs, and presents the results of a survey of the evaluation practices of 18 model EC programs. Found that the programs' evaluation procedures were varied, well-developed, open-ended, and process-orientated.…

Caring for Parent Caregivers, an Australian support program to empower parents of children with intellectual disabilities and thereby strengthen family resources, was evaluated using quantitative and qualitative procedures. Program participants displayed less emotional distress than control group subjects; outcomes were positive for both mothers…

An evaluation of the Student Transition Education and Employment Program found that it reduces recidivism rates for previously incarcerated youth and is cost effective. Program objectives were to deliver a more effective after-care service, enable youth to obtain a high school diploma, and allow participants to give something back to the…

Ways in which multilevel modeling techniques can broaden the kinds of questions asked in multisite evaluations are illustrated through the example of the Transition Mathematics Program for secondary schools. These techniques provide a means of moving beyond estimating effects to investigating how differences across sites relate to differences in…

Responses from 298 students, 119 institutions, 369 faculty, and 85 businesses identified the following characteristics of quality in industrial technology programs: (1) reputable relationship with industry; (2) effective teachers; (3) state-of-the-art facilities; and (4) opportunities for cooperative education, internships, or professional…

Analysis of responses (n=3,535) to a survey concerning Nigeria's 53 vocational centers found that the proportion of persons attending such centers is small compared to potential beneficiaries, that small centers provide more effective rehabilitation services than large, and that special equipment and facilities are inadequate. (JDD)