This handbook of family support and education programs profiles 73 programs that highlight an array of service arrangements under school sponsorship. The handbook asserts that no one factor makes or breaks a program and that all facets of program development contribute to the degree of success. (SLD)

Addresses research-based issues related to preparing teachers and other professionals to work with children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. Discussion includes an identification of basic personnel preparation questions to be addressed, components of an effective training program, steps for establishing program effectiveness, and…

Observes that students participate in a band program for a variety of reasons. Some students love music, some are involved in many different activities, others enjoy the performance aspect, and some simply want to socialize. Maintains that a successful band program needs to accommodate these various agendas. (MJP)

The author responds to Pinnell et al's (1996) call for caution in using cost-benefit analysis in measuring educational reform success. It is argued that reform already is being sold to state legislators and educators in cost-benefit terms and that research has been inappropriately used in the selling process. (GR)

Structural equation models reanalyzed data from the 1969 Westinghouse Head Start evaluation and extended the analysis to blacks and full-year programs. Results showed that the selection bias for summer program whites was absent for blacks and full-year program whites, and that Head Start helped the most disadvantaged children. (SLD)

A distance education program in mental health was delivered to 31 rural health professionals in Western Australia who dealt with mentally ill patients at the primary level. Evaluation on completion and 4 months postprogram indicated that participants learned mental health management regimes, developed mental health assessment skills, improved…

A graduate program component that assigned mentors to preservice special education teachers of students with severe disabilities is described. Characteristics of effective mentoring programs, the mentoring needs of preservice teachers of students with severe disabilities, and the mentorship program components are discussed. An evaluation of the…

A study evaluated the Schoolwide Early Language and Literacy (SWELL) program using four Australian disadvantaged schools. Two schools implemented the program in the kindergarten year, while the other two schools pursued regular kindergarten curriculum. Children in the program outperformed others on words read in context, but not on words read in…

The eight chapters of this theme issue use quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the nature and nurture of young participants in the mathematics Olympiad from five countries. Parallel studies are presented of winners from China, Taiwan, and the United States, along with descriptions of programs in Japan and Russia. (SLD)

This article examines how researchers can apply analytical and methodological tools traditionally used in health policy analysis to study the multiple levels of systems-of-care impacts for students with emotional and behavior disorders. Where possible, results from existing systems-of-care education studies illustrate how these analyses and…

The North Carolina Teacher Performance Appraisal System (TPAS) and a pilot career development program were studied via a survey of 1,998 teachers and 338 evaluators. Overall reaction to the TPAS and its evaluation instrument was positive, with teachers agreeing that the procedures for formative and summative evaluations are feasible. (SLD)

Outlines the practical marketing strategies used to implement Project Career REACH, a career development program for high school freshmen. Marketing basics for guidance programs are discussed, including mission analysis, market analysis, resource analysis, strategic planning, and evaluation. (TE)

Research in bilingual education remains underdeveloped, and despite 20 years of classroom experience, curricular and methodological refinements, and gains in student achievement, there is continued skepticism about its effectiveness. Contends there has been overreliance on simplistic and ill-designed evaluation research and urges instead basic…

This article reports the evaluation of a walk-in student advising system designed to meet students' needs for accessibility, advising, and close interaction with advisors. The walk-in advising system is reported to be well-used, and to address the need for both information and good student-advisor relationships. (TE)

An overview of the evaluation issues associated with contraceptive social marketing programs is provided. Methodologies covered include survey techniques, cost-effectiveness analyses, retail audits of sales data, time series analysis, nested logit analysis, and discriminant analysis. (TJH)