The appropriate implementation of innovation is a crucial factor in improving educational practice. In the implementation process, there is, however, often a lack of interaction between designers and practitioners that would enable the latter to become competent enough to implement theoretical knowledge into practice and to have an ongoing support…

Early intervention for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tends to focus on enhancing social-communication skills. We report the acceptability, feasibility and impact on child functioning of a new 8 weeks parent-group intervention to manage restricted and repetitive behaviours (RRB) in young children with ASD aged 3-7 years. Forty-five families took…

With its roots in clinical and educational psychology, school psychology is an ever-changing field that encompasses a diversity of topics. "The Oxford Handbook of School Psychology" synthesizes the most vital and relevant literature in all of these areas, producing a state-of-the-art, authoritative resource for practitioners,…

This article highlights key online teacher professional development (oTPD) areas in need of research based on a review of current oTPD research conducted in conjunction with an oTPD conference held at Harvard University in fall 2005. The literature review of this field documents much work that is anecdotal, describing professional development…

The Miami Youth Development Project (YDP) had its beginnings in the early 1990s as a grassroots response to the needs of troubled (multiproblem) young people in the community (Arnett, Kurtines, & Montgomery, 2008, this issue). YDP is an important outcome of efforts to create positive youth development interventions that draw on the strengths…

The professional development school (PDS) is a model of choice for many teacher preparation programs. This approach integrates the functions of teacher preparation, professional development, inquiry and research, and student achievement to bring about whole-school improvement and the simultaneous renewal of the teaching profession. Ideally,…

In Fall 2007, Hudson Guild--a settlement house that provides services to hundreds of adults, teens and children in two housing developments in New York City--embarked on a study to assess the needs of youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who were residing in the community and were disconnected (i.e., those youth who were not in school or not…

This discussion was presented at a symposium organized to study the usage of systematic research, development, diffusion, and evaluation (RDD&E) strategies being used in the establishment of RDD&E training programs. Three levels of exploring these programs are suggested: looking at specific RDD&E projects, allowing the Research Training Branch of…

The manual is intended to help teachers of gifted elementary students teach independent learning skills. As a framework, it may be used to provide goals, objectives, conditions, and criteria for developing individualized educational programs (IEPs); to develop evaluation strategies; or to design instructional activities. Objectives and…

The objectives of this project to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of American Indian education through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) were (1) a system analysis of the BIA schools to identify educational goals and objectives and the critical factors contributing to or impeding eeducational effectiveness in achieving the goals; (2)…

This document is the first of a series that will address five stages of the school reform process. It focuses on the first stage of the change process, managing key stakeholders and external groups and engaging them in the planning and development of the reform or innovation. A stakeholder is any group or individual who can affect or is affected…

The purpose of this paper is to: (1) discuss the reasons for applying the experimental method to program evaluation; (2) review the basic elements of the experimental method; (3) illustrate refinements and variants of the experimental method with examples from program evaluation in the social sciences; (4) describe ways in which funding directives…

THIS WAS ONE OF FOUR SEMINARS CONDUCTED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION. OBJECTIVES WERE TO DEVELOP (1) A CONCEPT OF THE ROLE AND THE ESSENTIAL CONDITIONS FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN STATE PROGRAMS, (2) AN UNDERSTANDING OF A FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR CONDUCTING A PROGRAM OF…

The basic sources and types of demographic data available for future planning for the developmentally disabled are reviewed and a frame work for data organization is suggested. It is explained that future forecasts may be undertaken by the following principles: trend forecasting or extrapolation; scenario construction; models, games, and…

The author's optimistic view of evaluation in the future includes increased utilization, especially in the private sector; more professionalization, with potential for conflict; more academic program development; more use in policy; increase in the use of complex methods; and more involvement in program development. (SLD)