Reviews the role of accreditation in American higher education and shortcomings related to its inconsistency and lack of rigor. Discusses the 1996 creation of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to oversee accreditation activities. Describes CHEA's organizational structure and analyzes its impact on accreditation and educational…

Provides a brief explanation of the Head Start Expansion and Improvement Act of 1990. Describes the expanded and improved services provided to Head Start children and families and the quality enhancements made to the Head Start program and staff as a result of implementing the act. Lists other elements, in addition to funding, that are important…

An overview of the evaluation strategies being used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor and improve a broad national program of HIV prevention among youth in school is presented, emphasizing surveillance of risk behaviors, health outcomes, and school-related policies and programs. (SLD)

Provides detailed examples of the components of Title I as recently revised and suggests alternative ways that the program's new flexibility can be used to enhance school reform. Revised Title I audit procedures are also designed to promote improved program performance and increased understanding of the law. (SLD)

Reports on a 6-year study and project in Ohio that visited schools to evaluate their guidance programs, implemented revitalization ideas into 10 programs, and evaluated and disseminated the results. Presents eight essential actions for revitalizing guidance programs. (SR)

Discusses the shift in special education teacher preparation programs from a medical orientation and a focus exclusively on the child, to a focus on the whole system in which the child functions. Highlights the need for special education teachers to work with communities toward more inclusive environments. (CR)

Describes the revision of "Let's Talk about Touching," a child sexual abuse prevention program widely used in early childhood and kindergarten programs in British Columbia since 1986. Describes the program as comprised of a manual providing information about sexual abuse, information on the teacher's role, detailed lesson plans, family…

Used nationwide data to examine how schools assess educational outcomes and integrate evaluation data into master's of social work (MSW) program and curriculum development. Also identifies key difficulties which programs report having encountered in addressing the Council on Social Work Education's former Evaluative Standards 1.4 and 1.5…

Resource teachers are offered six suggestions to increase the utilization of their consultation services by regular teachers. Suggestions include being a good listener, offering alternative suggestions, planning a follow-up meeting, encouraging informal contacts, and sharing information. (DB)

Addresses the basic issues faced, methods used, and problems encountered in evaluating school counseling services. Gives examples and suggestions to assist in learning about evaluation. Contends that counselors have the requisite skills and should be involved in evaluation of the services they provide. (NB)

Notes the difficulty of developing and managing a child care business well. Describes Sharlit and McConnell's (1989) five-phase model of business growth as it might apply to a growing child care program. The phases of development described are creativity; direction; delegation; coordination; and collaboration. (TJQ)

Discusses the results of a survey in which participants at evening campfire programs on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina were asked to rate their degree of interest in different types and topics of interpretive programs, and to rate different reasons for attending programs. (LZ)

A model of ongoing consultation was effectively implemented in a community group home for eight adults with severe and profound mental retardation. Two consultants taught staff members to use a token reinforcement system, engage clients in a variety of activities, and improve staff interactions with clients. (Author/DB)

The REDSIL model for ongoing evaluation of gifted education programs involves interviewing stakeholders, isolating and categorizing critical study issues, designing a data collection plan that uses several forms of qualitative methods, implementing the plan, analyzing data, searching literature relative to each issue, analyzing data again, and…

A discussion of institutional and program evaluation in higher education focuses on the need for congruence between the purposes of the assessment and the procedures used to accomplish it. The factors relating to success in evaluation are examined, with special attention given to those that promote improvement. (Author/MSE)