This report examines how early educational opportunities affect child development and eventually adult productivity. The report also discusses some implications for developing countries. The effectiveness of educational programs for infants to 2.5-year-olds has not yet been demonstrated. However programs that ensure health, nutrition,…

This report is a product of a 3-year federally funded project examining model education programs for postsecondary students with disabilities funded since 1980 by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. The study sought to identify and share information about strategies of successful projects and exemplary products. Chapter 1…

A follow-up investigation evaluated the adolescent outcomes of 10 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who had been treated 5 or more years earlier at a university school clinic with a multimodal treatment program called the Cognitive Academic Social Treatment program. The study hypothesized that adolescents and parents would…

A project was conducted to improve access to adult education for clients of Pennsylvania's Erie Family Center. The project's primary objectives were as follows: include adult education services in the referral services provided to family center clients; expedite students' referral to adult education services; provide career counseling to…

A plan was developed to improve test scores in a Georgia high school. A committee of teachers, students, citizens, and a curriculum consultant was formed to analyze the school's problems and the reason for low test scores and low achievement. Data on the school climate indicated that it was poor, except that the instructional leadership of the…

This study examined the progress of nine collaborative student academic development programs in California which focused on improving the preparation of secondary school students for college and university study. The programs were selected for inclusion on the basis of commonalities along the following dimensions: a goal of increasing the number…

During the 1994-95 academic year, faculty and administrators in the College of Education at Illinois State University (ISU) (Normal, Illinois) along with teachers and administrators from the Community Consolidated School District 21 (Wheeling, Illinois) began discussions to establish a Professional Development School (PDS). In August 1995, 32 ISU…

An evaluation study is being conducted to determine the impact of the Washington state legislature's 3-year investment of $2.55 million to enable schools to plan and implement a school-to-work transition program (STW). The key components of the evaluation consist of a written survey of the 33 STW coordinators in the state and case study site…

The practicum reported here addressed the difficulty some newly-immigrated Spanish-speaking, limited-English-proficient high school students experience in adjusting to a new culture, putting them at risk of dropping out of school. A program was designed for this population in a suburban high school with a substantial and increasing immigrant…

Each year the Faculty of Education, University of Toronto (Ontario, Canada), receives applications from potential teachers with excellent profiles but who lack teaching experience. These applicants are possible candidates for the Teacher Apprenticeship Program (TAP), an alternative teacher education program. Those selected are placed in regular…

This report presents the results of a study of the effects of Washington State's Professional Growth Option (PGO), a state regulation that requires schools districts to plan and implement programs for teacher professional development. Section 1 describes the study which was conducted by teachers who interviewed 23 teachers representing different…

Between July 1, 1991 and June 30, 1993, Washington State's Displaced Homemaker Program (DHP) served a total of 55,363 individuals. The program's intensive instructional services component was completed by 2,496 eligible displaced homemakers, 84% of whom were aged 30-59. Of the DHP participants, 84% were white, 75% were separated or divorced, 79%…

This Canadian study examined the later development (in high school and college) of two groups of children who had received an early enrichment intervention, comparing them with a limited control group and with each other. Experimental subjects were grouped into those (N=40) from families with some college and those (N=14) from families with high…

In 1991, the Cumberland Campus of Nova Scotia Community College established a literacy research and development project to survey local industries and the community regarding training needs and to develop workplace and community-based programs to meet those needs. One effort involved the implementation of a computer-assisted learning program to…

An evaluation was conducted of a comprehensive plan to restructure a primary school in Candler County, Georgia, into a non-graded, multi-age, continuous progress learning center. The project entailed restructuring the classroom, implementing a shared decision-making structure, developing a learning curriculum, and using portfolio assessment to…