The School Improvement Specialist Project prepared seven modules. School improvement specialists, as defined by the Appalachia Educational Laboratory at Edvantia, are change agents who work with schools to help them improve in the following areas so as to increase student achievement. These modules are intended to provide training materials for…

This technical assistance resource guide is intended to facilitate the inclusion and participation of youth with disabilities in school-to-work systems. The approximately 215 listed items were contributed by state and local organizations nationally. Organizations were asked to select resources that offered "hands on" assistance and were published…

A case study in a rural Australian township sought to determine the nature of the interactive productivity between the local networks in a community. Participants were chosen based on recommendations of community members concerning to whom they turn for help, advice, or information. Community interactivity was recorded using interviews,…

To make more valuable to the people those things from which the people are accustomed to derive value has been appropriately been said to be the prime business of legislators. That the schoolhouse, whose value to the people is already great, may become still more valuable to them, is the purpose of the community-organization movement which the…

Describes an interpretive training course for Tikal National Park, Guatemala to promote environmentally sound management of the region. Goals were to ensure that local knowledge and cultural norms were included in the design of interpretive materials, to introduce resource managers to park interpretation through course participation, and to train…

An Ontario study of 68 caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease revealed that those respondents living in more remote areas of northwestern Ontario expressed greater needs for information, education, and social support; experienced significantly more difficulties with morale; and employed coping strategies that reflected an inadequate social…

Offers guidelines for consultants from developed countries who are establishing automated libraries in developing countries. Topics discussed include needs assessment; collection characteristics; computer needs of the institution; user characteristics; funding; physical environment; personnel; local resources and services; and choosing…

Drug-exposed infants are having a profound impact on the child welfare system. When community resources are not available to meet the needs of these children and families, requirements of current child welfare laws cannot be met. The range of services necessary for effective child welfare responses is discussed. (SLD)

Describes the Museum Research Apprenticeship Program (MRAP) for high school students at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles. Participating students learn scientific research methods and have a unique opportunity to work with scientists in the museum and in the field. Offers tips to teachers for designing apprenticeship programs locally with…

Objectives: To assess the impact of a home visiting program in reducing malleable parental risk factors for child abuse in families of newborns identified, through population-based screening, as at-risk of child abuse. Methods: This randomized trial focused on Healthy Start Program (HSP) sites operated by three community-based organizations on…

This guide is a joint effort from the Forum for Youth Investment and the Finance Project designed to help decision makers and community leaders both learn the importance of a good children youth and families (CYF) resource map and lay out the process of creating or improving a CYF resource map of their own. The handbook has been designed to…

Coordinated social services may be one of the most promising aspects of the current era of systemic educational reform. However, moving from a policy that calls for coordinated service integration into the actual practice of providing services requires the resolution of a host of complex, interacting issues. This paper provides an overview of what…

Project Path at Illinois' College of DuPage was established to provide pre-employment training and career counseling for disabled students. To encourage the integration of qualified individuals with disabilities into the workplace, the project compiled this resource manual for area businesses, providing tips for interacting with disabled people…

This report examines child care from a business perspective and proposes methods to help finance affordable, accessible, and high-quality child care in Colorado. The Commission's procedures are described, and data summaries are included. The following 12 recommendations are made: (1) establish model planning and zoning programs to increase and…

A special theme issue of this biannually published journal illustrates a range of topics that public folklorists in New York state have addressed in their work. The first article, "Forty Years before the Mast: Sailing the Stormy and Serene Seas of Public Folklore" by Bruce R. Buckley, introduces the volume by setting public folklore in…