In child-centered education programs, children construct their own knowledge from their experiences and interactions with the world around them, and teachers foster children's growth and development by building on children's interests, needs, and strengths within a safe and caring environment. The Step by Step educational partnership developed a…

This final report discusses the activities of the Mississippi Early Education Program for Children with Multiple Disabilities, a program designed to train Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part H service coordinators and service providers to use family centered strategies. Two levels of training activities were implemented. The first…

This document consists of nine issues (covering January through December 1999) of the newsletter "Community Update," containing articles on community and family involvement in education. Article topics include: new programs to help students prepare for college early; Vice President Al Gore announced the first-ever national Hispanic…

This document presents all necessary materials for a complete course at the university level on the transition of students with disabilities from school to adult life. It includes an instructor's guide, a class syllabus, and 16 class lessons. The course is based on the "Taxonomy for Transition Programming," a model of effective transition…

Noting that the involvement of parents and family members in the education of their children at school and in the home is one of the keys to children's success in school, this monograph focuses on ways to include various family members in the education of young adolescents. The monograph is intended as a guide for an effective, comprehensive…

This collection of papers examines pre-college enrichment programs that offer a specific remedy to the problem of low income and underrepresented students' access to higher education. The 10 papers are: (1) "Pre-College Outreach Programs: A National Perspective" (Watson Scott Swail and Laura W. Perna); (2) "The Relationship between…

This report describes how the Parent Services Project (PSP) is being implemented in the communities of Bushwick and Washington Heights/Inwood in New York City, focusing on the progress made and the challenges encountered in the first 18 months of the program's implementation. Information for the report was obtained through on-site observations as…

These guidelines were developed to help school and early intervention personnel and families understand the nature and benefits of assistive technology and how to use current best practices to provide assistive technology to children with disabilities. Information is provided in a simple question and answer format on the following topics: (1)…

Health, education, and human service agencies are beginning to think strategically and systematically about how to provide family members with opportunities for meaningful involvement as partners. Noting that collaboration between families and professionals in program and policy settings requires all parties to acquire new skills, this guide for…

Introduces this special issue focusing exclusively on care for children by family relations separate from their parents (kinship care). Addresses kinship care issues of policy, practice, caregiver support and advocacy, and research. Contains general definitions, program history and development, and descriptions of the care issues explored in the…

Notes that successful inclusion of children with chronic conditions in child-care facilities requires planning and care. Outlines what chronic conditions are and what they mean for the child and his or her family, the importance of working with the family to create a family-centered program, and individualizing a program to meet a child's needs.…

Presents six myths about early childhood education and care. Myths concern day care quality, the impact of day care on families and communities, academically oriented curricula, the importance of caregiver training, and parent involvement. Emphasizes that professionals need to dispel these myths, recognize the complexity of good child care, and be…

Discusses the school librarian's role in helping to develop students' reading motivation. Topics include the importance of feedback; providing time to read, perhaps as a reward; adequate access to books; flexible schedules for library time; reading aloud; book-discussion groups; family involvement; and using older students as tutors. (LRW)

Most effective schools share a number of key characteristics, including clear-cut goals and objectives, adequate funding and financial management, quality academic programs, valid assessment programs, parent and family involvement, teacher and staff development, high expectations for students, community involvement, comprehensive support services,…

Objective: To assess the risk and predictors of service disengagement in adolescents with first-episode psychosis (FEP) receiving their first treatment in a long-standing early intervention and prevention centre. Method: The Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) in Australia admitted 157 adolescents, ages 15 to 18, with FEP…