The Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) was an ambitious effort launched in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1996 to provide high-quality early care and education services to at-risk children, on a county-wide scale and under the direction of local neighborhood agencies. Four years after its launch, ECI was providing substantial social and educational…

Smart Start is North Carolina's model early childhood initiative to help all North Carolina children enter school healthy and prepared for success. Serving all 100 counties in the state, Smart Start's services include child care subsidies and health and family support services. This report describes the program, focusing on its impact on the…

This report presents the findings of an examination of the costs, benefits, and characteristics of Sitter Services, a program in Scotland offering child care in the child's home to parents working atypical hours or respite care for families of children with developmental disabilities. The study also explored users' and providers' knowledge of the…

This document presents an evaluation report and parent handbook of for a federally supported 6-week residential summer program for children and adults with developmental disabilities developed by the Hebrew Academy for Special Children (Brooklyn, New York). It also includes the program's parent handbook. Evaluation focused on three groups of camp…

The relationship between Indiana University Outdoor Adventures (IUOA) and the Indiana University Department of Recreation and Park Administration began in the early 1980s with the department providing IUOA with lists of potential graduate-assistant employees. If a graduate assistant was hired, IUOA paid the student a stipend and the department…

This study reports on a survey of mathematics and science teachers' beliefs and attitudes toward what they value most in a masters degree program. The survey gathered demographic data from 300 teachers and assessed beliefs and attitudes about the proposed advanced masters degree in North Carolina. Findings indicate that teachers are more…

A national study estimated the short-term impacts of Job Corps (JC) on participants' employment and related outcomes during the 30 months after random assignment. Results for the short-term impact analysis were based on a comparison of eligible program participants randomly assigned to a program group (n=9,409) or a control group (n=5,977) that…

This report discusses the accomplishments and challenges of the Vermont Self-Determination Project (SDP), a 3-year project designed to empower individuals with developmental disabilities to create the quality of life they desire for themselves and, by discovering and sharing their natural gifts and talents, to nourish and enrich both their own…

This videotape explores the ways four diverse after-school programs bring about successful linkages between after-school programs at the elementary or middle school level and the regular school day. The 40-minute videotape, designed to be viewed in its entirety or in 15-minute segments, focuses on individual schools and their innovations. The…

Approximately one-third of Microelectronics Education Programme (MEP) funding is directed toward in-service teacher education. Three levels of competence (familiarization, understanding, applications) are fostered in each of four domains: electronics/control technology; computer as instrument; computer as learning; and electronic communications.…

Reports the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a training program for foster grandparents employed at a residential center for disturbed children. Describes training objectives focused on the role of the foster grandparents in helping their charges to develop socially acceptable behavior. A cognitive problem-solving strategy was taught.…

Chicago's mastery learning program takes into account the complexities of reading and the realities of urban classrooms. Its designers say that if a program does not lead to success, it is not a mastery learning program. (Author/JM)

Results from a longitudinal study of the implementation of the Reading Recovery (RR) program in the Wake County Public School System (North Carolina) for 1990 through 1994 show achievement gains for RR students, although these gains lessen in recent years. Reasons for inconsistent benefits after the first year are discussed. (SLD)

Describes a study of the effectiveness of the Colorado Core Transfer Program (CORE), or general education course requirements at all state community colleges. Indicates that students who completed CORE transferred more credits and completed courses at a higher rate than noncompleters, but that no significant differences in grades were found. (AJL)

This case study reports how modifications to an existing behavior management plan improved the behavioral intervention of a third-grade boy diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. A multiple baseline design across setting was used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the modified intervention. Teachers overwhelmingly accepted the…