More than five years of research offers little evidence that students who attend federally funded remedial and learning disabled reading programs improve their reading skills. The three assumptions underlying these programs are discussed. Ways teachers and schools can evaluate their programs are listed. (MT)

Used the Marital Satisfaction Inventory to measure effects of the 12-hour Couple Communication Program, a highly structured workshop designed to teach couples new ways of communicating more effectively. Pre- and post-test results from six couples revealed significant changes in the couples' problem-solving communication after participation in the…

A description of the Braille Institute Library's outreach programs (serving the Hispanic community in 10 southern California counties) includes information on program objectives, background data, materials and guidelines, project implementation, services, and actual contact with the community. (CB)

Results of a study by the American College of Cardiology revealed that continuing medical education (CME) courses contain relatively little information that is new to the audience, that other influences on practice interact with CME content, and that change attributable to CME is subtle and often delayed. (JOW)

Participants in a workplace health promotion program may be influenced as much by organizational characteristics as by health-related characteristics of employees. A study conducted at AT&T Communications used path analysis to develop a model of participation. It suggests that program developers should consider the organizational climate as…

The study compared computer assisted cognitive retraining of 47 patients with severe closed head injury with comparable noncomputerized treatment techniques. Results on neuropsychological tests did not support the increased effectiveness of the computer assisted cognitive therapy. (DB)

Describes Cafe 84, a day program in Sweden for survivors of German concentration camps, which offers organized but informal activities so that members can socialize and discuss current feelings and memories. Claims large membership as well as reports of reduced symptoms and increased well-being are evidence of program's success. (Author/ABL)

Describes a Volunteer Information Provider Program (VIPP) which was demonstrated in five rural Missouri counties to help families deal with the strain of caregiving. Notes that capitalizing on two community-based organizations in rural areas, 63 volunteers shared information with over 1,100 caregivers in a 14-month period. (Author/ABL)

This study assessed the level of program quality in secondary vocational agriculture programs. The 394 vocational agriculture teachers who responded perceive their programs to be better than other programs in their state. Program quality is not related to the teacher's college major, level of educational achievement, or year of graduation. (JOW)

Investigated effectiveness of a self-appraisal-based performance evaluation system that incorporates self-assessment into traditional supervisory evaluation procedures using university faculty members (N=88). Found a high congruency between self-ratings and chairperson ratings, both ratings had high levels of criterion-related validity, and…

The literature from 1981 through 1985 in seven journals on the treatment of behavior problems was reviewed. Treatment procedures were grouped into three levels by degree of restrictiveness. Differential reinforcement and overcorrection were the two most widely used procedures. Effectiveness values for all problem-procedure combinations are given.…

If training is to make a real difference in the organization, we need an alternative to the vacuum of performance. A view exists that springs from two fundamental premises: (1) every individual operates in the context of a performance system and (2) improvements in performance will occur only if we understand the variables in that system. (JOW)

Provides an overview of the value of employee assistance programs (EAP) as mechanisms to solve organizational problems. The article is based on a field study of 480 EAPs in private sector organizations with 500 or more employees. (JOW)

Effective correctional rehabilitation programs include a technique that influences the offender's thinking. Sociological explanations of crime offer few practical suggestions for crime prevention or offender rehabilitation, but the cognitive model suggests that prevention and rehabilitation can be engendered through education. (JOW)

A summer day camp program featuring supervised physical activity, behavioral management, nutrition education, and family involvement helped obese children (N=13) to modify their physical fitness levels and reduce their health risk. (CB)