Customer focus groups at Lakeshore Technical College, Wisconsin, were hindered by inadequate levels of participation. A study explored the effectiveness of using network meeting management software to increase focus group participation and the number of ideas generated as well as reduce the amount of time spent on conducting the focus group…

A study explored whether the intake process met the needs of employed adults seeking upgrade training market segment at Lakeshore Technical College, Wisconsin. Study procedures included the following: a literature review, criteria identification, drawing a sample of students, organization and conducting of focus groups and collecting data, and…

This paper presents an overview and suggestions about the development of occupational and skill clusters by the Vocational-Technical Education Consortium of States (V-TECS), based on the observations of the executive director of the organization. Aspects reviewed include the following: development of occupational and skill clusters; classification…

A study evaluated the Alabama Direct Assessment of Writing Program. The comprehensive evaluation examined the background literature, the psychometric characteristics, and the impact of the writing assessment both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results indicated that: (1) the majority of fifth- and seventh-grade students in Alabama do not…

The purpose of the Pyramid Technology Training (PTT) program was to improve teaching, learning, and school staff productivity in the Fairfax County Public Schools (Virginia). Each of 23 technology training specialists served a school pyramid and other schools in an administrative area, providing technology training, technical support, advice,and…

Minnesota's Family Service Collaboratives and Children's Initiative Partners encourage cooperation between communities and schools to improve the health of babies and children, increase school readiness, provide stable family environments, and promote basic academic skills. To fulfill the evaluation needs of these programs, this resource manual…

Community building is an approach to urban poverty that rejects a programmatic approach in favor of efforts that catalyze personal relationships and social networks to improve community life. Community building analyzes urban poverty as a web of interwoven problems that can lock families out of opportunity permanently. Community building…

This report describes activities and accomplishments of a 3-year project at Sinte Gleska University (South Dakota) which revised the school's Human Services curriculum and training model and normed a variety of assessment instruments on Lakota people. Sinte Gleska University is a tribally chartered institution, located on an Indian reservation,…

The Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program at Rota High School in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, which includes over half of the school's students, develops teamwork and helps students excel in academics. Students are instilled with discipline, motivation, pride, and a sense of integrity, trust, and belonging. The…

Three case studies in adult literacy learning were conducted, with focus on instructional and policy issues. They came out of programs that, by state mandate, focus instruction around component skills through diagnostic tests, worksheets, and mastery tests. In Case 1, a learner managed to attend an adult basic education program regularly and…

This final report describes a 3-year project which examined effects of different service delivery structures on the development of toddlers with disabilities who were receiving early intervention within natural group environments. Participants (n=70) were matched across four groups who were receiving either full-time specialized instruction or…

This publication presents a collection of true stories that demonstrate the ways in which children's, parent's, and staff's lives have been enriched as a result of their involvement with Project Head Start. The stories describe remarkable achievements of individuals, often made in the face of great disadvantages and difficult circumstances, which…

The FLITE (Family Literacy Involvement Through Education) program is a partnership between a public school in the Bronx, New York, and the City University of New York that brings together two federal funding streams (FAMILY FIRST: Family-School Partnership Program and Even Start) to provide adult literacy, parenting education, and early childhood…

This paper reports on a study that investigated the effectiveness of an early intervention program based on the needs of Turkish mothers of six children (ages 0-3) with hearing impairments. The program included an informational component and an educational component. During the preparation of the program, the mothers' expressed needs were taken…

This study used the case study method and focus group interviews to examine: (1) which of the economic impacts of a small liberal arts college on its community are important; (2) whether economic impact can be estimated economic impact studies; and (3) whether such studies influence public opinion about the college's economic impact. Two focus…