Summarizes literature on early childhood (EC) program evaluation, presents an overview of the national standards addressing quality in EC programs, and presents the results of a survey of the evaluation practices of 18 model EC programs. Found that the programs' evaluation procedures were varied, well-developed, open-ended, and process-orientated.…

The Coimbra Early Intervention Project was undertaken in Portugal to develop the first coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency program involving health care, education, and social service, using existing resources in the community. The program now operates regionwide and supports more than 100 families and children with disabilities or at…

Caring for Parent Caregivers, an Australian support program to empower parents of children with intellectual disabilities and thereby strengthen family resources, was evaluated using quantitative and qualitative procedures. Program participants displayed less emotional distress than control group subjects; outcomes were positive for both mothers…

Partners in Policymaking is an ongoing, federally funded empowerment and self-advocacy education program for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families in Minnesota which is being replicated in other states. A survey of 130 program graduates indicated satisfaction with the program and the presence of many active citizen…

An evaluation of the Student Transition Education and Employment Program found that it reduces recidivism rates for previously incarcerated youth and is cost effective. Program objectives were to deliver a more effective after-care service, enable youth to obtain a high school diploma, and allow participants to give something back to the…

This article reviews recent changes in the mental health system's response to children and adolescents with serious emotional disabilities, emphasizing developments in service delivery and service demonstration research and evaluation efforts. The role of research is examined in terms of its critical importance in improving the system of care for…

The project accounting system used by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Chemical Sciences exchanges financial data with the campus' central accounting system and allows integration of this information with user-entered data to produce an easily read, fully obligated project accounting statement for the budget and period…

Describes and evaluates a reading/study skills program at Ferndale High School, Ferndale, Washington. Notes that the high school has changed dramatically over the four years of the program, and its reading/study skills program continues to be an integral part of this evolution. (RS)

Recently, the Dayton-Montgomery (Ohio) Public Education Fund Mathematics Collaborative sponsored 18 educators in a summer industry internship program. Many teachers gained invaluable insights on learning to work with people and applying knowledge to work situations. Participants learned the value of incorporating teamwork, technology, problem…

The COMET summer residential program at Purdue University (Indiana) offers gifted and talented youth in grades 4-6 a week of intensive study in a single content area. Courses stress specific problem-solving skills and development of a rich knowledge base. Extensive program evaluation by students, teachers, counselors, and parents was highly…

A four-week program at Sunrise Lake Camp (Cold Spring, New York) helps immigrant Russian Jewish children to adjust to their new country. Program components include language enhancement activities, bilingual staff, scholarship assistance, cultural sensitivity training for staff, and cross-cultural education for immigrant and U.S.-born campers. (SV)

A good formative evaluator, who helps programs become as effective as possible, behaves remarkably like a good personal coach. Nine ways in which a formative evaluator can help a program manager are listed, and implications for practicing evaluators and the evaluation profession are detailed. (SLD)

The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired provides outreach services for students with visual impairments throughout the state. Outreach services staff serve families and agencies by providing on-site consultation, workshop presentations, resource and referral, and technology loan services. (JDD)

A University of North Carolina (Charlotte) program provides tutorial services to students in certain high-risk courses. Participants from 1988-89 earned higher final grades and had fewer lower grades and withdrawals than nonparticipants, despite lower predicted academic potential and industriousness at the time of college entry. (Author/MSE)

A description is given of the goals and the activities of a residential summer experience at the Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC). The program was designed for at-risk high school students. Cognitive and affective needs were addressed within a framework of outdoor environmental studies. Evaluation findings are reported. (IAH)