Discovering the value of after-school programs to school improvement initiatives and student achievement, one school district implemented a parent involvement component. Goals identified for the program were: to provide opportunities for parents and school staff to work as partners, and to share information about parent involvement and assets to…

Recent events have increased concerns about the potential for fraud in student loan programs related to loans for U.S. residents attending foreign schools. In 2002 the Office of Special Investigations of the General Accounting Office (GAO) created a fictitious foreign school that the Department of Education subsequently certified as eligible to…

This paper makes the case that mandated tests, such as those administered through a state's accountability system, can best meet the goal of curricular reform by making their domains of learning targets transparent to users. Test maps are proposed as an effective device to accomplish that goal. A test map describes the content of the test and how…

This guide is an evaluation that can help one answer relevant questions about improving a reading or language arts program such as: Are there changes that need to be made? Is a stronger commitment needed to strengths identified in the program? and Are specific resources needed to make it more successful? The manual points out that if an improved…

This report describes youth employment and training programs run by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) in summer 1999. The MPRB operates the Teen Teamworks program, which helps teens acquire appreciation for connections between academic, social, judgment, and job skills. MPRB has identified changing social and economic needs as a…

In response to Congressional requests reflecting the nationwide attention on early childhood education (ECE) and care, the General Accounting Office assessed the federally funded programs that provide or support ECE and care for children under 5 years. Information was obtained by means of an electronic search of the June 1999 Catalog of Federal…

Community-based organizations that worked effectively with urban youth were found to resemble experiential education programs. The finding was remarkable because the organizations did not identify themselves as places where experiential education took place. A study of four organizations examined ways in which they help youth to become more…

This report summarizes changes to existing federal education programs contained in the Improving America's Schools Act, the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, and the School-to-Work Opportunities Act. The publication looks at various programs that serve the broad educational priorities set forth in the Department of Education's Strategic Plan. The…

This report describes the implementation and results of the Utah Community Partnership for Character Development, a 4-year grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The project was initiated in January 1996, in 50 schools from 4 school districts in Salt Lake City (Utah) and neighboring communities. The grant included more than 65 schools…

Critical to the success of initiatives to reform and restructure educational and community services to improve the lives of children is the way in which they are financed. This report explores the movement toward privatization through contracting in managing, financing, and delivering child and family social services and provides a conceptual…

This paper highlights the public and private health insurance options for young people with disabilities or chronic health conditions including several recent Federal initiatives to increase access to health care for working adults with disabilities. Discussion of public health insurance eligibility and coverage focuses on aspects of Medicaid and…

In preparation for reauthorization of Even Start and other Federal education programs, these hearings transcripts recount testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce concerning the Even Start and family literacy programs. Testimony was presented by: (1) the president of the National Center for Family Literacy, giving…

This document outlines the Western Assessment Collaborative's (WAC) approach to evaluation and the design for examining the progress and impact of Kyosei (spirit of cooperation), a multiyear partnership with 10 schools and 4 districts that engages participants in a set of integrated, research-based professional development strategies. The text…

In 1995 the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed the Health School Menus Initiative (HSMI) to ensure that school age children are provided meals that are consistent with dietary guidelines and current nutrition information. The USDA developed review instruments to evaluate the implementation of the HSMI nationwide. These…

As a condition of receiving federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds, states are required to operate Child Support Enforcement (CSE) programs. Families receiving TANF are required to participate in the CSE program; families not receiving TANF may also request CSE services. However, since 1994, an increasing number of states…