A study of 8,696 infants and toddlers eligible for early intervention services in North Carolina from 1991-1996 found the majority were identified as having a developmental delay, with the mean age of entry into the system at approximately 17 months. Notable trends included an increase in parent referrals. (Contains references.) (CR)

This paper describes an early intervention model demonstration project providing center- and home-based instruction to children with severe/profound handicaps, aged birth to three years, and their parents. The social reciprocity model used, participating children, daily activities, and evaluative findings are discussed. (Author/PB)

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) "The Costs and Benefits of an Excellent Education": U.S. Could Net $45 Billion Annually if One Year's Worth…

This brief is based on the 61-page report of the same name. This paper, commissioned by the Brookings Institution, studies the emergence of the mixed delivery model, in which pre-kindergarten is delivered in community-based settings and schools. It describes findings of a state survey CLASP conducted to understand the policy choices,…

North Carolina's Kinder Camp is a 4-week program designed to prepare children for entry into kindergarten. All participants must have completed Project Family Read. A North Carolina elementary school measured the programs effectiveness by using the Cognitive/Language Profile of the American Guidance Service Early Screening Profiles as a pre- and…

This guide has been developed to help parents understand the reading section of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, the revised state reading curriculum which is intended to make sure that every student learns to read and write well. The guide offers general tips on helping each child, as well as terminology and research information that…

This study of the extent of turnover among early childhood interventionists working in 27 North Carolina home-based programs found that 49 percent of staff, 38 percent of consultant therapists and specialists, and 68 percent of directors of programs remained employed over a 2.7-year period. Mean length of staff service increased from 1985 to 1988.…

Presented are the findings of the 1976 Chapel Hill Study of the Region IV status of services to Head Start handicapped children. Brief introductory sections cover the roles of various Region IV network components in the provision of comprehensive services to special needs children and the design of the data collection system to investigate the…

The purpose of this research was to ascertain the types of books read by Head Start families to their children, conditions for reading aloud at home, perceived benefits of reading aloud, and children's responses to books. Data were collected from parent interviews and reading logs. Participants included 14 children and families from four Head…

After discussing the differences in the physical, social, and attitudinal environments of advantaged and disadvantaged children, this paper describes the educational settings and intervention practices that were designed as part of the Carolina Abecedarian Project to assist young disadvantaged children in attaining educational competence. An…

To assist the early development of children in a poorly educated, rural four-county area of North Carolina, the Early Childhood Library Project trained parents and babysitters to teach preschool children by using educational games and materials supplied by the library. Equipment was purchased and made available to the community, story hours were…

Analyzed parents' observations and perceptions of the transition process of their children into kindergarten. Found that even though most parents (two-thirds) reported satisfactory transitions, 47% of responses contained negative features, reflecting difficulties during transition. Parents found ongoing communication, agreed-upon performance…

This document presents North Carolina regulations governing educational programs and services for children with special needs. Individual sections cover the following areas: definitions; identification, screening, evaluation and placement; observation; initial conference prior to school-based or preschool transition/placement committee referral;…

This theme issue focuses on family-centered practices and policies for service delivery. The first article, "Family-Centered Service Delivery," reports on a study of 130 published sources in education, social work, nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, and related disciplines, which found that the key components of family-centered…

This final report focuses on activities and accomplishments of a 3-year federally supported project in North Carolina to identify and serve students with deaf-blindness. Major accomplishments included: an increase in identified deaf blind individuals in the state from 341 at the beginning of the project to 396 at the end; implementation of a Model…