This handbook contains broad guidelines for increasing cooperation among business, industry, labor, governmental agencies, professionals, parents, students, and educators through the creation of business/industry/education partnerships. The material is designed primarily to provide a framework for building or improving such partnerships or…

Ways in which schools, law enforcement agencies and communities can work together to develop strategies to effectively reduce truancy are provided in this handbook. Areas covered include: (1) a definition of truancy; (2) a truant profile; (3) strategies for dealing with a truant; (4) suggestions for components of truancy reduction programs; and…

A grant to develop a model child care licensing code for Indian reservations gave Southwest Educational Development Laboratory a chance to determine whether realistic licensing standards were possible for reservation child care programs. Beginning in 1976, a task force composed of 14 federal and tribal representatives drafted licensing standards…

Questions and answers concerning accreditation of postsecondary institutions are presented, along with a list of personal/organizational sources and bibliographical sources of information. Information is provided on the following: accreditation and its origin, the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation, the U.S. Department of Education, the…

This information brief examines use of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 to address the transition needs of youth with disabilities. WIA funds a range of training, career development, and job placement services for diverse clients in one-stop centers. WIA contains specific provisions that support the participation of youth with…

Head Start has a long history of providing comprehensive child and family development services to low-income children and families. Noting that this history can serve as a model as early childhood and care programs work toward greater collaboration with other programs and agencies to improve child well-being and help move families toward…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that each state participating in the federal early intervention program establish a state interagency coordinating council (ICC) to assist and advise the state lead agencies in achieving a coordinated service delivery system. When IDEA was reauthorized in 1991, by the passage of P.L.…

Describes the Gateway Clubs, which work with local authorities to provide the mentally handicapped with opportunities for the enjoyment of leisure and recreation facilities. Makes recommendations for further developing voluntary and statutory authorities' collaboration, raising the general level of provision and leadership, and allocating…

Schools should study the scope and pervasiveness of the diversity in their community and look for collaborative possibilities with other public agencies and organizations. Suggests ideas to help students reach out to cultures, religions, races, and generations other than their own. (MLF)

Illinois received one of six 2-year National Institute for Literacy grants to create statewide interagency staff development systems for literacy. After a staff development plan has been developed/implemented, a needs assessment process is developed that entails the following five steps: determine indicators of program quality and develop…

This digest briefly summarizes available information on the educational needs of prenatally substance exposed infants and children. Estimated incidence figures are given for the numbers of children exposed in utero to illicit drugs and alcohol. The importance of parent/caregiver education in specific techniques to increase infant alertness and…

As part of a decentralization effort, San Diego schools are developing various community partnerships and joining with other agencies to share the resources of school, community, social service, and health providers. Interagency collaboration may result in a more integrated, coherent service delivery to an increasingly diverse student population.…

This article examines ways in which the school-linked integration of services can be provided to students and their families. The first section presents several points that illustrate the critical need for improving service delivery to families. The need is escalated due to faltering support services, increasing poverty among young families,…

Developed from the Ohio At-Risk Linkage Team experiences, this guide assists local communities in organizing and strengthening effective collaborative interagency linkage teams for at-risk youth and adults. The guide proposes a series of steps, poses a number of questions relating to each step, and provides information about additional resources.…

This guide outlines the process of screening preschool-age children in North Dakota to determine their need for special education services. As mass screenings were found to lack cost-effectiveness, selective screening is encouraged. A periodic selective screening process, using a coordinated, interagency approach, is recommended for the earliest…