Research indicates that problems faced by many youngsters and families, such as poverty, inadequate housing, and poor health care and nutrition, are interrelated in complex ways. These problems are often inadequately addressed because of flaws in the social service delivery system. These flaws include a lack of communication between public and…

This digest explores truancy in the urban context, examines the different types and reasons for truancy, and reviews the new ways that researchers and intervention programs are addressing this problem. No national data on truancy rates exist, but many larger cities report staggeringly high rates. The relationship between race or income and truancy…

This publication contains three articles that examine the changing role of the urban superintendent. The first presents highlights of interviews with Dr. Walter Amprey, superintendent of the Baltimore City Public Schools, and Dr. Donald Ingwerson, who served 12 years as the superintendent of the Jefferson County, Kentucky, Public Schools. Each…

The Family Support Act (FSA) of 1988 provides opportunities for educators to form linkages with other agencies to strengthen families and help them move toward self-sufficiency. The FSA affords professionals chances to forge critical interagency connections and expand the range and capacity of programs for learners at risk. A strategy for forming…

Guidelines for responding to immediate crisis situations in attendance and strategies for longterm prevention are presented in this handbook, which stresses the need for interagency cooperation. The handbook serves as a model for both content and process, with the ultimate aim of promoting an arena in which the most appropriate service delivery…

School-to-work transition services are intended to help youth develop the skills and attitudes they need to find and keep employment, maintain a meaningful adult life-style, and develop positive social interactions. Eligibility for such services has now been broadened beyond disabled students to include students with economic or educational…

Reports from 12 state supervisors of foreign languages were compiled. Each report describes a state's elementary and secondary foreign language programs and activities as of November 1981. Topics covered include basic foreign language programs, trends in foreign language enrollment, teacher training, work with other divisions within the state…

This digest, based on a larger document titled, "Homeless and in Need of Special Education," by L. Juane Heflin and Kathryn Rudy, focuses on educational aspects of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. Briefly discussed are: the effects of homelessness on children (e.g., increased health problems); the educational implications…

Recommendations for starting a process of collaboration between public schools and social service agencies are offered in this digest. The first step, information gathering, is discussed, as well as strategies for carrying out other stages in the process--selecting, approaching, and meeting with participants; problem solving; and maintaining the…

Current issues are complex and funding is difficult to obtain as adult education providers try to meet the needs of the community, business, and industry; therefore, collaboration can be very advantageous. Information, ideas, and resources can be pooled, and duplication and harmful competition can be avoided. Four factors that are important for…

Ways in which the efforts of vocational education and the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) can be coordinated are discussed in this fact sheet. Following an overview of CETA, seven titles from the CETA amendments of 1978 which provide opportunities for vocational education-CETA coordination are described: (1) Title I:…

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…

Resilience is a quality that characterizes children who, though exposed to significant stress and adversity in their lives, do not succumb to the school and life failures predicted for them. Recent research suggests ways that schools and communities can protect children from the threats that confront individuals and families. This digest…

This book offers a collection of papers from a conference focused on various aspects of school/college collaboration, edited so as to form a coherent presentation. The papers are grouped into five chapters, each with its own theme. Chapter 1, on the nature of collaboration, aims to promote inquiry into research, theory, and application concerning…

Part of a volume which explores current issues in service delivery to infants and toddlers with handicapping conditions (ages birth to 3), this chapter treats the subject of competencies needed by the early childhood special educator specializing in infancy. First, the following context variables are discussed as they relate to definitions of…