To what extent school improvement processes can be initiated and sustained from the outside has been a relevant question for policy-makers seeking to increase quality in education. Since 2008, the Chilean Government is strongly promoting the use of external technical support (ETS) services to support school improvement processes, as part of the…

The reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 emphasized the use of positive behavioral interventions, supports, and services for students with disabilities who display challenging behaviors. Unfortunately, most teachers and schools still lack systems for identification, adoption, and sustained use of these…

A researcher's experiences in providing technical support to 10 schools involved in evaluation of their school-based management programs is provided in this report. Methodology involved principal interviews, attitudinal staff surveys, and school self-evaluations of the 10 participating schools. Recommendations for improving the self-evaluation…

A two-part report, sponsored by the Northwest Regional Exchange, focuses on the role of technical assistance in educational settings. This document, part I of the report, presents an overview of major research and literature findings, including the extant knowledge base and the state of the art in technical assistance. The introduction discusses…

The costs incurred by state education agencies (SEA's) for evaluation activities are looked at in this study, which also examines the possible role that the use of management consulting might play in reducing these costs. It is estimated that SEA evaluation activities in the U.S. today cost about $32 million and that the use of management…

The document reviews the technical assistance process used by TADS (Technical Assistance Development System), a project to provide support to HCEEP (Handicapped Children's Early Education Program) demonstration projects serving young handicapped children and their families. Chapter 1, by P. Trohanis, focuses on a number of questions that people…

Interviews were conducted with contact persons in each of six Western states to assist in determining how the services and products of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I Evaluation Technical Assistance Centers (TAC) could be used most effectively to help State and local education agencies improve the use and usefulness of…

This report evaluates program activities of the Region 1 Rural Technical Assistance Center (R-TAC). Region 1 R-TAC serves the Chapter 1 programs of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The program provides consultation, training and other technical assistance to state educational…

A two-part report, sponsored by the Northwest Regional Exchange, focuses on the role of technical assistance in educational settings. This document, part II of the report, examines selected change models for establishing technical assistance systems and implications for action. After a brief introduction, the following critical components of…

A 1981-1982 performance report of a model child/parent service for rural handicapped and high-risk infants, toddlers, and their families (OUTREACH) is presented. Outcome data and various program materials are presented for the OUTREACH: Macomb 0-3 Regional Project (Western Illinois University), which provides an educational/remediation program,…

Nationwide attention to the problems of teenage pregnancy and suicide, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), substance abuse, domestic violence, child abuse, dropping out of school, and other conditions is resulting in a proliferation of primary prevention programs, projects, and activities. In too many communities, however, the growth of…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of the California PEERS (Providing Education for Everyone in Regular Schools) Outreach Project, a cooperative effort of the California Department of Education, California State University at Hayward, and eight school districts. The project focused on increasing the capacity of the…

This report on the National Assistance Project for Special Education Technology provides a description, evaluation of the project, case studies, and vignettes. The project provided technical assistance to local school districts to implement technology within special education programs. In year 1, technical assistance was provided to 27 local…

The Federal Resource Center for Special Education (FRC) was established to provide consultation, training, and technical assistance to Regional Resources Centers (RRCs) in order to enhance the quality and consistency of technical assistance content provided to State Education Agencies. FRC efforts focused on the Office of Special Education…

The following considerations are of major importance to the persons who act as technical assisters for the Long Range Plan for School Improvement (LRPSI) in Pennsylvania: (1) long-range planning should be viewed as a deliberative and participative process; its steps should not be considered in isolation from each other; (2) comprehensive needs…