A Parent Assistance Plan (PAP) was designed to teach parents to work on their children's language at home. Of four matched groups of nursery children, one received PAP, one PAP plus Distar language at school, one Distar only, and one no treatment. PAP groups showed significantly greater language development. (Author/SJL)

Summarized are results of a survey of past participants in the American Chemical Society's program for disadvantaged high school students (Project SEED). Results from 355 to 939 mailed surveys indicate a number of positive aspects in terms of academic and career guidance. (CS)

Presented is an historical review of programs and research in early childhood education, with particular emphasis on Project Head Start designed for poverty level preschool children. (SBH)

Describes the current state of evidence of effectiveness for replicable programs available to elementary and middle schools serving many students placed at risk, and provides Title I schools with information on the instructional outcomes of programs they might consider to meet student needs. Characteristics of programs identified as effective are…

Examined ethical conflicts arising in an Australian evaluation of care options for indigenous children and young people deemed to be at risk of neglect or abuse. Discusses ways the conflicts were addressed and identifies implications for evaluation practice. (SLD)

The evaluation of the preschool program conducted by the High/Scope Educational Research foundation is an example of a program evaluation that employed a randomized design and also examined long-term outcomes. The study, which employed a 22-year follow-up study, is important for its findings and its methodology. (SLD)

Examines the effectiveness of Teach Baltimore, a program (using trained college student volunteers) to prevent summer learning loss, for a group of 300 low-income, public elementary students, compared with 135 control students. Except for low-achieving kindergarteners, results show consistent, if statistically insignificant, positive effects for…

Despite Head Start's long history and ever-expanding budget, the achievement gap between advantaged and disadvantaged, between white and minority, is still substantial. Proposes keeping Head Start but letting a few states have more control of funds, carefully studying their subsequent reforms, and then determining future policy based on solid…

This working paper examines the approaches, wisdom, and experience generated by the ChalleNGe program, as well as the vast storehouse of knowledge and research, models and systems possessed by the military services that are potentially applicable to educating and developing youngsters who are at greatest risk of academic failure, economic…

More than 10 million children from birth through age six in the US live in low-income families. Although large investments in early childhood intervention programs are evident, is the field fully exploiting its potential to address the diverse needs of children and families? One means of addressing this question is to focus on the efficacy of…

There is a growing recognition that a healthy transition to adulthood is a result of a complex process that starts as children move into their teen years. This has resulted in a call for funders, policymakers, and youth program operators to adopt a youth development approach by providing the developmental opportunities and experiences that all…

Projects Return constitutes an attempt by the Portland (Oregon) Public Schools to bring school dropouts back into the school system. During 1986-87, Project Return handled 123 percent more referrals than during 1985-86, the project's first year; the actual figures were 1,091 and 489, respectively. Economically disadvantaged youth make up a large…

System Development Corporation conducted an extensive project of conceptualization and planning of models for compensatory educational intervention for older disadvantaged youth, at the secondary and postsecondary levels. Two intervention strategies were developed, and this report details the development of a field implementation plan for a…

This National Institute of Education (NIE) study of compensatory education, and evaluation of Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I is a response to congressional evaluation needs. The report traces the origin of Title I and the congressional interest in its evaluation. Prior efforts to assess the effectiveness of Title I, congressional…

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is a national program that seeks to motivate children to read. Implemented by local sponsors and aimed at disadvantaged groups, it offers participating children a wide selection of attractive paperback books about interesting people, places, and events. The multisite evaluation summarized in this report studied…