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Between 1985 and 1994 the rate of violent criminal acts committed by juveniles rose sharply. Juvenile homicides committed with a handgun more than doubled. This bulletin discusses the national evaluation of the Youth Firearms Violence Initiative (YFVI), a program initiated by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to fund interventions that employed community policy approaches to decrease the number of violent fireman crimes committed by youth, including gang-and drug-related offenses. Five intensive sites (Baltimore, Cleveland, Inglewood, Salinas, San Antonio) were chosen for the YFVI initiatives. The evidence from Inglewood and Salinas supported the view that the YFVI intervention coincided with a significant drop in the level of gun crime, although at the other sites the interventions did not yield the same results. Efforts seem to depend on how departments conceived the initiative and the consistency of their focus. The federal government can play a stronger role in ensuring that participating departments adhere to the strategic goals and objectives. Funding agencies should adopt a timetable that more closely matches the exigencies of the world in which most departments operate. Care must also be taken not to impose Federal solutions on local problems. (Includes 8 exhibits.) (JDM)

In 1995, the National Science Foundation (NSF) developed a special initiative called Mathematical Science and Their Application Throughout the Curriculum (MATC) which was designed to promote comprehensive improvements in undergraduate education that lead to increased student understanding of and ability to use the mathematical sciences. The program funded seven comprehensive projects which varied in focus and structure. This report provides detailed information about this initiative and its findings. It concludes that the mathematics initiative provides an opportunity for higher education institutions to work together to reform undergraduate mathematics education so that students are both more appreciative of the role of mathematics and mathematical thinking in academic and applied endeavors, and more able to use mathematics. The initiative is introduced and its development, interorganizational, and interdisciplinary arrangements are discussed. (ASK)

Riverside Community College (RCC), in Riverside, California, launched New Visions in 1999, a program designed to help welfare recipients prepare for college and move to better jobs. The program is a partnership between RCC and the Riverside Department of Public Social Services (DPSS). New Visions provides a 24-week program of academic instruction and support services, followed by up to five months of credit-bearing course work in an occupational mini-program. Participants in the program must have a high school diploma or GED and be working at least 20 hours a week. New Visions offers classes in remedial math, English, reading, basic computer skills, and career-life guidance. Class schedules are designed to accommodate students' work, childcare, and transportation needs. After graduation from the core program, students move into an occupational mini-program in jobs such as nursing, medical technology, early childhood education, police dispatching, and others. The study found that 97% of program volunteers were female, 31% were African American, 21% were Hispanic, 48% were earning wages of less than $6.00 per hour, and 66% had been on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) for 12 months or longer. In addition, 41% volunteered for the program in order to earn a college degree or certificate. (Contains 27 references.) (Author/NB)

The Even Start program, designed to demonstrate ways of implementing and delivering family literacy services, has had strong evaluation requirements since its inception. An analysis was conducted to determine the types of evaluations programs had conducted and their findings concerning Even Start outcomes. A convenience sample of 4 state evaluations and 118 local evaluations from 19 states were used for the analysis. Findings indicated that programs rarely used data for program management and improvement. Almost all evaluations reported some information on project implementation, including descriptions of project structure and activities, recruiting and retaining families, and working with collaborative agencies. More than three-quarters of the evaluations contained information about program outcomes, although none incorporated the use of control or equivalent comparison families. Twenty-four evaluations were selected for detailed examination of outcomes. These evaluations showed consistent positive gains on measures of child and adult development. Half the reports gauged the size of outcomes by making comparisons to national data, to evaluations of other early childhood or adult education programs, or to normal development. Because local studies did not provide much useful information to local project directors, State Coordinators, or to the Department of Education, several recommendations were made, including changes in Even Start legislation language, provision of guidance regarding the amount of funding needed for conducting evaluations focusing on program improvement, and the establishment of a community of local evaluators. (Includes a list of principles for the continuous improvement approach.) (KB)

AmeriCorps is composed of three programs, State and National; National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC); and Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA). The focus of this report is on the AmeriCorps State/National program. Education-related activities have been a priority for AmeriCorps' parent organization, the National Corporation for Public Service, since its inception. To inform staff, programs, Congress, and other stakeholders about its literacy activities, the Corporation contracted with Abt Associates to conduct an independent descriptive study. Abt Associates surveyed 517 directors of AmeriCorps programs engaged in literacy services--of these, 481 responded for a response rate of 93%. Findings include: slightly more than half of all programs are involved in education (54%); 42% of programs provide literacy services (n=406); 37% of programs provide direct tutoring in reading (n=360); 5% of program provide literacy-related activities such as reading aloud to children (n=46); most AmeriCorps State/National educational programs provide literacy services (84%); and of those programs conducting literacy services, most conduct tutoring activities in reading (89%). The report is divided into these chapters: (1) Background; (2) Description of the AmeriCorps Educational State/National Literacy Programs; (3) Structure of Literacy Programs; and (4) Tutoring Activities and Effective Practices. Contains numerous exhibits of data. Appended are a description of the survey design and implementation; and selected analyses for the complete respondent sample. (NKA)

Short-term and 1-year effects of the Learn and Serve America program were examined in an evaluation of programs at 17 middle schools and high schools nationwide. The following four data sources were among those analyzed: survey responses and school records of approximately 1,000 Learn and Serve program participants and comparison group members; surveys of teachers at the 17 schools; telephone interviews with staff at participating community agencies; and on-site interviews and observation of program activities. Together, students at the 17 sites participated in more than 300 projects each semester and provided more than 150,000 hours of service during the program year. Although the Learn and Serve programs had a positive short-term effect on participants' civic attitudes and involvement in volunteer service at the end of the program year, they showed little evidence of longer-term impacts at the 1-year follow-up. The effects of service learning on academic performance were significantly greater among nonwhite and educationally disadvantaged participants. Despite strong administrator and teacher support for the program, few sites engaged in organized efforts to expand the use of service learning at either the school or school district levels. On average, program participants produced services valued at nearly four times the program's costs. (MN)

The Lifelong Learning Demonstration (LLD) in the Greater Baltimore area was designed to encourage adult workers to invest in education and training (ET) to upgrade their skills, productivity, and earnings. To test achievement of this objective, an evaluation estimated LLD's impact on school enrollments, number of credits earned, receipt and amount of financial aid, and receipt and amount of Federal Direct Student Loans. Over 200,000 people in the sample were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. LLD did not have a statistically significant impact on educational outcomes during the two-year follow-up period. The treatment--a brochure providing comprehensive information on ET opportunities and making it easier to acquire more career, school, and financial aid information--was not a strong enough intervention to change workers' behavior. LLD did not have an impact on ET participation. Younger adults, females, single workers, workers with postsecondary degrees, and people with outstanding loans were more likely to participate in ET. Nearly 75 percent of students had some college education; over half were married; over half were over age 35; more than 70 percent worked for employers who offered tuition reimbursement; mature incumbent workers bore significant costs to participate in ET; and students made a number of lifestyle adjustments to participate in ET. (Contains 28 references.) (YLB)

"Bottom Line" provides intensive advising for low-income high school students, most of whom are the first in their family to go to college. The advising is designed to help students apply for college and financial aid and select a high-quality, affordable institution. For students who attend one of "Bottom Line's" target colleges, which they identified as providing a high-quality education at an affordable price, "Bottom Line" continues to provide regular support to students on campus for up to six years. This What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) report, part of the WWC's Transition to College topic area, explores the effects of "Bottom Line" on enrolling and progressing in college. The WWC identified two studies of "Bottom Line," one of which meets WWC standards. The evidence presented in this report is from one study of the impact of "Bottom Line" on high school and college students--including African-American, Hispanic, and Asian students--based in Boston, New York City, and Worcester, Massachusetts. This intervention snapshot provides a brief summary of the full report. [For "Bottom Line. Intervention Report. Transition to College Topic Area. NCEE 2021-013," see ED612306. For "Bottom Line. Intervention Brief. Transition to College Topic Area. NCEE 2021-013," see ED612307.]

Many high school seniors who plan to attend college do not enroll, and others enroll but do not return for a second year. Low-income students are more likely than their higher-income peers to fall off track after high school ends. Text-message-based advising is a popular strategy to get students timely information and support, including among states and districts that participate in the federal college access program Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP). In this study about 4,800 college-intending seniors in high-need GEAR UP high schools across the country were randomly divided into two groups: one received their regular GEAR UP supports in the summer before and during their first year of college, and the other group received these regular supports along with 37 text messages customized to their college and the option to communicate with an advisor. The study compared the experiences and college enrollment patterns of the two groups of students to determine the effectiveness of the transition messaging. [For "Study of College Transition Messaging in GEAR UP: Impacts on Enrolling and Staying in College. Evaluation Report. NCEE 2021-005," see ED610968. For "Study of College Transition Messaging in GEAR UP: Impacts on Enrolling and Staying in College. Appendix. NCEE 2021-005a," see ED610969.]

Project Educational Quality in Adult Literacy (EQuAL) was initiated to improve the quality of adult basic and literacy education (ABLE) services provided to adult learners in Pennsylvania. Project EQuAL's objectives were as follows: (1) set performance standards to facilitate delivery of quality ABLE programs to adult learners; (2) institute a system of continuous program improvement for adult education service providers; and (3) develop a coordinated infrastructure of policy, program development, training, and technical assistance to support delivery of high-quality ABLE. The following phases of Project EQuAL were implemented in 1994-1998: (1) alignment of Pennsylvania's process for monitoring ABLE programs with indicators of program quality; (2) training of staff from 10 Pilot 1 sites to form EQuAL improvement teams and conduct a problem-solving process to improve programs; (3) training of staff at 10 Pilot 2 sites and development of policies to support Project EQuAL's assessment and program activities; (4) enhancement of the pilot sites and implementation of policies and planning; and (5) training of staff at 64 Wave 1 sites. By the end of phase 5, a number of objectives related to state policy formation, training and technical assistance, and quality improvement had been achieved. Descriptions of the Project EQuAL cohorts are appended. (Contains 19 exhibits.) (MN)

In 1995, Head Start developed performance measures to promote accountability through the assessment of program quality and outcomes. This report is the Head Start program's second progress report on its self-assessment using the Program Performance Measures. The measures are grouped under the five objectives of Head Start: (1) enhance children's growth and development; (2) strengthen families as the primary nurturers of their children; (3) provide children with educational, health, and nutritional services; (4) link children and families to needed community services; and (5) ensure well-managed programs that involve parents in decision-making. The report provides preliminary outcome data for measures outlined in Objectives 1 and 2, as well as process data for Objectives 3, 4, and 5. The outcome data are from the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES), a nationally representative sampling of Head Start programs, classrooms, teachers, parents, and children examining the quality and effects of Head Start. The data in this report are drawn from the spring 1997 FACES field test in which approximately 2,400 parents and children were studied in 40 Head Start programs. Following a description of the conceptual framework on which the measures are based, the report's introduction and overview present findings from the FACES study: (1) Head Start classroom quality is good; (2) Head Start children are ready for school; (3) program quality is linked to child performance; and (4) Head Start families are involved despite challenges. Chapter 1 of the report discusses the findings in more depth. Chapter 2 describes additional efforts underway to improve the quality and effectiveness of Head Start, including revision of the Head Start Program Performance Standards, monitoring system, and training and technical assistance system. Chapter 3 presents the Program Performance Measures Matrix, which contains data from the Head Start Monitoring and Tracking System (HSMTS) and the Program Information Report (PIR). (Contains 34 references and 31 tables and figures.) (EV)

As a reflection of the importance attached to successfully educating children whose native language is not English, the U.S. Department of Education's longitudinal study of Chapter 1 assistance, "Prospects," includes a component devoted to the analysis of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students. Chapter 1, renamed Title 1 in 1994, is the primary federal program of assistance for educating disadvantaged students. This report is the second of two focused on the LEP population. A cross-sectional description of LEP students and their educational services during the 1991-1992 school year appears in Puma and Moss (1995). That analysis is extended in this report by examining the background characteristics, educational experiences, and academic outcomes of LEP students during the full 4 years of the "Prospects" study, from the school year ending in 1991 to the school year ending in 1994. A nationally-representative sample of public school students in the 3rd grade in the 1990-1991 academic year, and a separate nationally representative sample of public school students in the first grade in the 1991-92 academic year, are tracked through 1994 (Grades 1 to 6) to document the experience of LEP students and contrast it with that of English proficient students. Chapter 1 focuses on defining the LEP population. Chapter 2 discusses the characteristics of LEP students and their families (ethnicity, language, income, family structure). Chapter 3 focuses on educational services for LEP students, and chapter 4 is concerned with the educational outcomes of LEP students, with specific focus in English proficiency, reading, math, and retention in grade. (Author/VWL)

The Even Start Family Literacy Program is intended to help break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy by improving the educational opportunities available to low-income families with limited educational experiences. Based on state and national evaluations, this report for policy makers and practitioners summarizes what has been learned about the Even Start family program after 10 years of demonstration and evaluation activities, and points out some of the directions, possibilities, and problems facing the program in the future. The report first describes the Even Start program as it has been implemented in more than 600 locations across the nation. The second section focuses on major changes that have occurred over the past decade: in the program size and administration, in the types of families served, in services and participation, and in program costs. The third section describes the kinds of effects that Even Start has had on participating families, with an emphasis on implications for improving practice. The final part of the report looks to the future and addresses issues of recent legislative changes, program quality, program institutionalization, the effect of welfare reform, and a trend toward improved evaluations. Contains 31 references. (HTH)

The Even Start Literacy Program addresses the basic educational needs of parents and children of low-income families by providing a unified program of: (1) adult basic or secondary education and literacy programs for parents; (2) assistance for parents to effectively promote their children's educational development; and (3) early childhood education for the children. This final report of the second national evaluation incorporates findings from interim analyses of data collected annually during the last 4 years as well as key findings from the first national evaluation to assess what aspects have changed and what have remained stable during the program's 8 years. Following an executive summary, the report's introduction examines program growth during the past 8 years and principles of the Even Start approach. The remaining chapters cover: (2) design and scope of the second national evaluation; (3) the needs of Even Start families; (4) what resources support the Even Start services; (5) what services Even Start projects provide to participants; (6) the extent to which Even Start families participate in the services provided; (7) educational and developmental outcomes; (8) findings from the two evaluations; and (9) conclusions. Findings include the following: (1) children achieved significant gains in cognitive development; (2) approximately 10 percent of adults attained a GED certificate while participating in Even Start in a given year; (3) service intensity, measured in hours of instructional services offered to participants, has increased steadily during the 4 years of the second evaluation; and (4) excluding families who left the program after having completed their goals, 60 percent of families in 1996-97 were continuing participation at the end of the program year (64 percent of new families; 54 percent of families continuing from previous years). The report's appendices include Even Start legislation, additional data tables, multivariate analyses in chapters 5 and 6, and additional information about the sample study. Contains 133 references.) (HTH)

The Even Start Family Literacy Program addresses the basic educational needs of parents and children of low-income families by providing a unified program of: (1) adult education and literacy programs for parents; (2) early childhood education for their children; and (3) assistance for parents to effectively promote their children's educational development. This report describes the Even Start Program at the end of the third year of its second national evaluation. Following an executive summary of the evaluation, the chapters cover: (1) principal components of the Even Start approach; (2) Even Start national evaluation, including the scope of the 1995-96 evaluation; (3) characteristics of Even Start families; (4) services provided to participants by Even Start projects; (5) extent of participation in Even Start services; (6) services provided to the neediest Even Start families; (7) educational and developmental outcomes of Even Start participants; (8) relationship of program outcomes to participant and project characteristics; and (9) resources that best support Even Start services. Among the findings noted in these sections are that: about 85% of 1995-96 enrollees had neither completed high school nor earned a GED; over half of Even Start projects were located in rural areas; across all educational components, projects commonly relied upon individualized instruction using curriculum materials externally developed by other programs; and major challenges to program implementation included improving attendance, improving participants' retention or motivation, obtaining sufficient financial resources, and obtaining adequate transportation. The report's three appendices detail Even Start legislation, provide additional data tables, and present content validity of measures used in the sample study. Contains 32 references. (HTH)

In 1995, the Jobs Initiative, an 8-year, six-site demonstration project, was launched to attempt to improve access to family-supporting jobs for disadvantaged young adults in the inner city. The Jobs Initiative is providing seed money to develop and implement job strategies in six cities: Denver (Colorado); Milwaukee (Wisconsin); New Orleans (Louisiana); Philadelphia (Pennsylvania); St. Louis (Missouri); and Seattle (Washington). The initiative begins with a planning phase, followed by a capacity-building phase and an implementation phase. This report is the executive summary of a report on the accomplishments and challenges of the planning phase across the six sites, roughly the period between November 1995 and March 1997. During the first year of the evaluation, the evaluation team documented baseline conditions at each site, chronicled the planning process, and worked with the sites to articulate their emerging "theories of change." Although the extent of progress varied from site to site, each location was able to make substantive progress in creating an organizational and strategic foundation for its regional initiative. Some of the questions and themes that have emerged during the planning phase are discussed and their potential implications for program development are noted. (SLD)

This report is one of a series presenting findings from "Prospects: The Congressionally Mandated Study of Educational Growth and Opportunity." This study, conducted in response to the 1988 Hawkins-Stafford Amendments, was a major effort to examine the effects of Chapter 1 on student achievement and other school-related educational outcomes. Data were collected during school years 1991-1994 from nationally representative samples of students from grades 1, 3, and 7 in an initial sample of about 400 schools. An essential finding of an interim report was that Chapter 1, as it was configured in 1991 and 1992, was insufficient to close the gap in academic achievement between Chapter 1 students and their more advantaged peers. In the period covered by this study, the achievement gap remained a reality. There were some highly disadvantaged schools in which children performed better than students in other high-poverty schools, and these were characterized by school-wide Chapter 1 programs; greater use of tracking by ability; more experienced principals; lower rates of student and teacher mobility; a balanced emphasis on remediation and higher-order thinking in classroom instruction; and higher levels of community, parent, and teacher support for the school's mission. Chapter 1 did serve the students most in need of help, but its assistance was insufficient to close the achievement gap. This is not to say that Chapter 1 was not helpful, but it was not enough to bring its students up to par. Data from the Prospects study support earlier research findings that the characteristics of the individual student and family account for the largest part of the variation in student achievement as measured by test scores, but that schools do make an important contribution that can be enhanced. Three appendixes present characteristics of low and high poverty schools, characteristics of high-performing high-poverty schools, and a description of the Technical and Stakeholder Work Group for the study. (Contains 13 exhibits and 9 references.) (SLD)

The tribal Even Start program is one of the set-aside components of the U.S. Department of Education's Even Start Family Literacy Program. Even Start combines adult literacy, early childhood education, and parenting education services for parents eligible for adult education and their children from birth to age 7. In 1994-95, nine Indian tribes and tribal organizations received direct federal grants to administer Even Start Projects. This report examines three of the projects: those administered by the Makah Tribe (Washington), the Cherokee Nation (Oklahoma), and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe (Arizona). The following is covered for each project: community characteristics, recruitment of families, program staff, content and delivery of Even Start services, coordination of service components, and evaluation and the Even Start Information System (ESIS). The three projects each serve 20-27 families in primarily rural areas. Many core services are delivered during home visits. This may be the preferred mode of delivery for tribal projects, due to expansive catchment areas and lack of public transportation, and because participants and staff are often previously acquainted. Major issues and challenges confronting tribal projects are related to preserving tribal culture, encouraging parent involvement, poverty, unemployment, lack of facilities, and lack of culturally relevant materials. Appendix includes topic and observation guides for site visits. (Author/SV)

The federal Even Start program was implemented to improve the educational opportunities of low-income children and adults by integrating early childhood education, adult education, and parent education into a unified family literacy initiative. This study was designed to assess the impact of Even Start on children's early school performance several years after their participation in the program and, secondarily, to characterize the schools in which the Even Start and comparison children were enrolled. Data were collected on a subset of children from the In-Depth Study of the first national evaluation of Even Start. Of the 179 children included in that study, 128 (72%) were involved in the Follow-Up study. The majority of the students were in the first and second grades during the 1994-95 school year. The medium-term effects of Even Start participation were assessed using the following measures: school grades; achievement test data; school attendance; special education placement; Title I placement; participation in transitional classrooms, summer school programs, and bilingual education; and grade retention history. The study found little difference between former Even Start participants and a control group except that Even Start participants were less likely to be tardy arriving at school. Given that previous research has demonstrated the positive long-term effects of early childhood education programs, these results might be explained by the absence of the following features in this study: (1) a longer interval between the treatment and subsequent follow-up; (2) the use of comparable grade data or achievement test scores; and (3) the capacity to collect new data from children as well as from teachers or parents. While it is possible that the Even Start program does not have medium- or long-term effects, it is also possible that these features needed to be included in the study design to detect meaningful differences. (Contains 24 references and 3 appendices which detail methodology and family characteristics.) (LPP)

This Pulse Check is a report of national trends in illicit drug abuse and drug markets in the United States. The report draws on conversations with ethnographers and epidemiologists working in the drug field, law enforcement agents, and drug treatment providers across the United States. Information from each of these sources is summarized in narrative form broken down by drug type and presented in detailed tables at the end of the report. The four groupings of drugs are heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and emerging drugs. Results show that the market for heroin and cocaine remains fairly stable. Marijuana continues to be popular among young people and is frequently used with alcohol, hallucinogens, cocaine, or methamphetamines. Among the emerging drugs, methamphetamine continues to be a problem in the West and parts of the South, its low price making it an easily accessible drug. "Club drugs," such as Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) and Ketamine, are part of the drug scene in most areas, with many young people using a combination of these substances. (RJM)

In fall 1994, 14 state Migrant Education Programs were receiving direct federal grants to administer Migrant Even Start projects. These projects provide migrant families with an integrated program of early childhood education, adult education, and parenting education. As part of the national evaluation of the Even Start Family Literacy Program, this report describes three Migrant Even Start projects, their evaluation activities and concerns, and the special challenges that they face. The projects are located in Yuma, Arizona; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and Berlin and Cambria, Wisconsin. Project descriptions cover program structure and administration, characteristics of the community served, family recruitment, content and delivery of Even Start services, staff, coordination of service components, participation and followup strategies, evaluation and the Even Start Information System (ESIS), and conclusions. Major challenges confronting Migrant Even Start projects include hiring qualified staff who are bilingual, bicultural, and knowledgeable about the migrant lifestyle; adapting service delivery to family schedules; collaborating with other community migrant services; providing continuity of services between sites; providing support services; dealing with migrant families' isolation in the community; and finding quality materials written in Spanish. In comparison to Even Start projects nationally, Migrant Even Start projects are unique in participant characteristics, families' strong commitment to the project, strong staff commitment and responsiveness, scheduling of services, and staffing patterns. Recommendations include increasing interproject collaboration and technical assistance. Contains 20 references and a topic guide for site visits. (SV)

The impact of the Conservation and Youth Services Corps on communities and program participants was evaluated by studying eight corps programs, which were located in the following areas: Washington State; New York City; Greater Miami, Florida; Santa Clara, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Camden County, New Jersey; Baltimore, Maryland; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Collectively, the 8 programs enrolled 2,382 participants (14% of all participants funded by the Commission on National and Community Service during the study period). Information collected through site visits and surveys of participants, sponsoring/host agencies, and service beneficiaries was used to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the programs and estimate their impacts on participants and the community. The programs' overall net monetary benefit to participants was estimated at $4.03 per service hour, whereas the net costs to the rest of society were estimated at $2.99 per service hour. Nearly 80% of program sponsors rated the quality of services provided by participants as good or excellent, and 69% of the program beneficiaries (including students, disadvantaged populations, senior citizens, and disabled individuals) rated the quality of work performed as good, very good, or excellent. The corps programs were found to have generally positive, albeit somewhat limited, impacts on program participants. (Fifteen tables/figures are included.) (MN)

This report explores the services delivered, student performance, and characteristics of student and family supports for learning in a sample of 35 Catholic schools. The characteristics of Chapter 1 services in the sample are then compared to Chapter 1 services provided in public schools. The data are drawn from the 1992 Catholic School Supplement of "Prospects: The Congessionally Mandated Study of Educational Growth and Opportunity," a 6-year longitudinal evaluation of the impact of the Chapter 1 program. The supplementary sample of 35 Catholic schools were studied using the same methods and data-collection instruments as the "Prospects" evaluation. Unlike the "Prospects" public school sample, which was a nationally representative sample of all U.S. public schools, the Catholic school sample was not randomly drawn. Forty percent of the sample was drawn from high-poverty schools, half of the sample was from schools in the Northeast, and about 90 percent of the students lived in urban areas. Five key findings are reported. First, students in the Catholic school sample who received Chapter 1 assistance were, like Chapter 1 students in public schools, both economically and educationally disadvantaged. However, the educational challenges appeared somewhat less severe for Catholic school students. Second, Chapter 1 was well-targeted on educationally disadvantaged students in both sampled Catholic and public schools. Third, Chapter 1 services in both Catholic and public schools were delivered by pulling children out of their regular classrooms for supplementary services. Fourth, the quality of services appeared to be relatively the same in both sampled Catholic school and public school settings for Chapter 1 students. Finally, the likelihood of a child receiving the benefits of Chapter 1 services was substantially greater in public schools than in Catholic schools. (Contains 65 exhibits and 16 references.) (LMI)

Serve-America is a national program that was established under the 1990 National and Community Service Act to involve young people in community service and thereby build their understanding of their communities, sense of social responsibility, and commitment to community involvement. In 1992, a 3-year evaluation of Serve-America was initiated to determine its effects on participants, benefits, and cost-effectiveness. The evaluation included observations, document reviews, and participant and control group surveys at 13 local Serve-America program sites. The evaluation established that, as of 1993-94, approximately 434,000 school-aged youths and 90,000 nonparticipant volunteers were participating in Serve-America programs. Serve-America was having positive effects on middle school and high school students and had created new service opportunities in 12 of the 13 intensive study sites. The Serve-America sites studied were producing approximately $3 in direct community benefits for every $1 in program costs. (Thirty tables/figures are included. Appendixes constituting approximately 50% of this document contain the following items: overview of the national evaluation; research and policy background of Serve-America; analysis sample and impact estimation method; definitions of scales and other outcome measures; baseline characteristics of participant and comparison group sample members; Subtitle B1 subgroup analysis; and baseline and follow-up surveys.) (MN)

The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) is a comprehensive nationwide study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics to determine how students and their families pay for postsecondary education and to describe some demographic and other characteristics of those enrolled. The study is based on a nationally representative sample of students in postsecondary education, including undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional students at public and private institutions, whether less-than-two-year, two-year, or four-year. Data were available on about 82,000 students, and parents of 18,000 students were selected for a telephone interview. This discussion of survey methodology focuses on: (1) study objectives and design; (2) institution sampling and enlistment; (3) student and parent sampling; (4) institutional records data collection; (5) student and parent surveys; (6) file creation and data analysis; (7) weights and variance estimation; (8) the 1993 NPSAS field test; and (9) a summary and recommendations for survey improvement. Six appendixes provide further details about methodology, including a formulation of the generalized rating model. (Contains 17 figures and 56 tables.) (SLD)

Even Start is a national program of early childhood and adult education to improve family literacy. This document is a series of four appendices which accompany the National Evaluation of the Even Start Family Literacy Program, a 4-year effort to assess projects, participants, and effects of Even Start. Appendix A provides in-depth description of nine participating literacy projects in various states. These descriptions include information on each project's context; its adult education, parenting, and early childhood services; its staffing needs; and its retention strategies. Appendix B provides a full set of the Even Start National Evaluation Information System Forms. Appendix C is a full set of the forms used to gather information for the in-depth program descriptions. Appendix D provides a detailed description of deriving estimates of program effect from reference groups. Included in this description are sections on: (1) defining project effectiveness; (2) establishing reference groups for comparisons; (3) assessing the comparability of reference groups; (4) evaluating implementation issues; (4) checking validity of growth expectations; and (5) using reference group analyses at the individual project level. (JW)

The Even Start program was authorized by Congress in 1988 to provide early childhood, adult, and parenting education to participating families in a family literacy initiative. This document provides an executive summary of the National Evaluation of Even Start, which assessed services, participants and effectiveness. The summary highlights topics such as the program's organization, implementation, and effects. Among the findings summarized are the following: (1) in its first 4 years, the program served more than 20,000 families, most of whom had incomes under $10,000 per year and were headed by parents who did not complete high school; (2) the cost was about $2,500 per family per year; and (3) the program produced effects such as helping parents attain GEDs and improving their literacy skills, and helping children increase their school readiness and vocabulary. The summary concludes by noting lessons learned from the program, specifically the importance of a high level of program participation for parents and children and the importance of parent interest as a way to improve children's gains. (JW)

The Even Start program was implemented to improve the educational opportunities of U.S. children and adults by integrating community early childhood education and adult education for parents into a unified family literacy initiative. This document is the final project report of the National Evaluation of the Even Start Family Literacy Program, a 4-year effort designed to describe types of Even Start projects that were funded, the services provided, the collaborative efforts undertaken, and obstacles to implementation that were encountered. The 13 chapters discuss: (1) program background; (2) program design and evaluation; (3) in-depth descriptions of several participating literacy projects; (4) characteristics of program participants, projects, and staff; (5) participation in and amount of services; and (6) assessing effects of Even Start on participants. Effects discussed were those on children, parent literacy, parenting skills, and family life. Program cost is discussed, and a summary and conclusions of the evaluation are also presented. This summary notes that Even Start produced some positive short-term effects on children and adults, although those effects vary greatly across projects. On average, the resulting gains were no greater than those that similarly motivated families would obtain from locally available services. For Even Start to have a larger effect, the program would need to provide services more intensively. (Contains 72 references.) (JW)

The main parameters of state self-employment assistance (SEA) programs for unemployed workers were tested in two experimental demonstrations authorized by the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act. The Washington State and Massachusetts Unemployment Insurance (UI) Self-Employment Demonstrations evaluated the ability of the employment security and economic development systems to work together and help UI recipients create their own jobs by starting businesses. The classical experimental design randomly assigned applicants to either a treatment or a control group. Design differences between the two demonstrations were a requirement in the Massachusetts authorizing legislation that eliminated those with a low predicted probability of exhausting UI benefits and eligibility of Washington participants to receive a lump-sum payment of remaining benefits. The demonstrations were initiated in six Washington and seven Massachusetts sites. Relatively few new UI claimants in both states chose to pursue self-employment when the opportunity arose. Findings from a follow-up survey approximately 31 months after assignment in Massachusetts and approximately 33 months in Washington, indicated that both demonstrations increased the likelihood of self-employment, increased the total time in employment, and reduced the length of unemployment. Both programs were cost effective from the nonparticipant and government perspectives. (Appendixes include definitions of independent variables, significant coefficients, and effects on subgroups.) (YLB)

A study examined the impacts of different education and training (E&T) assignments in Ohio's Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) Training Program on the employment and earnings of Aid to Families with Dependent Children recipients who became mandatory JOBS clients in 1989 or 1990. Data on the JOBS assignments and earnings and employment of a random sample of 12,556 members of the JOBS evaluation's treatment group were obtained from Ohio's automated JOBS tracking and unemployment insurance systems. A comparison of the employment and earnings patterns of treatment group members who did and did not ever receive E&T assignments failed to uncover any statistically significant impacts of JOBS program participation for either the ever-assigned or never-assigned client groups. A comparison of outcomes of different types of E&T activity established that assignments to job clubs, postsecondary education, and job readiness training activities were generally associated with positive impacts, whereas assignments to basic education were associated with lower-than-expected earnings. Assignments to community work experience had no statistically significant effects on earnings. (Fourteen exhibits are included. Appended is the impact estimation method used to estimate program outcomes.) Contains 17 references. (MN)

This document is a summary and evaluation of methodological procedures and results for the field test of the Beginning Postsecondary Student Longitudinal Study Second Followup, 1990-94 (BPS:90/94). The BPS study is a departure from previous studies in that it starts with a cohort of individuals as they enter their postsecondary studies regardless of when they completed high school. As a result, information is becoming available about nontraditional students who have delayed the completion of their education. All types of postsecondary students (academic, vocational/occupational, and technical) are included and can be represented in known proportions. An introduction considers the background, purposes, and scheduled products of the BPS study. Chapter 2 describes study design and method. Operating control systems implemented for the study are described in chapter 3. Details and descriptions of data locating and collection activities and outcomes are given in chapter 4, and data quality is examined in chapter 5. Supporting documentation is presented in four appendixes. Eight figures and 42 tables contain information about conducting the study. (SLD)

The Star Schools Assistance Program has been funding activities since 1988. It provides projects with seed money to develop distance learning programming and equip sites. In addition, Star Schools has served as a focal point for demonstrating innovative uses of technology to advance educational opportunity and improvement. This paper represents the first part of a 2-year evaluation of Star Schools. Site visits, interviews, and document reviews of eight Star Schools programs in more than 80 schools provided evaluation information. The Introduction of this report provides background information about the Star Schools Program and it includes a discussion of the implications of amendments to the Star Schools Program Assistance Act for the evaluation study. The second section presents preliminary findings from the evaluation. Among the implementation issues discussed is how technology is used to support student or teacher learning. The report concludes with a summary of findings foremost of which is that the seed money function of the program (achieved with high initial costs) can be supported, but that seed money alone is not enough to further distance education. As demonstration programs, the Star Schools provide valuable examples for educational opportunity improvement. Six tables illustrate the discussion. (Contains 9 references.) (SLD)

The most comprehensive nationwide research ever conducted on the juvenile detention and corrections field was a study by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) assessing conditions of confinement for juveniles and determining the extent to which those conditions conform to recognized national professional standards. The study covered all 984 public and private juvenile detention centers, reception centers, training schools, and ranches, camps, and farms in the United States. Youth halfway houses, shelters, and group homes; police lockups, adult jails, and prisons that hold juveniles tried and convicted as adults; and psychiatric and drug treatment programs were excluded. Data came from the 1991 Children in Custody census, a special mail survey sent to all facilities, and 2-day site visits to 95 facilities. The study's findings suggest three major themes: (1) there are several areas in which problems in juvenile facilities are substantial and widespread, most notably living space, health care, security, and control of suicidal behavior; (2) findings do not support the premise that high levels of conformance to national recognized standards results in improved conditions of confinement; and (3) deficiencies were found to be distributed widely across facilities. This report presents a summary of the findings from the OJJDP study, provides an overview of conditions, examines areas with substantial and less substantial deficiencies, looks at areas with minimal deficiencies, and offers 19 recommendations to improve conditions of confinement for juveniles. (NB)

In order for teachers to improve their effectiveness, they must be knowledgeable about student learning, curriculum developments, and new instructional approaches. This document discusses learning, curriculum reform, and teacher improvement. Chapter 1, "The National Perspective" (Stephen J. Fitzsimmons and Larry C. Kerpelman), prepares the way for subsequent chapters to examine in detail what is known about ways of improving the quality of science and mathematics education provided by teachers of our nation's youth. In chapter 2, "The Context of Science and Mathematics Inservice Education Programs," Iris R. Weiss sets the context for understanding where science and mathematics preparation stands at the K-12 levels in the United States. In chapter 3, "Cognitive Aspects of Learning in Science," Jose P. Mestre provides a review of the research on cognitive aspects of learning science concepts and principles. In chapter 4, "Approaches to the Science Curricula for Grades K-12," Senta A. Raizen reviews the state of science curricula, their objectives, and recent movements for reform. In chapter 5, "In-service Education Models for Enhancing the Teaching of Science," Richard J. Shavelson and colleagues lay out a bidimensional approach to understanding and planning inservice education for science teachers. In chapter 6, "Learning and Teaching Mathematical Sciences: Implications for Inservice Programs," Penelope L. Peterson describes four assumptions about learning that are central to contemporary theory, research, policy, and practice in mathematics education. In chapter 7, "Questions about the Mathematics Curricula for Grades K-12," Thomas A. Romberg provides a thorough discussion of what curriculum reform in mathematics must involve and the rationale for such reform. In chapter 8, "In-service Programs in Mathematics Education," Thomas J. Cooney discusses inservice models for mathematics educators, paying particular attention to the philosophical and epistemological underpinnings for such models. Finally in chapter 9, "Observations and Considerations," Roger G. Baldwin and Frances Lawrenz discusses the national need for a teacher enhancement system that supports the reform movement in science and mathematics education. (ZWH)

This volume presents methods and first-year findings from the urban and suburban/rural studies of Special Strategies for Educating Disadvantaged Children, a 3-year project that is collecting case study data on 10 different strategies identified as holding promise for educating this group of children. Data collected by Special Strategies involve only those schools that had Chapter 1 programs or were eligible to participate in Chapter 1 and includes observations of classroom instruction and student/teacher and student/student interactions; interviews with school-related staff appropriate to each of the program types; and surveys of parents, teachers, principals, district coordinators, and children in the third grade and above using instruments developed for the study. Selected first year observations show that: (1) little consideration is given to alterative educational options when administrators and/or teaching staff choose a student improvement curricular program, (2) the extent to which a strategy is easily and effectively implemented varies according to how extensive a change is required of teachers and administrators and the level of expertise of the teacher in both content matter and instructional delivery, and (3) successful program implementation requires additional funding and high levels of initial technical assistance and staff development. Appendices contain interview guides and research materials. (Contains over 100 references.) (GLR)

The first and longest section of this publication is a comparative analysis summarizing the impacts of the two Unemployment Insurance (UI) Self-Employment Demonstration Projects in Washington State and Massachusetts. Based on the first wave of post-project follow-up surveys, this evaluation report provides results on the net impacts of each project on the following: business formation and survival rates; participants' employment and earnings from both self-employment and wage and salary employment; participants' duration of unemployment and receipt of UI benefits; and job creation. In the Washington and Massachusetts demonstrations, self-employment assistance promoted rapid reemployment of project participants, directly increased job creation, and significantly increased participants' total employment. One additional result is reported for the Massachusetts demonstration: self-employment assistance significantly increased total earnings of participants. The second part of the publication focuses on the recent national legislation authorizing self-employment assistance (SEA) programs. This section includes the text of the legislation itself, North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act SEA Programs, and a Department of Labor program letter providing guidance to the states in developing their SEA program. A listing of 80 papers in the UI Occasional Paper Series is appended. (YLB)

The Washington State Self-Employment and Enterprise Demonstration (SEED) was the first federally sponsored self-employment demonstration program for unemployed workers in the United States. Its primary purpose was to determine the viability of self-employment as a reemployment option for recipients of Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits who do not have immediate job prospects. The SEED Demonstration was implemented in six sites, representing both rural and urban areas of Washington, from September 1989 through March 1991. It was implemented as a classical experiment, in which eligible program applicants were randomly assigned either to a treatment group (N=755) or to a control group (N=752). Those assigned to the treatment group were offered business startup training, a waiver of the UI work search requirement, and periodic payments equal to their regular UI benefits. Those who achieved all project requirements were also eligible for a lump-sum payment equal to their remaining UI benefits. Interim impacts were based on data from a follow-up telephone survey approximately 21 months after assignment. Results indicated the SEED Demonstration dramatically increased the likelihood of being self-employed (by 25 percentage points), accelerated entry into self-employment (by 6 months), and increased earnings from self-employment (by about $3,000). It delayed reemployment in a wage and salary job (by 1 month) and reduced earnings from such jobs (by about $2,500). (An appendix defines independent variables.) (YLB)

Many programs and practices aim to improve college persistence and completion, including "Single Stop USA's Community College Initiative," hereafter referred to as "Single Stop." "Single Stop" supports community college students with screening and applications for public benefits and other wraparound services that can include housing, food assistance, tax preparation, child care, financial and legal services, and immigration consultations. This What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) report, part of the WWC's Supporting Postsecondary Success topic area, explores the effects of "Single Stop" on persistence in college and academic achievement. The WWC identified three studies of "Single Stop." Two of these studies meet WWC standards. The evidence presented in this report is from studies of the impact of "Single Stop" on first-time community college students--including Black, Hispanic, and White students--in urban, suburban, and rural settings. This intervention snapshot provides a brief summary of the full report. [For "Single Stop USA's Community College Initiative. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report. NCEE 2021-002," see ED611051. For "Single Stop USA's Community College Initiative. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Brief. NCEE 2021-002," see ED611052.]