Search

This paper summarizes a report on a search for potential new educational approaches and assesses the readiness of these approaches to be implemented within Follow Through (FT) programs. Evaluation of potential FT sponsoring agencies focused on program implementation and maintenance, rather than on effectiveness in improving student outcomes. Three types of approaches were studied: home-based, special populations, and school-based. Eighteen potential sponsors were selected for in-depth study. They represented three basic approaches to education: behaviorist, cognitive developmental, and psychodynamic. Agencies were evaluated in terms of program base, targeted special populations, number of years in operation, targeted age/grade groups, institutional type, and validation by the Joint Dissemination Review Panel of the Educational Division of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Readiness of potential sponsors to implement FT programs was assessed through studies of programs currently being sponsored by the agencies. Abstracts of current programs are included. (MK)

The original plans for the Follow Through (FT) program were to provide a program extending the Head Start community action model to the public schools which would serve all disadvantaged children. Because of the small budget allocation authorized by the Congress, the United States Office of Education reformulated FT as an experimental program of "planned variation" that was to introduce systematically a variety of educational approaches into kindergarten through third grade. The experiment was to determine the relative efficacy of each approach. Presently, FT is in a period of transition as it clarifies its future focus. This study consists of a search for potential new approaches and an assessment of the readiness of these approaches to be implemented within the FT program. This first part of a two-part report contains the methods used in identifying essential program characteristics, the characteristics themselves, the methods used to identify potential new sponsors, a summary of the potential sponsor's approaches, and a global assessment of their readiness for implementation. (Author/MK)