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The Report is organized by Performance Measure, followed by a collection of lessons learned, not only from the findings but also from the process of obtaining them. Appendices offer the original protocols, and the full texts of the original Network Evaluation Framework and the Network Accountability Report Plan. An Executive Summary provides a succinct overview and highlights of the findings and lessons. It is important to stress that this effort focuses on the performance of RRCs, on their efforts and effects working with client states. In its RRFC Network partnership, the Federal Resource Center (FRC) provided substantial support, but as its mission, clientele and expected effects are distinct, no suggestion as to the FRC's functions or performance are intended or should be inferred. Network, as used in this report, refers to the six RRCs. Appended are: (1) Protocols for Performance Measures 2, 3 and 4; (2) RRC Network Evaluation Framework; and (3) Network Accountability Report Plan.

This study examined whether variations in the Developmental Observation Checklist (DC) format influences congruence of scores among both parents and the child's teacher. The DC was varied by adding pictorial illustrations and examples and having three response categories instead of two. Results from 100 sets of participants were evaluated with each set consisting of a mother, father, and teacher of children chronologically below the age of 6 years with and without developmental delays. Participants were enrolled in early intervention and child-care programs in Alabama and Mississippi. A 3 X 4 factorial analysis of variance, one between-subjects factor (versions of the instrument) and one within-subjects factor (rater type) were utilized. Findings indicated no significant difference between the raters could be attributed to the different versions of the assessment instrument. However, a significant difference among the raters was found, with mothers rating the child's skills highest, the fathers next, and the teachers last. Much of the document contains appendices including a discrepancy evaluation model, the list of DC items clarified with pictures and/or examples, created versions of the DC, and the training module for research assistants. (DB)

This paper reviews early childhood special education assessment literature, particularly as it relates to parental involvement. First, the significance of the topic is addressed by examining the importance of parental participation in the assessment and intervention process, and the influence of parental participation on various relationships. Second, the paper identifies the salient factors that appear to influence parents' observations, including: (1) adjustment to disability; (2) experience with the child; (3) age of child; (4) gender; (5) socioeconomic status; (6) severity of the disabling condition/s; and (7) the assessment instrument. Third, the critical factors that influence observations by the professional are presented. These include attitudes, professional knowledge, experience, and the assessment instrument. Fourth, the paper discusses implications for "best practice" regarding professional and parental roles, as well as considerations relating to the type of response requested from the parent and the assessment. Finally, an analysis of the studies and summary of the literature on assessment as it pertains to parental and professional congruency are presented. A table listing characteristics of the studies reviewed is appended. (Contains 115 references.) (DB)

Alabama has serious economic and social problems, and the situation is worse in rural areas and small towns than in urban areas. The solutions to the problems of small communities must be found within the communities themselves. Sustainable communities are those that aggressively manage their destiny, based on a realistic and well planned vision. A sustainable community depends on the involvement of competent local leaders. Effective leadership development programs must take place in the community and be grounded in the knowledge of local conditions. Community leadership is also experiential and action based. Leadership training is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for improving community viability. Leadership development is a long-term process that should be integrated with community and economic development activities. Components of leadership development are technical knowledge about communities and successful development strategies; awareness, understanding, and application of leadership skills; and partnerships among community organizations and institutions. A leadership development continuum outlines elements in four developmental phases--personal, interpersonal, group or organizational, and community or systems development. (SV)

This document contains samples of work specific curricula for the basic level (I) and advanced level (II) of the safety section of the Auburn University (Alabama) Demonstration project in adult education. The samples consist of instructor manuals and student books. Content of each instructor manual--one for level I and another for level II--includes readability tests, introduction, three lessons matched with basic competency skills, actual copies of workplace materials that were used in the development of the curriculum and that are referenced to the applicable lesson, individualized education plan, materials on additional learning methodology, section evaluation with answer key, and listing of supplementary materials for remedial work. The student book for level I contains samples of curriculum materials for the three lessons on safety and housekeeping, machine adjustments, and machine safety. The student book for level II contains sample curriculum materials for lessons on housekeeping, a safe work environment; machine adjustments; and safety and compressed air. Objectives, vocabulary, and exercises are included in each student book. (YLB)

Administrators at two-year college and secondary area vocational centers accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools were surveyed regarding their institutions' actual and ideal involvement in 29 economic development activities. Usable data were collected from 345 administrators, and data from 75 respondents were further analyzed for differences between states (7 Alabama and 68 non-Alabama), type of college (50 community college and 25 technical college), and interaction of state by type of college. The study found that Alabama administrators tended to perceive themselves to be doing less than they should for economic development, while non-Alabama administrators tended to perceive themselves to be doing more. Both community and technical college administrators tended to perceive themselves as doing more for economic development than they should. The survey instrument is included. (KP)

This study examined the teacher personnel needs of special education programs in Alabama utilizing data from a survey of the 130 local education agencies and the annual child count of students enrolled in special education classes. Data are presented in narrative and tabular form and address, first, personnel shortages and deficiencies according to location within the state and by category of exceptionality; and, second, personnel needs and requirements as they relate to the future staffing of special education programs. Included is information on historical changes in the numbers of special education students and teachers, current teacher-pupil ratios, the number of out-of-field teachers, vacant positions, the demographic characteristics of special education teachers, and the number of persons graduating from teacher training programs. Among conclusions are that though the number of special education students has increased by 3.3 percent over the last 5 years, the number of teachers has declined by 0.4 percent; that about 11 percent of all special education teachers are currently teaching under out-of-field penalty waivers; and that most of the need is concentrated in rural districts. (DB)

In 1992, a study was conducted to ascertain the opinions of selected public and private two-year college administrators regarding the use of 15 leisure and recreational activities for countering work-related stress. Questionnaires eliciting self-perceptions were sent to all presidents/directors of two-year institutions accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted of the data collected. Survey findings, based on 373 responses, representing 175 public community colleges, 119 public technical colleges, and 79 private technical colleges, included the following: (1) the majority of respondents were white (92.2%) males (84.7%); their average age was 50.7 years; and they had been educational leaders for an average of 9.7 years, employing 3.25 administrative assistants; (2) 81% reported using hobbies and recreational activities as a form of recreation; (3) while public technical college presidents were equally concerned with health maintenance, they appeared to use diversionary coping strategies significantly less than public community and private technical college presidents; and (4) many of the respondents had not structured leisure activity plans to assist them in countering work-related stress, and some appeared to be unaware of the value of these activities as components of a coping strategy. (MPH)

Time constraints often diminish college administrators capacity to address problems and concerns. The lack of time to accomplish administrative responsibilities can both produce and magnify stress. Perceptions of amounts of time spent on problems associated with 21 administrative activities were obtained from 373 public community, public technical, and private technical college presidents or directors within the area of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. This study involved the collection of demographic data; a principal component analysis of patterns of time associated with the 21 administrative activities clustered in the areas of instruction, support, relationships, facilities, and accreditation; and a comparison of the difference between average time allocations of academic and technical college presidents as well as the differences between public and private college presidents. Study results included the following: (1) there was no relationship between years as an administrator and the five clusters of administrative activities; (2) time devoted to instructional considerations, and time spent to develop or foster relationships was significantly higher for technical college presidents (both public and private) than for public college presidents, while time spent to obtain support for the institution was significantly lower for technical college presidents; (3) time spent on matters of accreditation was significantly higher for private technical college presidents than for the presidents of public institutions; and (4) the majority of presidents were white, middle-aged males who held doctorates. Data tables and references are included. (PAA)

The Regional Resource Center (RRC) program mission is to strengthen the capacity of state systems of education and early intervention to improve results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities and their families. It is one of the longest and most successful technical assistance projects of the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education. The full program currently includes six individual RRCs and one Federal Resource Center, but the focus of this effort is on RRC performance. Network, as used in this report, refers to the six RRCs. The Regional Resource Center (RRC) Network Accountability Report documents the efforts and results of the RRC Network to: (1) agree on a common set of performance measures; (2) collect the data on those measures, by region; and (3) aggregate those data and use them to make statements about the effects of RRC technical assistance for clients and their systems. This report is organized by Performance Measure, followed by a collection of lessons learned, not only from the findings but also from the process of obtaining them. [Document produced by the Regional Resource Center Network.)

In an effort to construct a quantitative aspiration measure for adults, a hypothetical situation with job related conditions was presented to a stratified sample of 21 counties in 5 southern states randomly selected from a 7-state regional sample of low-income county household heads and homemakers in 1960. Resulting data were tested for scalability, and two independent Guttman scales were constructed. The household head scale consisted of seven conditions and the homemaker scale of six conditions. A restudy of the same 21 counties was conducted in 1972 with the objective of determining changes which had occurred in counties classified as low-income in 1960 (no effort was made to contact the same households, but 190 of the same households were interviewed again). Three social and economic factors describing household status attainment (occupation of household head, family income, and social participation) were considered in terms of differentiated aspiration levels. Findings indicated use of a hypothetical goal situation to measure the aspirations of adult females was valid; however, it was concluded that aspiration projected by the homemaker for her husband was a less appropriate procedure in the context of the 1970's than it was in the 1960's. (JC)

In order to ascertain whether distinctive patterns of selectivity exist among young aspirants to professional careers in education and health situses, data from a survey of high school seniors (N=1,500) in four northeast and two southeast Alabama counties and from three selected urban high schools adjacent to the northeast counties were examined. The variables employed were: race (white and black), sex, place of residence (city, town, country, and farm), and academic performance. Respondents were asked to identify both career choice and rationale for career choice. Findings indicated: the only major source of career selectivity existed along sex lines; there was little support for the contention that education represents a more easily attainable point of entry into the professions for black, rural, and less academically successful youth than the health situs; youth aspiring to education careers were more motivated by humanitarian considerations than those aspiring to the health professions; when sex was held constant, several distinctive attitudinal differences were observed between youth aspiring to careers in education and health. Since these data failed to consistently show any extensive selectivity of youth aspiring to professional careers, it was suggested that perhaps these considerations were not as meaningful at the level of aspiration as they might have been at the level of expectation. (JC)

The course of collective bargaining for public employees (including teachers) in the state of Alabama is examined in this study. Although Alabama currently has no state legislation providing for bargaining for teachers, the trend nationally, as well as in the state, seems to be toward establishment of bargaining units for public employees. The author interviewed representatives of Alabama organizations that indicated interest in and influence on employer-employee relations in the state. These organizations included business and employer groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, as well as employee groups such as the Alabama Education Association. He also surveyed school district personnel and selected legislators and mayors. The results of the survey indicate that Alabama is not yet a good nesting place for public employee collective bargaining. Also included is a summary of labor legislation for other states and a brief review of the history of collective bargaining. The author concludes that since some form of professional negotiations for teachers and other public employees is inevitable, the state should take immediate action to prepare for the passage of a collective bargaining law. The author proposes the content of such a law. (Author/DS)

The purpose of the project was to perfect a career decision-making model that could be used by an adult basic education teacher to help the disadvantaged adult upgrade himself educationally and make a realistic career decision based upon his and his family's personal value system; his goal decided upon, the model could be used to help him determine the best route to his selected career. The evaluation of the project attempts to illustrate how the project was interphased with a total adult education program to achieve its objectives, and to improve the total program. The evaluators visited the project four times during the year for program observation and review, and consultation with the project staff. The program description provided is detailed and comprehensive; the evaluators have placed the program in context with many tables of relevant statistical data. Evaluation is made with reference to each of the project's specific objectives. Nearly 5,000 adult learners were served during the year, at a total cost slightly exceeding $200,000. The economic level of a majority of the learners did not rise during the project's duration, but the program paved the way for future improvement through the educational progress made. (Author/AJ)

Using questionnaire derived-data from randomly selected Northeast Alabama high schools, an historical comparison was made of the educational goals of 924 seniors in 1966 (19 schools) and 918 seniors in 1972 (15 of the same schools). Differences in the status projections of 1966 youth (438 males and 486 females) and their 1972 counterparts (470 males and 448 females) were made on the basis of sex. Research objectives were to determine: (1) the nature and extent of patterns of change relative to educational status goals and (2) the influence of place of residence on change in educational status orientations. Compared by year, the educational orientations of male and female respondents were tabulated for five orientation dimensions (aspiration, expectation, goal deflection, intensity of aspiration, and certainty of expectation) and for the same dimensions with reference to place of residence. Findings indicated that between 1966 and 1972: educational aspirations had significantly declined; the value placed on education had substantially declined; the certainty of achievement of educational expectations had lessened; the 1972 male respondents had experienced less incongruence between their educational aspirations and expectations than had 1972 females; and the downward change had persisted regardless of residence type. (JC)

The project, conducted in five Alabama counties, was concerned with identifying and recruiting nonreading young adults and providing home-based instruction to those who could not attend adult basic education classes. Paraprofessionals and volunteers were recruited and trained in order to meet this objective. As of May 31, 1975, over 40 community agencies had provided home-based instruction, with free materials and at least one hour of instruction per week, for 259 learners at a cost of $356.06 per person. Background information on the locale, school systems, and special factors of the five counties (Montgomery, Macon, Russell, Jefferson, and Tuscaloose) are given. The following program elements are described: participant characteristics, objectives, personnel, organization details, activities and services, instructional equipment and materials, information dissemination, community development, and budget. The third party evaluation involved two aspects: (1) a process evaluation utilizing planning and process evaluation worksheets to evaluate the program's functions, and (2) a product evaluation surveying participant reactions in relationship to the program's 12 objectives. Tables supplement the discussions. Nineteen appendixes, one-half of the document, present project-related materials including: a university workshop and inservice programs, publicity materials, case studies, evaluation instrument, progress reports, forms, sample materials, and correspondence. (Author/EC)

The K-12 career education program in the Pickens County Schools, Alabama, is designed to place particular emphasis on the importance of the development of decision-making skills as an aspect of career development. For each stage of career development (awareness, accommodation, exploration, and preparation) key vocational developmental tasks highlight the methods and techniques for individual learners becoming aware of self and the world of work and relating the growing knowledge of self and the occupational options and alternatives to the processes of career development. About half of the document consists of job descriptions for occupations in radio and television grouped according to eight academic areas (English, history, mathematics, economics, sciences, health and physical education, music, and art). A six-page annotated bibliography of career-oriented books for grades K-6 is included. (Author/SA)

The correlation between educational aspiration and educational achievement was investigated in 6 Southern states via a longitudinal study (1965-1972). Approximately 1,200 rural youth, stratified by race, sex, and socioeconomic status, were contacted when sophomores, when seniors, and when 4 years beyond high school graduation. Findings revealed that: (1) the majority of the sample had completed no post-high school training; (2) white youths were more likely than nonwhite youths to have completed academic programs, while nonwhite youths were somewhat less likely to have completed any post-high school training and if they had, it was most often of a technical nature; (3) about 21 percent of the youth from the upper socioeconomic strata had completed college as compared to 10 percent and 8 percent of those from the middle and lower strata; (4) men were somewhat more likely than women to have completed some type of post-high school education, but women were slightly more likely to have attained higher education levels; (5) of the young adults who had not completed post-high school education, only 25 percent were enrolled in an educational program at the time of the interview; (6) high school aspirations far exceeded post-high school achievement (only 23 percent of the respondents had achieved or equaled their goals); and (7) aspirations remained high despite achievement level. (JC)

This investigation was undertaken to determine the perceptions of interns and agribusinessmen towards the technical internship in agricultural education at Auburn University. The findings of this report are based upon data supplied by 37 interns and 37 agribusinessmen who participated in the technical internship program from June, 1971 through August, 1973, and who responded to questionnaires provided them. Data from the returned instruments were tabulated using: (a) percentages, (b) frequency tabulations, and (c) rank ordering procedures. (Sample responses to survey questions are included in the section on analysis of data.) The findings of this report show that both interns and agribusinessmen were enthusiastic supporters of the internship approach to the development of professional and technical instructional proficiency in agriculture/agribusiness. An extensive appendix is attached which contains (a) a course outline, (b) a memorandum to teachers, (c) several forms, (d) examples of an intern's plan of study, (e) an assignment request to agribusiness, (f) a rating scale, (g) task sheets, (h) questionnaires, and (i) a selected bibliography. (RC)

A study determined effective inservice education methods to reduce the apprehension of experienced vocational education teachers regarding instruction of handicapped students. In order to guide the study, three null hypotheses were generated and tested. A three-group, randomized, pre- and post-test experimental design was utilized. Thirty teachers of vocational agribusiness in Alabama, who were attending a workshop for cooperating teachers, were randomly assigned treatments which consisted of a videotaped presentation, a lecture (control), and a self-paced individualized packet. The Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons (ATDP) instrument was utilized to collect data. Descriptive and inferential statistics utilized to analyze the data included percentages, means, frequencies, correlated T-tests, Chi Square, and analysis of variance. All three null hypotheses were rejected at the .05 level of confidence: Voc-Ag teachers were moderately positive in attitudes toward the disabled; there were changes in attitudes after inservice treatments as measured by the ATDP; and the videotape presentation was most effective. Lecture was next in effectiveness, and the self-study was least effective in changing attitudes of teachers toward the disabled. Seven recommendations were made based on the findings of the study. (Author/YLB)