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The Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) 2022 Annual Report summarizes data contributed to CCMH during the 2021-2022 academic year, beginning July 1, 2021 and closing on June 30, 2022. De-identified data were contributed by 180 college and university counseling centers, describing 190,907 unique college students seeking mental health treatment; 4,688 clinicians; and 1,287,775 appointments. In this report, CCMH explores how counseling centers contribute to the academic mission of institutions by examining the risk and protective factors associated with voluntary withdrawal from school during services. This investigation was critical given the concerning national rates of "drop out" among college students. CCMH examined if any information routinely collected when students enter counseling services was associated with leaving school during services. While several variables increased the risk, students who identified as freshman/first-year status with current elevated levels of academic distress and a history of a psychiatric hospitalization were 48% more likely to withdraw from school during treatment. Several protective factors were discovered that reduce the risk of withdrawal from school, including improvement in Depression, Generalized/Social Anxiety, and overall distress symptoms during services. Most notably, when Academic Distress significantly decreased during counseling and students were concurrently participating in an extracurricular activity, they were 51% less likely to withdraw from school. The current findings highlight the critical role college counseling centers serve in supporting the academic mission of institutions. When students improve during services at counseling centers, they are more likely to persist in school. [For the 2021 report, see ED617358.]

The Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) 2021 Annual Report describes 153,233 unique college students, nationally and internationally, seeking mental health treatment; 4,043 clinicians; and more than 1,135,520 appointments from the 2020-2021 academic year. This is the 13th year the report has been produced. This year's report specifically examined the relationship between counselor caseloads (Clinical Load Index (CLI) scores) and the amount of treatment received by students with critical and key needs (e.g., students with suicidality, recent self-harm, sexual assault survivors, and students with a registered disability). Also captured in the report are the ongoing mental health trends among college and university counseling centers. Several mental health trends shifted during 2020-2021, likely a consequence of the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings demonstrated students with all presenting concerns, on average, received less treatment at high CLI centers, including clients with recent serious suicidal ideation and self-injury, histories of sexual assault and trauma, transgender identity, registered disability, first-generation identity, and various racial/ethnic identities. The report concludes that the increasing demand for services in college counseling centers over the last two decades, coupled with the lack of equivalent funding to increase treatment capacity, has led to negative consequences for counseling centers, including pending questions about the effect on the counselors providing services. [Additional support for this research comes from the collaborative efforts of over 600 university and college counseling centers; Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD); Titanium Software, Inc.; and the Penn State University Counseling and Psychological Services. For the 2020 report, see ED610604.]

The 2020 Annual Report summarizes data contributed to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) during the 2019-2020 academic year, beginning July 1, 2019 and closing on June 30, 2020. De-identified data describing 185,440 unique college students seeking mental health treatment, 3,890 clinicians, and 1,395,685 appointments. The following are key findings and implications contained in this year's report: (1) The Clinical Load Index (CLI), first released in the Fall of 2019, can be conceptually thought of as the "average annual caseload" for a "standardized counselor" within a counseling center. The CLI was designed to provide a more accurate and consistently comparable metric that describes the landscape of staffing levels rather than offering a single recommendation. The 2020 Annual Report built on this foundation with two additional goals: (1) replicate, update, and expand the 2017-2018 CLI distribution to represent more colleges and universities; and (2) evaluate differences in counseling center practices between centers at the low and high ends of the CLI distribution; and (2) Findings demonstrated the following: (1) Low CLI Centers are more likely to be at smaller institutions and provide full-length assessments at the outset of services as well as ongoing weekly counseling that produces more improvement in symptoms. These centers are much less likely to run out of treatment capacity during periods of high demand; and (2) High CLI Centers are more likely to be at larger institutions and implement clinical systems that maximize efficiency in an effort to serve the masses while limiting access to weekly individual therapy. Case Management services and referrals to external. [Additional support for this research comes from the collaborative efforts of over 600 university and college counseling centers and the Penn State University Counseling and Psychological Services. For the 2019 report, see ED602859.]

The 2019 Annual Report summarizes data contributed to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) during the 2018-2019 academic year, beginning July 1, 2018 and ending on June 30, 2019. De-identified data were contributed by 163 college and university counseling centers, describing 207,818 unique college students seeking mental health treatment, 4,059 clinicians, and 1,580,951 appointments. The following are key findings and implications contained in this year's report: (1) To better measure comparable staff levels and related impacts across counseling centers nationally, CCMH developed the Clinical Load Index (CLI) during the 2018-2019 year with support from the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) and International Accreditation of Counseling Services (IACS). The CLI provides each counseling center with a standardized and comparable score that can be thought of as "clients per standardized counselor" (per year) or the "standardized caseload" for the counseling center; and (2) Findings demonstrated that higher CLI scores are associated with the following: (1) Institutions with larger enrollments and counseling centers that serve more unique students; (2) The provision of significantly lower treatment dosages (fewer appointments with more days between appointments); and (3) Significantly less improvement in depression, anxiety, and general distress by students receiving treatment. [Additional support for this research comes from the collaborative efforts of approximately 600 university and college counseling centers and the Penn State University Counseling and Psychological Services. For the 2018 report, see ED592771.]

This study used qualitative data to analyze how fathers in a rural Pennsylvania prison were involved in their children's literacy, learning, and education before and during incarceration and through the Read to Your Child/Grandchild (RYCG) program. Before RYCG, most fathers took steps such as reading to children, teaching reading and math, attending parent-teacher conferences, helping with homework, and singing and rhyming--and then sought to continue supporting their children's learning from within prison. Drawing on interviews and observational data, the authors analyzed the experiences and perspectives of 11 fathers to address the following research questions: (1) How were fathers in a rural Pennsylvania prison involved in their children's literacy, learning, and education before and during their incarceration? and (2) How did the fathers use RYCG to support their children's literacy, learning, and education?

The publication of this report marks the 65th anniversary of "Brown v. Board of Education," the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case declaring racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. In the immediate years after the "Brown" ruling, the effort to integrate schools faced many difficult challenges and progress was limited. But the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act as well as a series of Supreme Court decisions in the 1960s and early 1970s produced momentum towards increased desegregation for black students that lasted until the late 1980s, as districts across much of the country worked to achieve the promise of "Brown"--integrated schools for all children. As we mark the 65th anniversary of "Brown," there have been many changes since the ruling, but intense levels of segregation--which had decreased markedly after 1954 for black students--are on the rise once again. In the 1990s, a series of Supreme Court decisions led to the end of hundreds of desegregation orders and plans across the nation. This report shows that the growth of racial and economic segregation that began then has now continued unchecked for nearly three decades, placing the promise of "Brown" at grave risk.

The 2018 Annual Report summarizes data contributed to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) during the 2017-2018 academic year, beginning July 1, 2017 and ending on June 30, 2018. De-identified data were contributed by 152 college and university counseling centers, describing 179,964 unique college students seeking mental health treatment, 3,723 clinicians, and over 1,384,712 appointments. Among other highlights, this year's report examined the impact of two counseling center policies on treatment outcomes: (1) EMR Sharing Policy: Levels of access to counseling center EMRs by health center staff (none, partial, or open) were not associated with significant differences in symptom reduction during treatment in counseling center clients.; and (2) Clinical Model Policy: Counseling centers that use a treatment model (e.g., students are assigned to a clinician when an opening exists) produced significantly more symptom reduction, provided a significantly greater dosage of treatment (appointments per student), and offered significantly shorter wait-times between appointments than counseling centers that utilized an absorption model. [Additional support for this research comes from the collaborative efforts of approximately 500 university and college counseling centers and the Penn State University Counseling & Psychological Services. For the 2017 report, see ED586224.]

There is a curious and contradictory phenomenon in current adult education and language learning. Around the world, many educators and researchers have called for policies and practices that recognize Indigenous and multiple languages --particularly adults' native languages--to be taught and used in education and within the broader public. And yet, those who seemingly would most benefit from such language policies are seeking instead to learn English. The English language learning of South African domestic workers offers an ideal case to examine this incongruity. This study draws from ethnographic research over a three-year span to understand South African domestic workers' motivations for taking English language literacy classes. Narratives of 28 domestic workers were examined through a critical, ethnographic lens. Focusing on notions of metonymy, a word or concept that is used to mean something other than its original definition, the study shows that in a South African adult education context, the terms "literacy" and "education" have come to connote "'English' literacy" and "'English' education." Moreover, knowing English was associated with being considered "smart," and conversely, not knowing English with being "stupid."

The purpose of this study was to examine how adult education providers in Chicago, Houston, and Miami are designing and implementing career pathways (CP) programming, especially for adults who are immigrants or have barriers to employment and education. The researcher-practitioner partnership included the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy at The Pennsylvania State University and three community partners serving as liaisons for each city: Chicago Citywide Literacy Coalition, Houston Center for Literacy, and Miami-Dade County Public Schools. The project included three research phases: (1) a survey of adult education providers (n=147); (2) focus groups with adult education providers (n=18); and (3) case studies of six programs (two per city). The report includes detailed findings from survey data regarding adult education and career pathways provision in each city (e.g., organizational type, funding sources, enrollment, types of classes and services, occupational sectors); coordination and planning across CP providers (e.g., opportunities for planning and coordination, perceived effectiveness); student characteristics and demographics; program design and delivery (e.g., partnerships, entry requirements, instructional approaches, support services); student outcomes (e.g., type of outcome measure). Findings from the qualitative data focus on program design and implementation (e.g., contextualized instruction, support services, access for lower-level students); practices and policies that shape CP programming (e.g., partnerships, measurement and data collection, policies); citywide CP coordination; and factors that contributed to success at one or more sites. The following are appended: data collection instruments and additional survey responses.

The 2017 Annual Report summarizes data contributed to Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) during the 2016-2017 academic year, beginning July 1, 2016 and ending on June 30, 2017. De-identified data were contributed by 147 college and university counseling centers, describing 161,014 unique college students seeking mental health treatment, 3,592 clinicians, and 1,255,052 appointments. This report uses visualizations developed from years of CCMH data to explore college student mental health with an emphasis on individual counseling provided by counseling centers. The data and visualizations reviewed help to further articulate the complex practice of mental health treatment in higher education and offer a number of policy implications worthy of consideration. [Additional support for this research comes from the collaborative efforts of approximately 500 university and college counseling centers and the Penn State University Counseling & Psychological Services. For the 2016 Annual Report, see ED572853.]

The South was the central focus of the "Brown v. Board of Education" decision from the U.S. Supreme Court in 1954. The landmark ruling held that laws mandating segregation in the school systems of the eleven states of the Old Confederacy, along with D.C. and six other states, violated the U.S. Constitution. Intense opposition met the decision across the South. A decade later, 98 percent of black students were still in all-black schools when Congress passed the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Act forbade discrimination in any school district receiving federal funds and authorized the Justice Department to sue school systems even if they were willing to give up their federal funds. A year later, federal funding for education increased dramatically through the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, adding an important carrot to federal enforcement efforts. The only serious period of enforcement using these authorities came in the 1965-1968 period which initiated historic changes--making the South the most integrated region of the country by the early 1970s. The Supreme Court clarified and strengthened desegregation laws for the region in the historic decisions in "Green" (1968) and "Swann" (1971). The lower courts also found the Nixon Administration guilty of intentionally ignoring those same laws and forced it to implement urban desegregation in the early 1970s. At desegregation's peak, there were desegregation plans in almost all Southern school districts. Some parts of the South experienced higher levels of desegregation than other major school districts around the country. Between 1973 and 1974, the only major centers of Latino enrollment in the South were in Texas and in southern Florida. There was no Supreme Court recognition of Latino desegregation rights until 1973. By 1974 the Supreme Court made its first decision since Brown limiting desegregation policy. Administrative enforcement also had virtually stopped and Congress had weakened the Civil Rights Act. By the 1980s, the country had a presidential administration firmly opposed to desegregation orders and the Supreme Court's leading opponent of desegregation, was Chief Justice. In 1991, the Supreme Court in the Oklahoma City case (Dowell) authorized courts to dissolve desegregation plans if they thought the districts had accomplished as much as was feasible. The authors have followed the great successes and, in their judgment, the tragic reversals in the region as integrated schools, flourishing for decades under a court order, now turn back, watching their desegregation efforts dissolved. Separate has never been equal. In this report, the authors use two common measures of school segregation that help us to understand the types of school environments that students experience--and how those environments have changed over time. The first is a measure of concentration, or the percentage of students in racially isolated minority schools (those in which at least 90% of students are students of color). The second is the exposure or isolation index, which describes the interracial exposure that the "typical" student experiences in his/her school. If schools were perfectly integrated, the exposure of every group of students would be equal and would be the same as the racial/ethnic composition of the schools.

During 2015-2016, the membership of the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) grew to more than 400 institutions making this the largest and most comprehensive report on college students seeking mental health treatment to date. College and university counseling centers make this report possible by participating in a broad range of activities that contribute to both day-to-day clinical practice and the research on college student mental health. CCMH is deeply appreciative of each counseling center's participation and the efforts of their many partners who help to make this report possible each year. This report summarizes data contributed to CCMH during the 2015-2016 academic year, closing on June 30, 2016. De-identified data were contributed by 139 college and university counseling centers, describing 150,483 unique college students seeking mental health treatment (a 50% increase over last year); 3,419 clinicians; and over 1,034,510 appointments. The following are critical to understand when reading this report: (1) This report describes college students receiving mental health services, NOT the general college student population; (2) This report "is not a survey". The data summarized herein is gathered during routine clinical practice at participating counseling centers, is de-identified, and then contributed to CCMH; (3) The number of clients will vary by question because not all questions are asked at each center and due to variations in the consent process by institution; (4) Counseling centers are required to receive IRB (institutional review board) approval at their institution in order to contribute anonymous, de-identified data. [This report was made possible by: Collaborative efforts of over 400 university and college counseling centers; Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD); Titanium Software, Inc.; American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP); and Penn State University's Student Affairs.]

"Changing the Course of Family Literacy" re-examines the importance and value of family literacy programming and offers several policy recommendations to focus attention on the four-component model used in Even Start. This paper explores the current status of Family literacy and, after gathering information from 47 states, found that 11 states and the District of Columbia funded family literacy programs in 2015-16. These states and local programs have fostered partnerships and braided funding to preserve and support family literacy programs and services. This paper poses a rationale and recommendations to support family literacy programs as an essential strategy for assisting low-income families in improving their education and employment prospects.

Service-learning strategies have been widely used to enhance learning experiences of youth and young adults. Participation in these strategies often results in increased school engagement, civic participation, and leadership activities. Although service-learning undertakings have typically been carried out with school-age and college students, the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) has developed a model that extends service-learning benefits to families. A six-step process is embedded in multi-generational educational programming and is currently being implemented through NCFL's Toyota Family Learning Program, in collaboration with 10 schools and community organizations across the United States. Our findings suggest that the Family Service-Learning activities provided ample opportunities for families to improve a variety of skills: organization, research, planning, reading and writing, technology, teamwork and sharing, civic responsibility, and leadership. This brief highlights the benefits of engaging "families" in service-learning activities, offers initial findings from an independent evaluation of the model, and provides action steps for carrying out Family Service-Learning activities.

The mental health of today's college students continues to be a top-level concern for institutions of higher education, whether it is viewed from the perspective of staffing mental health services on campus, responding to after-hours crises in residence halls, providing accessible treatment with limited budgets, managing behavioral threats, or maintaining student safety during personal crises. With the backing of more than 280 counseling centers, multiple national organizations, and the addition a full-time project manager in 2014, the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) is striving to infuse the national dialogue about college student mental health with high quality data that is capable of informing policy. This report summarizes data contributed to CCMH during the 2013-2014 academic year, closing on June 30, 2014. De-identified data were contributed by 140 college and university counseling centers, describing 101,027 unique college students seeking mental health treatment, 2,900 clinicians, and over 770,000 appointments. The report reminds readers to keep the following points in mind: (1) Counseling center members that contributed data for research first received local IRB approval; (2) The actual number of clients may vary by question because not all questions are asked at each center; (3) CCMH members using Titanium Schedule are able to contribute all clinical data described in this report. CCMH members using the CCAPS Web service (via Medicat, Point and Click, and Pyramed) are currently only able to contribute CCAPS data; (4) Because data are gathered as part of routine clinical practice at participating counseling centers, CCMH clinical data is thought to closely represent the population of students who are seeking services at participating institutions that contribute data. [This 2014 report was made possible by: Collaborative efforts of over 280 university and college counseling centers; Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD); Titanium Software, Inc.; van Ameringen Foundation; Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA); American College Counseling Association (ACCA); American College Personnel Association (ACPA); Commission for Counseling and Psychological Services (CCAPS); American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP); and Penn State University's Student Affairs.]

College student mental health received widespread attention during the 2014-2015 academic year with in depth commentary appearing in numerous major media outlets. These articles examined college student mental health from various perspectives including the experiences of students and parents, counseling centers, the rise of anxiety in higher education, suicide prevention, and even the role of mental health in campus tragedies. Each of these articles raised a predictable set of questions: "Is the demand for mental health services really growing?", "Are students really more distressed?", "How are students more distressed?", and of course, "Why?" While it can be tempting to pursue quick answers that complement a headline, the frank reality is that the mental health of college students is multi-faceted, multimodal, and complexly embedded in overlapping macro/ micro cultures; there is no simple answer. However, this year's report, summarizing five years of high quality and generalizable trend data, sheds some much needed light on these complex questions and offers helpful information for administrators, policy-makers, clinicians, and researchers to consider at each of their unique institutions. This 2015 Annual Report summarizes data contributed to CCMH during the 2014-2015 academic year, closing on June 30, 2015. De-identified data were contributed by 139 college and university counseling centers, describing 100,736 unique college students seeking mental health treatment, 2,770 clinicians, and over 770,000 appointments. [This report was made possible by: Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD), Titanium Software, Inc., van Ameringen Foundation, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and Penn State University's Student Affairs.]

There is general agreement that teacher quality provides an added value to effective education; hence, in recent years, organizations such as IEA, UNESCO, and OECD, as well as governments around the world, have shown an increased interest in areas related to teachers and teacher policy. Previous research has shown that teacher experience plays an important role in determining student achievement, particularly in the first years of teaching. In this policy brief the authors contribute to the debate on the relationship between number of years of teaching experience and student achievement by using international comparative data to address two questions: first, whether teacher experience is associated with student mathematics achievement of fourth graders; and second, how this association changes when other teacher characteristics are taken into account.

The purpose of this guide is to provide recommendations for educators working with preliterate and beginning literacy level parents in family literacy and parent involvement programs. This guide is motivated by the growing presence of immigrant learners in schools and family literacy programs. Over 20% of public school children have immigrant parents, and 15% of these parents have less than a ninth grade education (Urban Institute, 2006), a group that no doubt includes adults who are preliterate or beginning literates in their native language. Numerous studies indicate the importance of developing a foundation of literacy practices at young ages. Immigrant children are less likely than U.S.-born children to be placed in daycare and more likely to be cared for by family members (Urban Institute, 2006). Thus, preliterate and beginning literacy parents and grandparents are likely to be caregivers for young children, and a primary influence on their language and literacy development. After summarizing research on teaching preliterate adults, this brief describes considerations for tailoring family literacy and parent involvement to the needs of preliterate caregivers.

Parent involvement in children's language and literacy development is a continuum. Parents enhance their newborn baby's language and vocabulary growth, whereas with older children parents are involved in school and provide support by engaging in learning activities such as assisting with homework. Parent involvement is an important part of children's growth and development and can be vital to their academic success. Some parents need guidance on how to become involved with their child to support school literacy. The purpose of this guide is to inform family literacy practitioners and other educators who work with families about the benefits of targeted skill training for parents that move beyond encouraging parents to be involved with their child and to provide examples of such initiatives. This guide outlines the research literature on parent intervention studies, offers cultural and literacy considerations for working with diverse populations, and concludes with suggestions for types of trainings and activities that have proven successful.

This report summarizes the "first academic year of data (2010- 2011) pooled through a new international data infrastructure. When reading this report, please keep the following points in mind: (1) This data set describes college students seeking treatment in 97 counseling centers; (2) For a comparative data-set on the general college student population, please see the CCMH/NASPA Assessment Consortium Study in 2010; (3) Each counseling center had Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval to contribute data; (4) Because data is gathered as part of routine clinical practice, these numbers essentially represent the population of students seeking services at participating institutions; and (5) The actual number of clients may vary by question because counseling centers vary in the questions they ask. [This report was made possible by: Collaborative efforts of over 170 university and college counseling centers; Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD); Titanium Software, Inc.; Ittleson Foundation; NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education); College Mental Health Program at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School Affiliate; American College Counseling Association (ACCA); American College Personnel Association (ACPA); Commission for Counseling and Psychological Services (CCAPS); and Penn State University's Division of Student Affairs. For the report from the previous year, "Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) 2010 Annual Report. Publication No. STA 11-000," see ED572788.]

Family literacy programs promote certain ideas about literacy and parenting. This study examined how Mexican immigrant women in a family literacy program used mainstream ideas, or discourses, of mothering and parent involvement in education to pursue their own personal and academic goals. The findings revealed that women were at times faced with the dilemma of choosing between Mexican ideas about mothering and those embedded in the family literacy program. However, they also used family literacy discourses to justify their educational pursuits, gain power and prestige in their nuclear and extended families, work toward more equitable gender relationships in the home, set goals, expand their identity, and participate in mainstream society. Furthermore, participation in family literacy classes helped to support their children's academic success. Lastly, participants combined U.S. and Mexican discourses to reflect their ideas of good mothering and demonstrate their mothering abilities.

Adult education curricula such as literacy textbooks present blueprints for living, including different ways of being and relating as men and women. However, educators and scholars seldom consider the underlying assumptions about gender in literacy workbooks, especially in international settings. This study used Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine how a new, prominent adult literacy textbook in Turkey depicted male and female identities. The textbook promoted two main gender Discourses, or sets of ideas and values. The normative parenting Discourse suggested that mothers are chiefly responsible for childrearing and caretaking and that fathers are responsible for discipline. The sexual division of labor Discourse depicted men mainly in the public, outside world and women in the private, domestic sphere. By reinforcing dominant ideas of masculinity and femininity, the text implies that these roles--and gender inequities--are normal and desirable. (Contains 2 figures and 1 endnote.)

Although the national graduation rate for African American males is only 47% (Schott Foundation for Public Education, 2010), few studies have explored their experiences in adult basic and literacy education (ABEL) programs. This study draws on prior research to explore the relationship between literacy and identity and its potential for illuminating African American men's participation in ABEL Programs. The findings indicate that negative early schooling experiences and the social and historical context in which African American men live shape how they perceive and engage with literacy. Non-participation and inconsistent attendance in ABEL programs do not necessarily indicate that these men do not want to learn; rather, they may signify resistance to an alienating environment. In addition, literacy is viewed in light of its benefit to their current circumstances, not as an inherent value. Consequently, understanding African American men's daily lived experiences can challenge negative stereotypes and provide opportunities for learning. (Contains 1 endnote.)

With nearly six years of effort, the work of hundreds of institutions, hundreds of counseling center staff members, a dedicated advisory board, and a committed group of students and faculty at Penn State University, CCMH has realized some important goals. The movement towards an "Annual Report" reflects commitment to offering an annual update of progress, findings, and news. This report provides a birds-eye view for a variety of recent findings from the research team. More details on many of these findings can be found in the "Recent Publications" listed in this report. [This report was made possible by: Collaborative efforts of over 160 university and college counseling centers; Titanium Software, Inc.; Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD); and Penn State University's Division of Student Affairs.]

Interactive Literacy Activities, or ILAs, broadly refer to activities that facilitate interaction between adults and children for the purpose of promoting literacy and language development. It is essential to make ILAs developmentally and culturally appropriate for children and to use an approach that integrates various activities in order to foster literacy and language development. Family literacy programs should incorporate explicit training for parents and provide opportunities for practice and feedback. With the proper supports, parents can play an important role in nurturing their children's oral language and literacy abilities and their love of learning. The purpose of this guide is to provide a broad overview of ILAs and to suggest ways to implement ILAs more effectively. After summarizing the research basis for ILAs, the brief describes what ILAs entail and the ways in which they are being used in family literacy, provides examples of ILA activities with a solid research base, and offers suggestions for designing culturally appropriate ILAs.

The Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) represents a collaborative, multi-disciplinary effort combining the expertise of mental health treatment providers, psychological researchers, industry, and information sciences and technology. This report outlines a preliminary effort to describe the range of information on college student mental health that could be accessed via a comprehensive long-term strategy. As a result of nearly five years of unprecedented collaboration, a pilot test of the CCMH infrastructure produced data on over 28,000 students receiving mental health services at 66 institutions during the fall semester of 2008. Because it is not possible to discuss the entire range of findings in this summary, this report offers an overview of salient findings observable in the data and describes what has been accomplished during its development in the following areas: (1) Collaborative Data Standards (2006); (2) Technical Integration (2008); (3) Data Flow (2009); and Information Dissemination (2009). [This report was made possible by: Collaborative efforts of over 140 university and college counseling centers; Titanium Software, Inc.; Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD); and Penn State University's Division of Student Affairs.]

Due to federal budget cuts in 2005-06, 11 family literacy programs in Pennsylvania switched from federal Even Start to state (Act 143) funding. Simultaneously, state welfare requirements stipulated that in most circumstances adult education is not an allowable work activity for welfare recipients over age 20. This study examined how these policy changes affected 10 Pennsylvania family literacy programs. The study reveals that the combination of these policy changes, coupled with the need to meet state standards, created distinctive challenges for programs, especially in student recruitment. Secondly, the effects of the policies were mediated by factors such as program size, structure, and geographic location, local infrastructure (e.g., transportation), and program participants' characteristics. Thirdly, the Act 143 and welfare policies had numerous, unintended ripple effects, affecting multiple programmatic areas and transcending the boundaries of government agencies. Fourthly, the findings show that the effects of policy changes are diverse and contradictory, simultaneously opening some opportunities while foreclosing others. Finally, the study illustrates the creative, resourceful ways that family literacy professionals respond to shifting policies.

Although adult educators espouse values such as inclusion and ownership, adult learners seldom play a substantive role in programmatic decision making. This collaborative research project explored family literacy participants' experiences in their program's parent advisory council (PAC). The study shows that involvement in the PAC enhanced program effectiveness, increased learners' investment in the program, and fostered capacities that learners transferred to personal, educational, and social domains. However, learners had little or no influence over some programmatic areas. In sum, giving learners a meaningful say in programmatic and curricular matters can prepare them to exercise more control over decisions in their lives and communities. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the benefits and challenges of student leadership in adult basic and literacy education, insights that can assist teachers and administrators in creating programs of, by, and for adult learners. (Contains 1 endnote.)

The Parent Education Profile (PEP) is an instrument that rates parents' support for children's literacy development. This study examined how the PEP portrays the ideal parent, its assumptions about parenting and education, and the values and ideals it promotes. In sum, many aspects of the PEP evaluate parents by the mainstream (White, middle-class) parenting style. To support this model the PEP uses the language of scientific research, yet presents no information about reliability or validity. The PEP tends to assume that a single set of parenting practices best supports children's literacy development, without fully considering cultural and economic differences. It also implies that parents, particularly mothers, are mainly responsible for children's academic success. In order to follow some of the PEP practices, parents need access to resources often unavailable to poor families; yet, the PEP does not seem to encourage recognition of mitigating circumstances (e.g., poverty) that might lower parents' ratings. Finally, while the PEP encourages staff to ask for parents' perspectives, it gives parents little say in assessing themselves. In conclusion, caution and cultural sensitivity are needed when using instruments that prescribe, monitor, and rate parental support for education and literacy. (Contains 1 table and 2 endnotes.)

Although many women value and benefit from social interaction in adult education and family literacy, these social dimensions are often treated as tangential or inconsequential. Utilizing data from two studies of family literacy programs in Pennsylvania, this study examined how family literacy programs provide a supportive social space for women in poverty. The authors found that many learners had limited social support and social ties with people outside their program and few opportunities for recreation. As such, family literacy programs fulfilled important social functions by enabling women to leave the house, enjoy social contact and support, engage in informal counseling, pursue self-discovery and development, and establish supportive relationships with teachers. In sum, adult education and family literacy programs play an important role in helping women in poverty receive social support and, in turn, enhance their psychosocial well-being. (Contains 3 endnotes.)

This report considers the cost-effectiveness potential for seven research-based programs funded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). These programs are highlighted because they represent the bulk of the PCCD's investment in prevention programming and because there are existing longitudinal data on program outcomes from which cost-benefit estimates can be derived. For these programs, the authors provide projected economic impact calculations using data from a landmark assessment of costs and benefits performed by the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) and applying those figures to data on implementation of the programs in Pennsylvania. As this report demonstrates, in addition to the positive outcomes related to the prevention and reduction of juvenile delinquency, significant fiscal cost savings may also be realized through the use of research-based prevention programs. (Contains 13 footnotes.)

This study examined how poverty and residential mobility influence low-income adults' persistence in family literacy programs in Pennsylvania. Twelve out of 20 program directors reported that learners typically moved at least once a year. In five of these high-mobility programs moving was reported to significantly hinder persistence. Geographic location and the availability of inexpensive and subsidized housing increased mobility. The 17 learners the authors interviewed moved 78 times in the previous five years, for an average of once per year. One-half of the moves were within 15 miles, yet even short distance moves often delayed progress and disrupted program participation. Although residential mobility did not hinder persistence in all programs, it is part of a constellation of poverty-related problems (e.g., poor health, lack of child care and transportation) that pose challenges for learners to attend classes regularly and meet their educational goals. (Contains 2 tables and 2 endnotes.)

Youth violence and delinquency are problems that continue to challenge many communities across the U.S. For over a decade, Pennsylvania has been a national leader in confronting youth problem behaviors in a progressive and proactive fashion, investing heavily in supporting local community prevention coalitions and the use of proven-effective models for preventing youth violence and aggression, delinquency and youth substance abuse. Since 1998, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) has invested over $60 million in implementing more than 140 effective prevention programs in more than 100 Pennsylvania communities. Community priorities are guided by local data based on a public health model of reducing known risk factors associated with violence and delinquency and promoting positive youth development. This report details Pennsylvania's approach to effectively addressing juvenile crime. It presents case studies of model prevention programs being implemented throughout the Commonwealth through PCCD funding, and describes the positive outcomes being seen in these communities. Programs Funded Through the Research-based Programs Initiative: 1998-2007 are appended. (Contains 21 figures and 6 footnotes.)

The term "evidence-based programs" is becoming quite common in prevention and human service work. However, many still struggle to recognize the importance of evidence-based programs and to understand what qualifies as "evidence-based." The language used may even seem to confound the issue further. The terms evidence-based, research-based, science-based, blueprint programs, model programs, promising programs, and effective programs are often used interchangeably. Different agencies and groups have adopted different criteria to determine whether or not a program is evidence-based. In this fact sheet, the authors examine definitions of, and standards and reasons for using evidence-based programs. A list of evidence-based program web sites is also included. [This fact sheet was produced by the Prevention Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development.]

This final report discusses the activities and outcomes of a study that investigated the involvement of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and non-American Indian/Alaska Native parents of children with disabilities in the general educational and Individualized Education Program (IEP) processes, and the specific needs of parents that would encourage their greater participation in the IEP processes. A total of 132 parents responded to a parent involvement survey, including 34 AI/AN parents and 98 non-AI/AN parents. Results indicated that although AI/AN parents reported that they were not involved as members of a school committee, they were involved in the education of their children with disabilities by attending school events, helping their child complete teacher assigned home activities, establishing a home environment conducive to learning, receiving information from the school about their child, and volunteering at their childs school. Conversely, the data suggest that in the Individualized Education Program process, AI/AN parents were not involved to the same extent in the special education-specific parent roles. Few reported involvement in the roles of political advocate or member of family-directed or family-centered organizations. Finally, the majority of AI/AN parents reported that they always attend IEP meetings for their child. (CR)

Because family literacy programs' success depends on strong relationships between family literacy programs and Head Start partners, a series of focus groups were convened to identify ways of strengthening cooperation between Pennsylvania's family literacy and Head Start programs. The six focus groups sites represented a mix of Pennsylvania's geographic regions, rural and urban sites, and Act 143 and Even Start programs. One site opted to hold separate focus groups for Head Start and family literacy staff. The Head Start and family literacy staff at the other five sites elected to have their focus groups together. Four of the programs were co-located, and most participating families were co-enrolled in both programs. All five programs made reciprocal referrals and provided cross training and/or co-training. In most cases, Head Start personnel provided ideas for grant proposals, and family literacy personnel took the lead in preparing the proposals. All five programs stated that staff from both program components had trusted each other from the outset and shared the same philosophies. At five sites, staff conducted their planning together. Three sites included personnel from both program components on advisory boards, held joint staffing meetings, and shared assessment results and evaluations. (MN)

This document reports preliminary results from a national survey of college faculty performed as part of the Mapping Project. The project and the survey concern the ways faculty balance, or do not balance, commitments to work and family. The theoretical framework was based on the work of J. Williams (1991) and others who have argued that an "ideal worker norm" has developed that often leads to job discrimination against women. In the academic context, the ideal worker norm may led to "bias avoidance" behaviors that occur when individuals deny themselves the opportunity to take on family commitments or minimize the impact of family on work performance. The survey process began with a sample of 702 U.S. colleges and universities. Of these institutions, 507 provided faculty names and addresses, and complete responses were eventually received from 4,188 faculty members (net response rate of 28.6%). Analysis of the survey results shows that bias avoidance behaviors are more common among female than male faculty. Women responding reported raising fewer children and reported lower levels of organizational and supervisor support for dual commitments to work and family. Although evidence was mixed, it did not appear that research institutions are less conducive to family formation than are teaching institutions. An appendix describes the sample of institutions. (SLD)

Pennsylvania's family literacy programs were subjected to a statewide evaluation in 1999-2000. Data were collected through focus groups with parents, a survey of staff in community agencies and organizations, and analyses of program data and the findings of selected assessments administered to adults and children involved in the program. Pennsylvania's family literacy programs were credited with improving adult participants' basic skills and helping them achieve personal goals, enabling their children to meet parents' expectations, helping parents to support their children's literacy development, and giving families access to support services. The children of participating parents entered school ready to learn and were successful in school. However, program impacts on family economic status were mixed. Selected recommendations were as follows: (1) have family literacy providers identify and address changes in their communities that affect delivery of family literacy services; (2) provide family literacy with continued assistance in building effective local collaborations that move beyond simple referral services; (3) have providers identify and implement strategies to increase parents' and their children's participation in family literacy services; and (4) support the family literacy professional development and program improvement systems. (Twenty-five tables/figures/boxes are included. Appendixes present statistical notes for the tables; descriptions of the adult education and early childhood assessment instruments; and eight references.) (MN)