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URC/CHS Projects
Past Projects in Education & Training
Migrant Even Start
U.S. Department of Education
Migrant Even Start, 1994-2004, a family literacy program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, was based on the concept that parents are key to the educational success of children. URC's non-profit affiliate, the Center for Human Services (CHS), administered the adult education component of Migrant Even Start in Adams, Franklin, and Cumberland counties of southeastern Pennsylvania, as part of a consortium effort led by Lincoln Intermediate Unit of Pennsylvania. The project was designed to assist migrant and seasonal farmworker parents of participating children gain the academic and life skills necessary to fully participate in their children's education. Coordinating efforts closely with Lincoln Intermediate Unit #12, URC/CHS worked to significantly improve the cognitive, emotional and social development, English-language proficiency, and overall school readiness of migrant children with limited English proficiency by providing academic training to participating parents 1994-2004, a family literacy program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, was based on the concept that parents are key to the educational success of children. URC's non-profit affiliate, the Center for Human Services (CHS), administered the adult education component of Migrant Even Start in Adams, Franklin, and Cumberland counties of southeastern Pennsylvania, as part of a consortium effort led by Lincoln Intermediate Unit of Pennsylvania. The project was designed to assist migrant and seasonal farmworker parents of participating children gain the academic and life skills necessary to fully participate in their children's education. Coordinating efforts closely with Lincoln Intermediate Unit #12, URC/CHS worked to significantly improve the cognitive, emotional and social development, English-language proficiency, and overall school readiness of migrant children with limited English proficiency by providing academic training to participating parents
Health Journalism CD-ROM
International Broadcasting Bureau/Voice of America (IBB/VOA) and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS
With funding from the International Broadcasting Bureau/Voice of America (IBB/VOA) and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, URC, in partnership with Carney Interactive, developed an advanced computer-based training tool for reporters located in developing countries. The CD-ROM, entitled Health Journalism, provides an interactive learning environment for journalists to learn about key health and population issues in developing countries, such as HIV/AIDS, in order to enhance the quality and breadth of their reporting. The CD-ROM provides a Virtual Newsroom, with Story Files and Resources, to inform journalists about key public health issues and sample story assignments to build their skills in interviewing and gathering information for reporting of news events. The Beta version of this innovative tool, the first of its kind in the field of journalism, won a Gold CINDY (Cinema in Industry) award in 1999 from the International Association of Audio Visual Communicators. URC delivered the final Beta version of Health Journalism in early 2001. Following the successful field test of the Beta version in Jamaica, IBB/VOA obtained funding from Merck & Co. Inc., to produce versions of Health Journalism for use in the Caribbean, Latin America, and Africa.
Child Development Associate Program
Department of Health and Human Services
Under contract with the Department of Health and Human Services, URC provided training, technical assistance, and educational materials to the Child Development Associate (CDA) program, in support of a national effort to improve job competencies of early childhood educators and upgrade the childcare and education provided in Head Start programs. Major tasks during our 12-year incumbency included conducting two national workshops per year for early childhood educators and Head Start program directors; development and delivery of nine regional workshops annually on such topics as training-of-trainers, curriculum development, and child development associate program administration; provision of technical assistance services to follow-up regional workshop delivery; refinement and piloting in 18 sites of a grantee self-monitoring system; and the development and dissemination of technical assistance bulletins, manuals, and other documents. In addition to training and technical assistance services, we developed and maintained a national resource network to provide information, assistance, and other needed resources to Head Start agencies, CDA institutions, contractors, and other organizations involved in the advancement of the CDA program.
Department of Defense Dependent Schools Training Connectivity and Advancement in Technology
Department of Defense Dependents Schools
From 1993 to 1996, URC provided technical support to the Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) to investigate new technologies for teaching mathematics, science, and technology, design computer-based instruction to support distance education courses, and design professional development curriculum for teachers on new technologies and instructional innovations in distance learning. URC designed and developed a 12-week distance learning course on using the Internet in the classroom that was delivered via the World Wide Web to 25 DoDDS teachers located around the world. We developed online course materials using conferencing software, e-mail, and web pages to present the majority of the course content and to facilitate the course. In addition to the online course materials, URC developed a complete package of paper-based, video, and audio materials for participants, to help guide them through the course and to provide additional reference information. URC also designed and implemented training courses for DoDDS teachers and regional computer coordinators on effectively using the World Wide Web, multimedia tools, computer conferencing, and audiographics technology in the classroom. URC also assisted DoDDS in the development, writing, and production of the DoDDS Educational Technology Plan.
English-as-a-Second-Language and Life Skills Training for Haitian Immigrants
U.S. Department of Education
For the U.S. Department of Education, URC established nine training sites to provide English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) Training for 1,300 Haitian immigrants. URC established three ESL training sites in New York City and two sites in the Delmarva Area of Eastern Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. URC undertook extensive outreach and recruitment efforts to reach potential program participants in Haitian migrant communities. We carried out a comprehensive needs assessment to determine the educational, occupational, and other needs of the Haitian entrant population and then provided individualized and group instruction in the English language and life skills. In addition to ESL training, we provided counseling in social service and health-related areas to address program participants’ employment, schooling, medical care, and housing needs. URC also developed a consortium of groups having direct contact with the Haitian population, such as schools, churches, social service centers, and community-based groups, in order to coordinate efforts directed toward the successful integration of Haitian immigrants into the United States.
Instructional Services for the Federal Aviation Administration Center for Management Development
Federal Aviation Administration
In 1987, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hired URC to undertake the Herculean task of moving FAA’s Center for Management Development (CMD) from its Oklahoma location and establishing a new CMD headquarters in Palm Coast, Florida. URC operated the CMD for five years, developing over 50 specialized training programs to meet the supervisory and management training needs of the FAA's 48,600-member workforce. Courses ranged from one to two and a half weeks in length. Thirty-three URC instructor/curriculum developers and 25 support staff collaborated with FAA program managers and subject matter experts to design and develop learning activities, materials, and methods to align classroom instruction with the job functions that learners needed to strengthen, incorporating competency-testing and performance-based assessment throughout the process. URC also developed and pilot-tested a post-training program called Leadership Linkages that established connections between graduates and their workplaces and provided practical techniques for immediate on-the-job application of the skills and methods learned in the classroom. URC established a lending library of management books, videotapes, and audiotapes, as well as Stand Alone Modules and Computer-Based Instruction, used by FAA employees nationwide.
Philadelphia Police Competency Testing
Philadelphia Police Department
Through a multi-year project that ended in 1997, URC developed and validated cognitive and perceptual ability exams for use in selecting candidates for entry into the City of Philadelphia Police Department’s training academy. URC first performed a detailed job analysis of the entry level patrol officer job through subject matter expert meetings, ride-alongs with police officers, and a task survey. We generated a comprehensive list of job tasks and required knowledge, skills, and abilities, clustering the tasks into higher order duties based on similarity. Test development began with comprehensive literature reviews in the areas of ability testing and psychometrics, with particular emphasis on law enforcement applications. Test validation included developing scoring protocols and computing inter-rater reliability for subjectively scored written tests, computing internal consistency coefficients for objectively scored exams, performing full item analyses on all test items, and comparing subgroup test means, using analysis of variance techniques.
Revision of the Personnel Management Supervisors Course for the
Department of Energy
For the Federal Personnel Management Institute (FPMI), URC was contracted to revise the materials of the Department of Energy (DOE) Personnel Management for Supervisors course, including the participant handbook, examination materials, the instructor guide, case study materials, handouts, and other related training aides. In collaboration with FPMI, URC reviewed existing materials, interviewed DOE personnel specialists concerning the content of the course, revised the course materials to meet DOE requirements, and produced all the required deliverables, including the final master computer disk.
Rural Transit Assistance Program Training
U.S. Department of Transportation
Through two consecutive contracts implemented during 1989-1993, URC provided training services to the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve service delivery for the rural transit community. Six training packages were developed, including Trainer and Participant workbooks and videotapes. The training packages covered such topics as improving the skills of dispatchers in rural transit programs, assisting transit board members to understand and fulfill their roles and responsibilities, developing training of trainer skills, risk management, and information resources. URC also developed a Training Resources Catalog. The training packages were disseminated to the Rural Transit Assistance Program Coordinators in all 50 states.
Technical Assistance for the National School Resource Network
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
For the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, URC directed a major national technical assistance and training project to assist schools and communities in reducing and preventing school violence and vandalism. The National School Resource Network helped to promote interaction between criminal justice and youth service personnel, educators, and school administrators for the development of effective juvenile delinquency prevention programs. URC staff designed three technical assistance packages designed to provide in-depth, self-instructional guidance on improving school discipline, climate, and security. Technical assistance activities were coordinated with four regional centers and a 34-member consortium of education and youth service organizations. URC staff developed and disseminated 40 technical assistance bulletins and a Program Resource Guide to highlight juvenile delinquency prevention efforts implemented successfully in schools across the country, such as alternative-to-suspension programs, school-court relations improvement, police involvement in school programs, and restitution projects for juvenile offenders. This three-year project was completed in 1982.
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