CSSO Bibliography
The following is an annotated bibliography developed by the Council of Chief State School Officers to assist communities in developing comprehensive, integrated services. We gratefully acknowledge CCSSO for its support to the systems reform effort in Missouri.
Where Can I Get Help Moving from Principles to Practice?
An Annotated Bibliography
Contents of Bibliography
Basic Elements of Preventive Strategies
and Effective Services
Financing
Needs Assessment and Program Evaluation
Stronger Structures for Coordination
Putting All the Pieces Together
Address List
Beyond the Buzzwords: Key Principles in Effective Frontline Practice, Jill Kinney, Kathy Strand, Marge Hagerup, Charles Bruner, National Center for Service Integration.
This resource brief examines how to make sure that the terms commonly, used to describe effective services for children and families--e.g. community-based, family centered, comprehensive, preventative, flexible, and consumer driven--are incorporated into practice. The brief describes the clinical and theoretical basis for believing these service principles lead to success and explores how to assess whether they are being put into practice. (1994)
Key Characteristics and Features of Community Based Family Support Programs, Carl Dunst, Family Resource Coalition.
This document defines characteristics and features of family support program practice. Chapter 1 is an operational definition of family support and differentiates family support from other human services programs. Chapter 2 discusses premises, principles, paradigms, and practices that are key elements of family support programs. Chapter 3 includes a catalog of program dimensions along which family support programs differ and also includes a brief description of blending common and diverse elements that form the foundations of support programs. (1995)
Building Partnerships: Models of Family Support and Education Programs, Harvard Family Research Project.
This publication describes family support and education programs in North Dakota, Iowa, Florida, Vermont, and Massachusetts and contrasts their different approaches to service delivery. It also contains a list of factors that facilitate effective collaboration as well as a list of challenges to effective collaboration. (1992)
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The Role of Finance Reform in Comprehensive Service Initiatives, Ira M. Cutler, The Finance Project.
This paper examines strategies for financing a variety of community-based comprehensive service initiatives with special attention to their applicability to promoting changes in the ways education and human services systems operate. (November 1995)
A Strike for Independence: How A Missouri School District Generated Two Million Dollars to Improve the Lives of Children, The Center for the Study of Social Policy.
This case study reviews the efforts of Independence, Missouri to develop a community-based, school-linked services for families and children. The Independence school district generated more than $2 million from Medicaid financing, primarily through Medicaid's Early, Periodic, Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Program as well as administrative case management provisions. The study includes model interagency agreements, eligibility requirements, provider enrollment information, and priorities for each interagency component. (1994)
Getting to The Bottom Line: State and Community Strategies for Financing Comprehensive Community Services Systems, Frank Farrow, Charles Bruner, National Center for Service Integration.
This resource brief introduces the concepts involved in designing new financing strategies for more effective and collaborative services for children and families. It outlines specific principles for addressing financing as key element of reform and reviews specific strategies and options that states are using to reform their financing systems. (1993)
The Cosmology of Financing: An Approach to the Systematic Consideration of Financing Options, The Center for the Study of Social Policy.
Recognizing that states and communities are challenged to use current and future resources in new ways that maximize all available resources, this paper explores some of the financing strategies that can be used as part of an overall plan to restructure services and supports for children and families. (1994)
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Know Your Community: A Step by Step Guide to Community Needs and Resources Assessment, Bryan Samuel, Nilofer Ahsan, Jill Garcia, Family Resource Coalition
This guide assists community-based planning bodies in completing a comprehensive community assessment. It presents practical tools that communities can use to conduct assessments that are community-drive, asset oriented, and inclusive. The guide discusses collecting data, involving families, surveying service providers/community resources, and establishing community priorities. (1995)
Charting A Course: Assessing A Community's Strength and Needs, Charles Bruner, Karen Bell, Claire Brindis, Hedy Chang, William Scarborough, National Center for Service Integration.
This resource brief outlines suggestions for defining community assessments as both a project and a process that provides a solid foundation for tracking the effectiveness of community efforts to support children and families. It outlines strategies for collecting baseline information, identifying reform strategies that are based on community values and goals, and building community capacity to achieve desired results. The brief includes sample cost and time factors involved in community assessment and draws from the experience of several community assessments, projects, and initiatives. (1993)
New Approaches to Evaluating Community Initiatives: Concepts, Methods, and Contexts, J.P. Connell, A.C. Kubisch, L.B. Schorr, and C.H. Weiss, The Aspen Institute.
This book is a collection of papers commissioned by the Roundtable on Comprehensive Community Initiatives for Children and Families to explore key issues associated with evaluating community initiatives for children and families. The papers discuss a variety challenges that designers, funders, managers and evaluators face and focus on theory-based evaluation, the use of social science research to design and evaluate such initiatives, community level indicators of child well being, and the changing role of the evaluator among other topics. (1995)
Making a Difference: Moving to Outcome Based Accountability, for Comprehensive Service Reforms, Nancy Young, Sid Gardner, Soraya Coley, Charles Bruner, National Center for Service Integration.
This resource brief provides three frameworks to stimulate communities embarking upon collaborative projects to develop results-oriented accountability systems. The first section emphasizes examining outcomes within the context of goals, strategies and resources, and stresses the importance of involving communities in developing the outcomes for which they will be held accountable. The second section offers a rationale for developing a results-oriented accountability system and the third outlines challenges to measuring the impact of service strategies that seek to strengthen families and revitalize communities. (1993)
The Case for Shifting to Results-Based Accountability and Finding the Data: A Start-Up List of Outcome Measures with Annotations, Lisbeth Schorr , Harvard Project on Effective Services/Improved Outcomes for Children Project, Center for the Study of Social Policy.
This paper and accompanying list of start-up measures illuminate the issues involved in shifting to results-based accountability. The paper examines the potential benefits of a results-based accountability system and discusses risks that must be recognized as well. It discusses community goals and their relationship to accountability and makes some recommendations for beginning to take an results-based approach. The list of start-up measures is intended to help communities determine what kind of data is available and what cautions should be heeded in collecting and using data. (1995)
Moving Toward Accountability for Results: A Look At Ten States Efforts, Council of Chief State School Officers.
This paper reviews issues that states are grappling with as they attempt to move toward a results-oriented system of services, supports and opportunities for children and families. A state-by-state matrix details how Arkansas, California, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin are addressing the challenge of managing by results. (1995)
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Changing Governance to Achieve Better Results for Children and Families, The Center for the Study of Social Policy.
This paper examines new governance roles that are being assumed by entities at the local level and then focuses on governance changes being developed jointly by state agencies and local communities. It reviews the rationale for new forms of governance, describes key characteristics of the new local governance entities, and outlines a framework several states and communities are using as they establish new forms of governance. (Working Draft)
State Child and Family Collaborative Governance Units: New Strategies for Human Services Reform, The Family Impact Seminar, National Governors Association.
This issue brief summarizes information about collaborative governance bodies that have been formed to bring more coherence to state efforts for children and families. These governance bodies, often called Child and Family Councils, Sub-Cabinets or Commissions, are designed to improve coordination, integration, and effectiveness of existing child and family services. The brief provides information about how these bodies collect and analyze information, create common visions and agendas, partner with communities, identify desired results, and recommend how to use dollars more effectively. (1995)
Changing Decision Making to Improve Results for Children and Families: How Ten States Are Tackling Tough Governance Issues, Council of Chief State School Officers.
This issue brief examines how ten states are changing cross-sector decision making processes and structures as they work to improve the nature and quality of services and supports available to children, youth, and families. It provides summaries of the states, current governance structures, how cross-cutting decisions are made at the state level, responsibilities of local and state-level coordinating bodies, state-local relationships, state assistance to localities, and federal-state relationships. (1996)
Who Controls Major Federal Programs for Children and Families: Rube Goldberg Revisited, Margaret Dunkle, Institute for Educational Leadership.
This publication provides an in-depth look at the Congressional Committees and Executive Branch departments that have responsibility for major federal programs affecting children and families and discusses the effects of trickle-down fragmentation on families, communities and states. In addition, it provides suggestions for making federal policies more coherent and effective, both in Congress and the Executive Branch.
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A Matter of Commitment: Improving Ideas for Families, Youth, and Children--A Comprehensive Guide to Ideas and Help, Center for the Study of Social Policy, Child and Family Policy Center, Family Resource Coalition, and Center for Youth Development and Policy Research/Academy for Educational Development.
This is a comprehensive resource guide to help communities working to improve results for children and families. The chapters are arranged topically, covering issues such as the vision for reform, results-based accountability, governance, financing, and professional development. Each section contains an overview of the topic, suggestions for implementation, extensive appendices, and lists of materials and organizations that can be used as resources. Available in late 1996.
Together We Can: A Guide for Crafting a Profamily System of Education and Human Resources, Atelia Melaville and Martin Blank U. S. Department of Education.
This is a practical guide that can assist communities to form collaborative efforts in education and human services. It emphasizes a holistic approach to supporting children and families, defines the need for comprehensive services, outlines potential barriers, and provides suggestions for navigating the maze of federal and state funds to support collaborative initiatives. It provides a five stage process for establishing a community effort, from defining the goal to moving the plan to action. Each stage has milestones to work toward and strategies for achieving them. Examples from existing initiatives illustrate key issues. A checklist of suggestions for new projects is included as well as an exhaustive list of organizational resources. (1993)
Drawing Strength From Diversity: Effective Services for Children, Youth, and Families, Hedy Chang, California Tomorrow.
This report explores strategies for creating the conditions that form the basis of an equitable, multi-ethnic society. It describes human services reforms in the context of diversity and explores the promise of such efforts for generating effective ways to serve culturally and linguistically diverse families. Each chapter discusses strategies for incorporating issues of race, culture, and language into different facets of the reform process from community assessment to community governance. (1994)
Getting Started: Planning a Comprehensive Service Initiative, National Center for Service Integration,
This resource brief aims to help those involved in changing service delivery systems in order to better address the needs of children and families. It outlines questions that should be considered in planning a collaborative services reform effort and offers guidance in thinking through these initiatives. (1993)
So You Think You Need Some Help: Making Effective Use of Technical Assistance, Charles Bruner National Center for Service Integration.
This brief is a guide to states and communities embarking on collaborative projects on how to make the most effective use of technical assistance or consultants, how to develop technical assistance relationships, and how to secure assistance related to the unique needs of the population being served. It also describes ways to help streamline planning stages of integration efforts, explores issues in selecting a technical assistance provider, and gives suggestions for technical assistance evaluation. (1993)
The Path of Most Resistance: Lessons Learned from New Futures, The Annie E. Casey Foundation.
This paper is a review of New Futures, a five year initiative in five different cities aimed at preparing disadvantaged urban youth for successful lives as adults. It highlights insights gained in a number of areas including the challenge of building consensus among diverse stakeholders, the importance of continual reflection and mid-course adjustments, and the need for linking attempts to change services and institutions with economic development initiatives and efforts to build social capital. (1995)
Service Integration: An Annotated Bibliography, Ajay Chaudry, Karen Maurer, Carole Oshinsky, Joshua Mackie, National Center for Service Integration.
This bibliography describes books, papers, and articles written to help policy makers, administrators, practitioners, academics, and students who are interested in integrating and improving human services for children, youth and families. Selected subjects include: case management in human services, community support development, and feasibility studies for integrated studies. The documents are primarily based upon practical examples rather than theory and are accompanied by publishing and purchasing information. (1993)
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The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 701 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 (410) 547-6600 Fax: 547-6624
The Center for the Study of Social Policy, 1250 Eye Street NW, Suite 503, Washington, DC 20005 202-371-1565 Fax: 202-371-1472
Council of Chief State School Officers, One Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20001 202-336-7035 Fax: 202-408-8072
Family Resource Coalition, 200 S. Michigan Avenue, 16th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604 312-341-0900 Fax: 312-341-9361
The Finance Project, 1341 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 202-628-4200, Fax: 202-628-4205
The Institute for Educational Leadership, 1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 310, Washington, DC 20036 202-822-8405 Fax: 872-4050
National Center for Service Integration c/o The Child and Family Policy Center, Fleming Building, Suite 1021, 218 6th Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309-4006 515-280-9027 Fax: 515-244-8997
National Governors' Association, Hall of the States 444 North Capitol Street Washington, DC 20001-1512 202-624-5300
U.S. Department of Education c/o U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, Mail Stop: SSOP Washington, DC 20402
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