Savvy consumers rely on the expertise of Consumer Reports for information on appliances. For educational programs, officials turn to the National Diffusion Network, an agency of the U.S. Department of Education.
And Alan Hofmeister, professor of special education and instructional technology at Utah State University, says the state and Utah State University are consistent entries in the agency's reports.Of the 81 projects currently sanctioned and funded by the agency, Utah claimed more programs than all but three states.
"In terms of productivity in education innovation, Utah is way out in front," he said.
Three of Utah's six projects - compared to the 11 projects claimed each by California and New York, the largest states in the nation - were created by USU faculty.
Hofmeister said agency funding is one of few reliable indicators of quality educational programming. It lets school districts know the project meets three strict criteria - it works, it can be implemented in schools and it is cost effective.
Utah State's projects include Hofmeister's Math Core Concepts Videodisc; MAPPS, a multi-agency project for preschoolers with special needs administered through the Developmental Center for Handicapped Persons, and two projects administered by the Department of Communicative Disorders called Ski*Hi and INSITE, which provide early home intervention for hearing- and vision-impaired children.
About 2,000 schools in 40 states are using the math core concepts videodisc.
The computer-video technology enhances teacher effectiveness by packaging master teaching methods on videodisc, leaving the teacher free to be with students rather than at the blackboard.
MAPPS was first chosen as an exemplary program in 1980 and was revalidated in 1985 to continue receiving network funding.
MAPPS teaches parents, pre-school and day-care center teachers how to assess the needs of developmentally delayed infants and how to restructure or enrich daily learning sessions with the child until the regular education system begins to serve him or her.
SKI*Hi first received network funding in 1971 and during 10 years of association has reproduced the program 250 times in 42 states, as well as in England and Canada.
SKI*HI helps parents learn about hearing loss and hearing aids and how to facilitate parent-child communication, auditory and language development.
INSITE is in its first year of network funding and already has been adopted in 140 programs in 20 states. INSITE serves multihandicapped sensory-impaired children in their homes by teaching parents how to enrich sensory and motor skill development.