This qualitative study explored the conditions that support assessment practice and the impact of the accreditation process on assessment practice in student affairs divisions at three small colleges and universities in the southeastern U.S. Findings indicate that the role of the senior student affairs officer directly impacts staff perceptions of…

Data-driven planning or evidence-based decision making represents nothing new in its concept. For years, business leaders have claimed they have implemented planning informed by data that have been strategically and systematically gathered. Within higher education and student affairs, there may be less evidence of the actual practice of…

Ongoing, strategic family-school partnering (FSP) is an essential component of every educational community. FSP is a multi-dimensional process in which schools, families, and communities engage in shared actions to ensure a child's academic, social, and emotional success. With this text, the authors intend to offer a practical guide that…

Describes a two-year (1983-1985) systems study of the human services provided adolescents aged 10-17 and their families in one rural Pennsylvania community. Describes teacher/student survey, human services utilization survey, case reviews, and development of community-based advocacy plan. Discusses study's impact on local human services network…

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational…

Describes West Virginia's Community Work Experience Program, a work requirement program for public assistance recipients. Examines issues workfare raised in a rural context, explains why West Virginia avoided the controversy usually associated with such programs, and notes benefits including improved images for welfare workers, recipients, and…

As the demand for accountability grows, those in child and family practice are coping with an increasing emphasis on outcome measures. This book responds to the need for accountability by providing human service managers with basic guidance on program evaluation philosophies and procedures. It provides valuable information on developing best…

This guide to self-evaluation and improvement builds upon the advice given in the publication "A Guide to Evaluating Services for Children and Young People Using Quality Indicators" (HMIE, 2006) (A summary of the quality indicators is reproduced in Appendix I). Local authorities, agencies and professionals who have responsibilities for…

This handbook offers a variety of prevention and therapeutic services that can be tailored to meet the unique characteristics of a school and community. In section 1, an overview of the dropout problem and the comprehensive dropout prevention strategy are presented. In section 2, on needs assessment, data collection, objective selection, and…

The purpose of library public relations is to develop ongoing programs of contact between the librarians and the population groups that they serve. This book is a guide to creating a library public relations program or for improving an existing program. The information is divided into six sections, and sources of additional information are…

This document is part of a five-volume nationwide study of Nutrition Services operations and elderly citizens participating in congregate dining and home delivery services authorized by Title III-C of the Older Americans' Act. The Nutrition Services address a number of problems faced by the nation's elderly, such as dietary inadequacy, declining…

This document is part of a five-volume nationwide study of Nutrition Services operations and elderly citizens participating in congregate dining and home delivery services authorized by Title III-C of the Older Americans' Act. A descriptive report is contained in this volume, which presents non-selective and preliminary analysis of the data base…

The paper briefly discusses 12 critical issues that significantly affect program success in reducing severe self-injurious behavior (SIB) in group homes. The paper emphasizes the necessity of: (1) a process approach to the development and monitoring of treatment; (2) demythologizing the self-injurious client; (3) discussing and clarifying legal…

This guide to implementing a school volunteer program was developed for the 1995 Wisconsin Volunteer-A-Thon project, which was intended to encourage individuals, schools, organizations, and corporations to volunteer time to youth and education. Part 1 contains a timeline for the implementation of the project, a description of how to participate,…

This manual was developed to help school personnel evaluate school health efforts. It is a nontechnical, practical guide that offers an overview of school health, including health education, health services, and a healthful school environment. A basic evaluation framework is presented for systematically identifying, planning, implementing, and…