Achieving the Dream colleges engage in a process of institutional improvement to increase student success. A central component of this process is engaging internal and external stakeholders to help develop and implement interventions or changes in programs and services that improve student success. To determine whether these interventions do…

In order to assess how completely a Small Learning Community (SLC) and/or Career Academy is implemented in any given site, and to connect the degree of implementation with the amount of improvement in student performance, two kinds of information are needed. The first is information on the quality of implementation, which can be collected by…

Statistical neighbour models provide one method for benchmarking progress. For each local authority (LA), these models designate a number of other LAs deemed to have similar characteristics. These designated LAs are known as statistical neighbours. Any LA may compare its performance (as measured by various indicators) against its statistical…

Recognizing that textbook adoption procedures and evaluation criteria vary from state to state or district to district, the authors present some general guidelines on screening and evaluation that should prove helpful to any elementary textbook adoption committee. (Author/SJL)

Criticism is the art of disclosing the qualities of events or objects the connoisseur perceives. Criticism is not negative appraisal, nor a list of unfavorable judgements; its essence is illumination. The key characteristics of criticism used as an evaluation method are: (1) inherent subjectivity; (2) reliance on the perception of the critic (its…

This is one of a set of five handbooks compiled by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory which describes the processes for planning and operating a total Experience-Based Career Education (EBCE) program. Processes and material are those developed by the original EBCE model--Community Experiences in Career Education or (CE)2. The area of…

Using architectural design as a model, the article discusses the process of evaluation design. Like the architect, the evaluator faces a problem of finding forms that best fit a partially defined set of contextual demands. The context is the set of all factors which made demands upon the final design form. Like the architect, the evaluator's…

Both evaluators and storytellers pull together the events they hear and see; they create unified, coherent entities out of the parts they gather. This guide considers two levels at which the understanding of the nature and methods of narrative writing, or storytelling, can be of use to the evaluator. The highest level is to use the notion of…

This handbook is designed to provide practical aid to those who have charge of the planning and organization of a youth conference, Defined as a conference to provide practical information as well as information about possible responsibilities, risks, and consequences of actions, related to the chosen conference topic. Suggestions are given for…

The choice of methods is part of the overall evaluation design process. The process consists of the following steps: (1) analyzing the problem context; (2) asking a few general questions; (3) selecting the methods (strategies) to use; and (4) selecting the specific techniques (tactics) to use. To operate successfully the evaluator needs to know…

The identification, validation, dissemination (IVD) process represents a quality control effort whose ultimate purpose is to validate and disseminate projects of proven educational quality and significance. The IVD and the Joint Dissemination Review Panel (JDRP) processes are complementary, although their procedures and criteria are distinct. JDRP…

The five-step family assessment process presented in this manual is designed to facilitate the accurate, organized collection of information necessary for the development of an intervention plan for families with children. The materials contain the five forms that are to be completed as part of the assessment process, including a: (1) family…

This sourcebook profiles approximately 80 programs that support the redefinition, assessment, and/or enhancement of quality in community services for individuals with developmental disabilities. Direct service programs, however, are not included. The programs and activities described are subsumed under the following broad categories: (1) statewide…

Written for planners and practitioners in employability skills development programs, this handbook provides information and resources for designing and implementing competency-based instruction. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to basic terms and concepts that make up a competency-based system. It describes four skills required for one to be…

An established goal of the Michigan Department of Education is that annual and long-range educational planning will be improved and expanded. The purpose of this Program Review/Planning Handbook is to recommend procedures and instrumentation through which educators at the local level may plan and conduct a program review and prepare and implement…