Since the mid 1970s, a series of international declarations that recognize the critical link between environmental sustainability and higher education have been endorsed and signed by universities around the world. While academic initiatives in sustainability are blossoming, higher education lacks a comprehensive evaluation framework that is…

Environmental education organizations can do more to either institute evaluation or improve the quality of their evaluation. In an effort to help evaluators bridge the gap between the potential for high quality evaluation systems to improve environmental education, and the low level of evaluation in actual practice, we reviewed recent…

This paper reviews what has been learned about evaluation ultilization during the past 20 years. Evaluation utilization is discussed in terms of what is used, who uses evaluation, when evaluation is used, how evaluation is used, where evaluation is used, and why evaluation is used. It is suggested that the personal factor - the interests and…

With the myriad challenges facing parents in recent years, formal parenting training programs have been developed to address parent needs. However, few studies have been conducted to assess the actual effects of participating in such programs. An attempt to develop a better understanding of how informal parental support networks and formal parent…

An evaluation of the in-service education and training (INSET) of teachers in Britain is based on careful analysis of the characteristics of the evaluation task, target, and agent and, more specifically, upon the way in which these three factors interact in any one cell of the model. (JMF)

Both the Evaluation Research Society and minimum competency testing proponents have searched for evaluation standards. A need exists for ethical standards which are universal and absolute, as well as methodolgical guidelines which are particular and relative. (CP)

Thirteen evaluations of programs to prevent child abuse and neglect are reviewed. The evaluations were characterized by careful attention to methodologic detail but lacked definitions of abuse or neglect. Important topics are omitted, such as the consequences and costs of medical neglect. (Author/JDD)

The paper reviews cost-effectiveness evaluations of child maltreatment interventions. Though methodologically sound research is limited, existing research suggests that home health visitors, lay group counseling, and family and group therapy are promising interventions. Medical foster care substantially reduces costs, but its effectiveness has not…

A survey of teacher education evaluation practices was conducted to cover areas not addressed in previous studies. The initial survey form was reviewed by college administrators at Western Kentucky University, revised, and later reviewed by selected members of a group of professional educators across the nation. A questionnaire, developed to…

From 1980 through 1983, 41 articles in selected professional journals dealt with summative evaluation of training and development efforts in business and industry. All of the standard components of program evaluation were addressed either directly or indirectly in them, in varying degree and depth. Although one must contact the primary audience to…

A preliminary investigation of teacher education evaluation practices was conducted to provide a basis for understanding the present state-of-the-practice in teacher education evaluation and to suggest directions to be taken to improve the practice. An analysis is presented of data obtained from 397 responding institutions. Findings are presented…

Several aspects for the evaluation of leisure programs are addressed: theoretical frameworks for evaluation; practical rationales for instituting the evaluation process; information about evaluation for persons with varying abilities and needs; and processes for the evaluation of outdoor recreation programs and public leisure sports. (CJ)

Programs to educate severely handicapped children have usually been evaluated with respect to student achievement. Although this approach is reasonable, a multivariate approach that examines the impact on the child's family may be more relevant. Programs to teach the parents and to reduce institutionalization should also be studied. (GDC)

This critique addresses conventional approaches to evaluation of vocational teacher education through a review of research that has components of evaluation, with specific emphasis on vocational teacher education progams. A review in the 1986 handbook by Lanier and Little, "Handbook of Research on Teaching," was used as the framework, citing…

The authors highlight some of the findings of their forthcoming book, "Open Plan Schools: Teaching, Curriculum, and Design," which will evaluate open plan schools in England. These schools now comprise over 10 percent of all primary schools. (KC)