Competency frameworks serve various roles including outlining characteristics of a competent workforce, facilitating mobility, and analysing or assessing expertise. Given these roles and their relevance in the health professions, we sought to understand the methods and strategies used in the development of existing competency frameworks. We…

A systematic review explored the creation and maintenance of community coalitions as effective for alcohol and other drug (AOD) prevention in adolescence. Community coalitions influence the implementation of effective and sustainable community-based prevention via infrastructure supporting development, delivery, and assessment of human service…

While research on program effectiveness offers ample evidence that afterschool programs can benefit young people in a variety of ways, this same body of research demonstrates that not all programs are equally effective (Granger, 2008). Some programs show positive results in many or all major outcome categories. Other programs are associated with…

Conceptual approaches employed in service utilization and multidimensional assessment research which have been used for planning and evaluating services to the aged are reviewed. Also examined are the conceptual properties of three widely used assessment instruments in order to assess their utility in providing a database for planning and…

States evidence regarding effectiveness of sex offender treatment programs has been limited. Article uses California's Sex Offender Treatment and Evaluation Project to address problems that are inherent in this research, and to illustrate that well designed studies make only limited contributions to the database on treatment effectiveness.…

A study was conducted to determine what particular outcomes are appropriate for use as criteria to evaluate vocational education programs. Procedures included (1) compiling a list of candidate outcomes, (2) conducting a literature and practice review, (3) formulating a strategy for having outcomes reviewed, (4) developing alternative outcome…

Systematic investigation of processes involved in needs analysis would improve current knowledge of the procedure and would bring analysts closer to the goal of generalized validity rather than situational validity. This article deals with two phases of the needs assessment process: selecting participants and defining needs and alternatives in…

A review of eight studies that focus on physical education curriculums and programs illustrated a variety of research approaches in the areas of curriculum development, collaborative program development, program description, development process description, and program evaluation. (IAH)

Review of literature concerning the use of program review in higher education lists sources discussing the review process, focusing on the links between program review and other institutional processes, and addressing application of program review principles and practices to different higher education settings. Critical factors for successful use…

Presents three studies of the acceptability of an extended organizational consultation project featuring collaborative, qualitative research methods as consultation tools, and focuses on facilitating the development of one school district's Prereferral Intervention Teams. Results suggest that consultation methods were highly acceptable to team…

Successful outcomes assessment programs have many common characteristics. Institutional researchers should examine these signs of success and use them as guides for developing their own campus programs. (Author/MSE)

This article (1) defines "experiential learning" and some of its properties, purposes, and forms; (2) proposes a framework for thinking about evaluating educational programs; and (3) offers recommendations for future research to explore the value of experiential learning, guide program development, and increase knowledge about youth socialization…

This paper is designed to help our understanding of the incidence and distribution of special education programs throughout the world. There are huge differences among countries. In one country, one of every 5,000 elementary and secondary pupils receives special education; in the United States, it is one in 20. (KC)

The paper addresses issues in counseling the retarded in the context of the research literature, identifies promising trends, and proposes a counseling model. Three issues are identified: the necessity for counseling to meet measurable objectives; the need for cost effectiveness; and the need for an integrated model. After proposing a definition…

This article reviews definitions of quality of life; explores the subjective nature of life quality for people with disabilities; relates the concept to cultural norms and universal human values and needs; explores the optimal theory of personal well-being; and surveys the source and use of research and implications for planning and evaluating…