This review aims to synthesize the evaluation evidence for parent-engagement programs that focus on reducing juvenile truancy as the primary outcome. Delinquent behavior will be assessed as a secondary outcome when included. This objective is guided by the following research questions: (1) what is the effectiveness of parent-engagement programs…

The purpose of this paper is to describe best practices in designing and implementing strong quasi-experimental designs (QED) when assessing the effectiveness of policies, programs or practices. The paper first discusses the issues researchers face when choosing to conduct a QED, as opposed to a more rigorous randomized controlled trial design.…

In order to improve the accuracy of students' placement into California Community College English as Second Language (ESL) courses and move them more efficiently toward completion, the statewide Common Assessment Initiative (CAI) is developing placement processes for student assessment in credit ESL that contain a multiple measures component. As…

Senior Economist Jonathan Rothwell of Gallup, presents data on employment outcomes for college graduates from different types of colleges. He also provides findings from the Gallup-USA Funds Associate Degree Graduates Survey which shows there are a number of student experiences that are highly predictive of overall life-evaluation. He cites the…

Suicide remains the third leading cause of death among young people in the United States. Considering that youth who contemplate suicide generally exhibit warning signs before engaging in lethal self-harm, school-based mental health professionals can play a vital role in identifying students who are at risk for suicidal behavior. Nevertheless, the…

Understanding and conducting research is a complex, integral skill that needs to be mastered by both undergraduate and graduate students. Yet many students are reluctant and often somewhat apprehensive about undertaking research and understanding the underlying statistical methods used to evaluate research (Dauphinee, Schau, & Stevens, 1997).…

Since 1973, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has gathered information about student achievement in mathematics. Results of these periodic assessments, produced in print and web-based formats, provide valuable information to a wide variety of audiences. They inform citizens about the nature of students' comprehension of the…

Describes a distance education instrument developed to assess students' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in a college-level accounting course presented via distance education using compressed video called PictureTel. Results indicated that specific items, related to instructor characteristics, could be used to predict students' choices about…

Describes an electronic distance collaboration ("collaborative effort done over distance, using computer networks such as the Internet") via electronic mail between students at three universities. Topics include how success in electronic distance collaboration should be defined, what factors are related to success, and the importance of social…

This paper explores the nature and extent of outsourcing by higher education institutions, benefits and challenges associated with outsourcing, and the implications of outsourcing for effective management. The principal investigator conducted a national study of outsourcing by four-year colleges and universities at two points in time, 1998-99 and…

This study analyses the impact of democratic decentralisation on the chances of socially excluded groups to participate in newly created local governance institutions--Panchayati Raj Institutions--in three Indian states. This institutional reform included a quota for the disadvantaged--women and lower castes--to ensure their effective…

This document is a final report of a study that assessed students' use of the Information Online (IO) computer catalog at the Indiana University at South Bend (IUSB) library, as well as their skills and attitudes related to library use. The 38 participants completed multiple choice and true/false exercises testing their understanding of the IO…

A study examined the attitudes of Florida business teachers toward perceived barriers to implementing the Florida competency-based business curriculum materials and also the characteristics of business teachers who would be most likely to receive and adopt curriculum innovations. During the study, a five-part questionnaire that contained questions…

Entrepreneurship courses commonly use various kinds of group work, cooperative learning, study circles and study teams. A major challenge of this pedagogy is the unbiased grading of group members based on the accountability of individual performances. This paper provides an approach to using student peer assessment to provide feedback on…