Competency-based assessment is undergoing an evolution with the popularisation of programmatic assessment. Fundamental to programmatic assessment are the attributes and buy-in of the people participating in the system. Our previous research revealed unspoken, yet influential, cultural and relationship dynamics that interact with programmatic…

There has been a significant gap between the tools used for the design of a building's architectural form and those that evaluate the structural physics of that form. Seeking to bring the perspectives of visual design and structural engineering closer together, we developed and evaluated a design tool for students and practitioners to explore the…

Through a comparative study of the United Kingdom and Spain, this article addresses the effect of different research governance structures on the functioning and uses of research evaluation. It distinguishes three main evaluation uses: distributive, improvement, and controlling. Research evaluation in the United Kingdom plays important…

A cross-case analysis of four National Science Foundation (NSF) case studies identified both unique details and common themes related to promoting the use and influence of multisite evaluations. The analysis provided evidence of diverse evaluation use by stakeholders and suggested that people taking part in the multisite evaluations perceived…

There is little doubt that the assessment and evaluation of student learning, as well as the assessment and evaluation of a teacher's pedagogical skills and curriculum, is of tremendous importance. Indeed, without any evidence that learning is taking place, why should a school district invest time and resources in a given subject area? Yet…

This article reviews the evidence for computer-based auditory training (CBAT) in children with language, reading, and related learning difficulties, and evaluates the extent it can benefit children with auditory processing disorder (APD). Searches were confined to studies published between 2000 and 2008, and they are rated according to the level…

Kimberly Howard and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn examine home visiting, an increasingly popular method for delivering services for families, as a strategy for preventing child abuse and neglect. They focus on early interventions because infants are at greater risk for child abuse and neglect than are older children. In their article, Howard and Brooks-Gunn…

Program evaluation must be practiced by all members of all trades, disciplines, professions, or any other group of people whose efforts are aimed at making a difference. There is a role for "content free" evaluation methodology resources, but not for a professional "content free" evaluator. (RL)

The profile, status and funding of leadership development has risen dramatically both in the UK and internationally over the last decade. This article draws on a decade of study of leadership development programmes in order argue that school leadership training in England has received unprecedented levels of funding but that until very recently…

The semiotic interpretative context is extended to program evaluation. Assumptions about the semiotic process of constructing, describing, and judging reality are examined in terms of the viability of the process in explicating a perception-based evaluation model. Models from which inspiration was drawn include R. W. Tyler's instructional…

A 6-day gender role workshop for adult men and women is described using current theory and research. The principle concepts discussed in the workshop were adult gender role journeys, gender role transitions, and gender role conflicts. The workshop's curriculum and process are described, including workshop themes, lectures, media, and structured…

School technology departments bridge the gap between the technology industry and the classroom. Integrating technology means both teaching and supporting faculty. The technology department's roles and responsibilities must be constantly redefined and reevaluated. Financial resources should be allocated to allow ongoing training and incremental…

Experimental group mothers reported significantly greater self-confidence and satisfaction with mothering and more favorable perception of infant temperament than did control group mothers. Differences between children on cognitive scores became significant at 36 and 48 months of age, when the experimental group caught up with normal children. (RH)

Measured the impact of a six-month organization development (OD) effort with a top management group in a large state government organization. The data demonstrated that OD in the public sector can result in mild to moderate improvement in role clarity, collaboration, and communication effectiveness among participants. (Author)

This paper shows how several of Cook and Gruder's meta-evaluation models have been applied in the national evaluation of Project Follow Through. Participants in the evaluation are identified, their roles are described, and the degree to which these roles map onto the meta-evaluation models is assessed. (Author/BW)