Teachers can take on the additional responsibility of inservice leadership and can be trained in the processes of curriculum development. Through implementation of those procedures, teachers can initiate an ongoing system of needs-based inservice education. Steps in initiating this process include: (1) Teachers take the major responsibility for…

An external evaluation was conducted of the Picturepages television work-along program in Kentucky. The program consisted of 100 televised lessons and booklets, and was given to 237 preschool children. The lessons presented "games" which were designed to develop cognitive concepts and skills. Both process and outcome evaluations were…

Three approaches to validating competencies of vocational education programs in technical and professional schools are examined. Competencies are defined as behavior-oriented and relatively simple, observable behaviors which can be identified and measured by the frequency of occurrence. The three models, which have elements in common, are expert…

This paper describes: the development and implementation of Schoolwide Projects (SWPs) in the School District of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania); evaluation models permitted by Chapter 1 regulation and policy; ways these models were used in Philadelphia and results that were obtained; and approaches that are sensitive to the effects of SWPs. The…

This paper argues that the National Diffusion Network (NDN) is a valuable tool for disseminating information about effective school improvement programs (SIPs). It considers why SIPs are not found more frequently in the NDN and what can be done to remedy this situation, from the perspective of the executive secretary of the NDN Program…

This paper advocates parent participation in the direct instruction of their children, and briefly summarizes research on developing and validating a technology for effective parent involvement conducted at the Utah State University Exceptional Child Center. The research involved interactions with more than 600 families and explored a variety of…

The programs and projects of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation are outlined, and its attitudes toward evaluation are discussed--with particular emphasis on the evaluation of an individually guided education project, developed by the Institute for Development of Educational Activities to promote instructional change. The Kettering Foundation, a…

With greater demands being placed on postsecondary education as employers report that graduates have inadequate skills, interest has been generated in assessing student academic achievement in reliable and valid ways. A descriptive case study was used to outline the process that has been developed to identify and implement program outcomes for 55…