A setting is described in which an evaluation was used with significant impacts on policies and programs. Some of those impacts are delineated, types of utilization employed by staff within the system are illustrated, and conditions under which the evaluation was conducted to obtain such a high level of use are discussed. In the 1979-80 school…

Although marriage enrichment programs have been shown to be effective for many couples, a multidimensional approach to assessment is needed in investigating these groups. The components of information and social support in successful marriage enrichment programs were compared in a completely crossed 2 x 2 factorial design with repeated measures.…

The usefulness of providing specific information and a progress/feedback mechanism to control utility usage in community-based, halfway houses for dependent-neglected and for delinquent adolescents was explored. The investigation was carried out in a random sample of 12 houses of an Arizona facility, divided into equivalent groups of three houses.…

Information systems are a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for improving the efficiency of educational systems. Improving the Education Management Information System must be the foundation of any long-term effort to enhance the efficiency of the Nepalese system. Three critical conditions must be met to enhance system efficiency…

Teacher educators are in a state of near paralysis concerning their program evaluations. This paralysis comes from adopting wholesale a dysfunctional evaluative point of view from the dominant educational research establishment. There is a history of overestimating the current relevance of experimental behavioral science models for the gathering…

This paper examines strategies for urban school improvement within the realm of preschool, elementary, and secondary level programs, and systemwide programs. Examples of programs in each grade level area which are operating in different parts of the country are given. The following elements are identified as common to all successful programs: (1)…

Effective use of career resource centers (CRCs) is dependent upon having good resources, good organization and management of the resources, purposeful access strategies (a variety of assessment activities and materials), and meaningful utilization of the information. Assuming that CRCs have good resources and are well organized and managed, a more…

Four problems underlying the delivery of technical assistance in Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title I evaluation are discussed: (1) the dual missions of facilitating the implementation of the Title I Evaluation and Reporting System and of facilitating the local use of evaluation information frequently require tradeoffs between…

A follow-up study was conducted by Skyline College (SC) to determine the effectiveness of an "economically depressed area" project undertaken by the college in Spring 1979 to promote SC's programs among low income area residents and to provide information to this group on consumer-related issues and community service agencies. During the…

Teachers who implement new programs have often been observed to adapt them to suit their own teaching situations. This process of adaptation raises four important issues: (1) Can teachers replicate practices developed elsewhere? (2) Can they be equally effective in doing so? (3) Must adaptation occur for implementation to succeed? and (4) Can…

A long-term project entitled Agricultural Manpower Needs in North Dakota examined current and projected agriculture manpower needs in the state. Objectives of the project were to develop a methodology for obtaining and interpreting agricultural manpower needs data for North Dakota, to determine emerging employment trends and identify emerging…

The usefulness of two computer-based guidance systems--SIGI (System of Interactive Guidance and Information) and ENCORE--in meeting the career planning needs of adults was explored. Another area of study was how these systems fit into the differing career resource centers of an employer, a college, and a public library. Participants who used SIGI…

Michigan's Macomb Community College's institutional assessment model involves using technology to collect and disseminate data on student learning in order to facilitate continuous improvement and adaptation. The first element of this five-part model is the mandatory testing, orientation, and placement of incoming students. Using placement test…

A statistical definition of information utilization for policy making decisions and an evaluation impact test to determine its occurrence are proposed. A univariate time series analysis is used to identify the internal trend for a given policy output variable and to control its effect. Two problems are identified in implementing an evaluation…

This paper reviews changes in the philosophy of student evaluation over time as reflected by the elimination of the standardized testing program originally administered by the Ontario Ministry of Education. It presents the development of a more student oriented approach to evaluation as reflected in recent Ministry issued curriculum documents. It…