While academic interventions can be implemented in any grade, focusing on interventions in high school is critical because it is often a student's last chance to become ready for the academic demands of postsecondary education and careers. States across the country are implementing large-scale initiatives focused on delivering academic…

The purpose of this study is to describe what data preschools in a mid-sized city in the Northeast collect, how they use that data, and the challenges they face. The study focuses on three types of data: early learning outcomes, dosage (i.e., the amount of exposure to early childhood education), and classroom quality. The report further…

This handbook is a basic "how-to" guide to help one's Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) or Community Parent Resource Center (CPRC) evaluate its programs. Evaluation may seem overwhelming, but a center already performs some steps of the evaluation process for the reports required by the Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers…

The purpose of this publication on agency training evaluation practices is to share approaches used by federal agencies to assess needs and measure training effectiveness. Emphasis is placed on the process of evaluation. Names of the agencies and highlights of the examples used by each follow: (1) Plant Protection and Quarantine (Department of…

This handbook was designed to help school leaders develop a system of collaborative assessment, strategic planning, and accountability in schools and districts. It offers practical guidelines to help solve three problems central to school leadership: (1) determining a vision; (2) identifying areas requiring change; and (3) demonstrating…

The purpose of this document is to share various approaches used by federal agencies to assess needs and measure training effectiveness. The emphasis in the descriptions is on the evaluation process rather than on the results. One program was evaluated by employing return-on-investment (ROI) data and using volunteer line personnel who conducted…

No issue in schools and communities today commands the concern and urgency of the U.S. public as much as the dangers of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use among youth. This guide therefore provides descriptive information on the variety of surveys of student alcohol and other drug use currently available, and delineates the issues involved in…

Design and implementation of a curriculum evaluation plan for the vocational education program (occupational education under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act) of a large correctional system are described. An outside evaluator assisted in designing and conducting the first year's evaluation. The 1991-92 curriculum used was…

This user's manual has been produced to familiarize data users with the procedures followed for data collection and processing of the first follow-up teacher component of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). The teacher component provides teacher information that can be used to analyze the behaviors and outcomes of the…

Evaluators usually assume that the data they receive are valid, or at least, that the data reflect that which is being evaluated. In a recent evaluation in a large southern school district, evaluators compared their raw interview notes with interview notes edited by the teachers interviewed or project staff. The program evaluated was Project SEED,…

A rationale for school-based evaluation, criteria for a sensible evaluation and assessment system, and a systematic process for implementing an evaluation and assessment system are presented. School-based evaluation can be used as a management tool and a means of improving aspects of teaching. Sensible evaluation must be aligned with school goals,…

This manual is intended to help people working in local libraries collect and report statistics about what they do and complete the Texas State Library annual report form. Texas uses the annual reports to determine whether local libraries are eligible for membership in the Texas library system. Definitions and explanations are given for…

A survey was conducted of expert instructional design practitioners about their use of developmental testing and revision procedures. The degree of correspondence was examined between published recommended practice and actual practice, as reported by 90 respondents to a questionnaire. The surveyed sample were members of the National Society for…

This monograph, part of a series on student assessment, reports on the results of a national survey that examined institutional support for undergraduate student assessment. It provides a national profile of student assessment initiatives at comprehensive institutions and compares it to assessment practices and support patterns found in all types…

This benefit-cost evaluation project provides a comprehensive analysis of a school district special education program. The project addressed the need for information on ways to evaluate special education programs and to make programmatic decisions based on evaluation information. Project activities focused on the following four interrelated areas:…