Drawing on our five years of experience developing WWC evidence standards and reviewing studies against those standards as well as current literature on the design of impact studies, we highlight in this paper some of the most critical issues and common pitfalls in designing and conducting impact studies in education, and provide practical…

The influence of teachers' qualifications on their teaching practice has been subject to debate. Literature reviews do not settle these debates, partly because the literature is uneven and partly because reviews capture only narrow slices of literature. In particular, many reviews eliminate qualitative studies. Yet without examining qualitative…

Discusses reasons randomized experiments in educational research have been so rare and appraises alternatives to experiments that educational evaluators prefer. These alternatives are found wanting whenever a high standard is needed for justifying causal conclusions. (SLD)

A brief history of Title I evaluation efforts in Chicago illustrates the concern that the evaluation of Title I programs must serve two masters: the federal reporting mandate and local needs. (PN)

The Experience Based Career Education (EDCE) program serves as a focal point of a cast study documenting how the National Institute of Education secured Office of Education funds to demonstrate an R&D innovation. Serious questions are raised about the regulations-writing process and the use of evaluation information. (Author/LC)

The evaluation of the reading programs in the Eugene, Oregon, public schools is described. Emphasis is placed on the eclectic approach to reading in the district prior to the evaluation and on the effect of using staff members as evaluators in their own district. (CTM)

Studying change in student achievement is of central importance in numerous areas of educational research, including efforts to monitor school performance, investigations of the effects of educational interventions over time, and school effects studies focusing on how differences in school policies and practices relate to differences in student…

Two systems of evaluation in teacher licensing are described: the quinquennial program-based licensing at a California university and annual performance-based licensing at a British polytechnic institution. The first approach, which focuses on the quality of the teacher-preparation program, is the dominant form of teacher licensing in the United…

Characteristics of evaluative studies used by California state legislators are discussed: specificity in addressing particular policy decisions; factors which contribute to or hinder the accomplishment of educational objectives; balanced studies with a range of indicators; and attention to local concerns, and to fiscal and legal issues. (MH)

This paper reviews early research at the national level on the implementation and effects of the Department of Education's block grant, Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981. Findings are summarized under six topics: funds allocation, educational service delivery, program administration, program assessment, decision…

Evaluation procedures and programs in the Cincinnati, Ohio school system, the role of local school evaluators, and the models for school evaluation--based on high, moderate, or low trust--are described. Evaluators serve local schools in formative and summative evaluation projects, in assessing needs, and in meeting them. (MH)

Implementation of schoolwide projects in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) illustrates some of the conceptual problems associated with the Hawkins Stafford accountability amendments to the Chapter 1 supplementary education program. Unintended negative consequences are discussed, and recommendations are made to overcome these problems, including the…

The reorganization of the administrative structure and functions of the Cincinnati Public School System is described in relation to the system's research and development functions. Organizational changes and their results are discussed. (MH)