The authors tell about their heterogeneous 91 person research and evaluation unit at an operating foundation in St. Paul, Minnesota. They focus on evaluation for program improvement, one of several purposes of studies they work on. The three authors write from their different manager positions within the unit. Included are the context of the…

This edition features current research, practice, and policy related to the Joyce Foundation's Shifting Gears initiative beginning with an interview with Whitney Smith, Manager of the Employment Program at the Joyce Foundation. Julie Strawn, Center for Law and Social Policy, presents a national perspective of basic skills reform efforts similar to…

Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL) is a national not-for-profit organization whose mission is to increase the educational achievements, self-esteem, and life opportunities of elementary school children living in low-income urban communities. BELL has been engaged in formal evaluation, internally and externally, for more than five years and…

In 2004, the Consortium on Chicago School Research (CCSR) provided The Chicago Public Education Fund (The Fund) with an initial look at the performance of Leadership and Urban Network for Chicago (LAUNCH) and principals and teachers certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), two leadership programs that were just…

The emphasis of a formative evaluation research study was on identifying exemplary linkage arrangements between the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) and education service providers in Virginia. The study had two primary phases: the case study phase (an exploratory and issue-generating process) and the judicial evaluation model--JEM…

This paper attempts to provide a synthesis of the best available knowledge on ways to evaluate the effectiveness of foreiqn language programs. Procedures that have worked well are outlined, an evaluation model is suggested, and a list of specific guidelines, checklists, and other resources is provided. The results of a survey designed to get…

The National Center for Research in Vocational Education (NCRVE) was consulted to improve the formative evaluation design for the Principles of Technology (PT) curriculum materials developed by the Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD) and the Agency for Instructional Technology (AIT). Because the NCRVE entered the formative…