This article shares the results from a quasi-experimental mixed-methods study of a promising transition-focused professional development approach. The 12-week team-based intervention resulted in positive outcomes among intervention group participants' knowledge and capacities. The intervention group exhibited statistically significant changes in…

The dynamic and high-stakes nature of education and training requires reliance on evidence-based practices and policies to make decisions about technology adoption and implementation. In the report, "Science of Learning and Readiness (SoLaR) Recommendation Report: Science of Learning Practices for Distributed Online Environments"…

Community-based education programs must demonstrate effectiveness to various funding sources. The pilot study reported here (funded by CYFAR, NIFA, USDA award #2008-41520-04810) had the goal of determining if state level programs with varied curriculum could use a common evaluation tool to demonstrate efficacy. Results in parenting and youth…

In times of diminishing resources to support community programs, it is critical that Extension make every effort to show impact as collectively as possible for the variety of programs being delivered in individual counties and communities. The pilot study reported here (funded by CYFAR, NIFA, USDA award #2008-41520-04810), focused on outcomes in…

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is working to respond to increased interest in the use of growth models for school accountability. Growth models are based on tracking change in individual student achievement scores over multiple years. While growth models have been used for decades in academic research and program evaluation, a…

Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC), located in Phoenix, Arizona, is part of the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD). PVCC was founded in 1987 and in the fall of 2007 served 8,739 students in credit courses. Since 1997, PVCC has been on a quest to become a "more learning centered" college. As a result of placing…

Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public university nestled below the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff, Arizona. It enrolls more than 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students at its main campus in Flagstaff, through its 35 statewide sites, and via online program offerings. Within the university organizational system, Student Affairs has a…

This guide is designed as a resource for leaders and evaluators of K-12 online learning programs. In this guide, the term "online learning" is used to refer to a range of education programs and resources in the K-12 arena, including distance learning courses offered by universities, private providers, or teachers at other schools;…

This instrument and procedure was developed expressly for the evaluation of Manpower Development and Training Programs. It was developed within the State Department of Vocational Education to assist federal administrators appraise such programs and to assist operational level decision making. It provides for quantitative reporting, qualitative…

This report summary focuses on third-party evaluations of career ladder/incentive pay programs in four states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, and Utah. The summary addresses programs that contain the concepts included in performance-based ladders, job-enlargement ladders, and professional-development ladders. The first section presents…

This report makes recommendations to the Arizona Department of Education for a state evaluation of Career Ladder programs. To develop this evaluation plan, prior evaluation efforts related to Career Ladders in Arizona were studied, and Career Ladder directors and program administrators from school districts across Arizona were interviewed.…

Accountability was the keynote address at the second series of inservice clinics sponsored by the Arizona State Department of Education, Division of Career and Vocational Education. Two hundred and five persons attended the two-day clinics, with 90 attending the followup sessions. The overall objective was to have participants develop plans for…

The Division of Adult Education in the Arizona Department of Education and the Arizona Adult Literacy and Technology Resource Center contracted with the Morrison Institute for Public Policy to develop an evaluation system for Arizona's adult education program. During phase I, the institute analyzed existing program data on Arizona's adult…

A study involving 84 special educators in two western states investigated special education knowledge and use of various transition assessment strategies. Although most of the educators indicated they were aware of all types of assessment strategies, they still relied heavily on those that were either standardized or teacher prepared. (Contains…

In 1985, Arizona initiated a 5-year pilot test of the Career Ladder Teacher Incentive and Development Program. The program provided alternate avenues for teachers to advance other than by accumulating years of experience and college credits. Data were collected annually through the Career Ladder Perception Assessment Scale Survey, which evaluated…