As public and private funders have focused on evaluating the effectiveness of workforce development programs, a myriad of data collection systems and reporting processes have taken shape. Navigating these systems takes significant time and energy and often saps frontline providers' capacity to use data internally for program improvement.…

Over the past 20 years, home visitation has emerged as the flagship program through which many states and communities are reaching out to new parents.The presence of bills to advance home visitation in Congress and in state and local legislatures, and the fact that several states and counties are moving forward with comprehensive plans and…

This article introduces the issue of articles on research assessments and rankings. It focuses on the British Research Assessment Exercises (RAEs) and New Zealand's Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF). It contrasts these with systems that are not tied to funding formulas and emphasise quality enhancement rather than quality assurance. It…

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) suppports four non-profit units, Area Alcohol Education and Training Programs (AAETP), organized in 1974 to facilitate the delivery of alcohol education and training at the state and local level. In 1976, the NIAAA initiated an evaluation of the AAETP. Goals were to determine…

The Vermont General Assembly mandated an evaluation of the regional library program of the Vermont State Department of Libraries. To carry out this charge, the department initiated a 14-month review of the program with three components: an internal review of library service, use, and costs; public library input derived from a detailed survey and…

This module is intended to help guidance personnel in a variety of educational and agency settings plan and develop successful proposals to assist in financing the improvement of existing or future career guidance programs. The module is one of a series of competency-based guidance program training packages focusing upon specific professional and…

This paper suggests specific changes in Chapter 1 legislation (up for reauthorization in the fall of 1993) to make it more responsive not only to schools and students, but also to current school restructuring initiatives and new understandings of teaching, learning, and assessment. Recommendations are made in the areas of greater equity in access…

This guide, which is based on a 12-month study that examined the feasibility of and procedures for evaluating federal, state, and local supported employment programs for individuals with severe disabilities, discusses recommended data items and measures and presents guidelines for developing a data collection strategy and implementation plan.…

In April 1984, more than 350 parents, teachers, principals and administrators from major urban school systems in Massachusetts met to define what an "excellent" desegregated urban public school system should be. This conference report, following excerpts from a keynote address by John E. Durkin, documents seven workshops which focused on…