This article investigates the participating students' evaluation of a teacher training seminar about heterogeneity in the classroom at Bielefeld University, Germany. The evaluation made use of a short questionnaire and an end-of-term test of the students' knowledge on the subject matter. The questionnaire is tested for objectivity, reliability,…

Performance improvement practitioners can be stymied to solve clients' problems. Clients may fail to recognize problems, would rather address symptoms than root causes and practitioners unable to convince clients to institute a meaningful solution. Practitioner can use internally developed data to build a case for action, create a clear vision of…

Evaluative inquiry--systematically gathering and analyzing data for the purposes of judging program or innovation merit, worth or significance and/or supporting ongoing school-based decision making and problem solving--is an option available to educators that is not often used; this despite recent interest in action research and school-based…

Instructional supervision, despite the lack of evidence for its value, can potentially help improve instruction and promote educators' professional growth. To realize this potential, schools should analyze their supervisory practice according to these four premises: (1) that each school district and each school has unique organizational…

A technical note based on the Indonesian Nonformal Education Project discusses use of Q-sort, originally a research technique for studying small groups or individuals, as a needs assessment method. The background of Q-sort, designed to take subjective factors into account, is covered, and its use in needs assessment described: cards, each of which…

This manual contains the complete course plans designed to prepare an individual to participate in an onsite survey. It provides an introduction to the major phases of the survey process: (1) planning for an onsite survey; (2) conducting the opening conference; (3) onsite factfinding; (4) problem identification and analysis; (5) problem solving…

The purpose of this article is to describe a modified evaluation model for use by clients to evaluate existing student services programs and to explore the applicability of the methods of creative problem solving to the ensuing results revealed and/or problems identified in assessments of student services programs. (Author)

An evaluation methodology based on problem-solving techniques which can be effective and efficient in defining and analyzing problems which impair program performance is described. The model provides a potentially unique cost/benefit methodology for estimating the potential worth of improving program performance. (Author/RL)

One part of the work being done at the Center for the Study of Evaluation has been the development of kits to assist the staffs of elementary schools wishing to conduct evaluations. The third kit in the series provides specific techniques for conducting a formative evaluation, which includes verifying the extent to which a program has been…

Steps in a small business analysis are discussed: understand how company activities interact internally and with markets and suppliers; know the relative importance of controllable management variables; understand the social atmosphere within the company; analyze the operations of the company; define main problem areas; identify possible actions…

This report is a case study of a technical evaluation assistance project in each of four states: Alabama, California, Colorado, and Maine. (The project activities in each state included the following: becoming acquainted with the vocational education delivery system and methods of evaluation; identifying problems associated with the evaluation…

Documenting the impact of 1978-79 Community Resource Development (CRD) projects, this national study presents data in response to a congressional mandate calling for assessment of the consequences and effectiveness of Community Resource Development projects. The report presents findings derived from questionnaires sent to 47 state CRD leaders, 120…

A 1979-1980 nation-wide study of 113 Community Resource Development (CRD) projects evaluated socio-economic impacts, as seen by CRD staff, state leaders, and knowledgeable citizens. Questionnaires were sent to the three groups to determine consequences of the programs in the categories of family income, community facilities and services, public…

Statistical process control (SPC), which employs simple statistical tools and problem-solving techniques such as histograms, control charts, flow charts, and Pareto charts to implement continual product improvement procedures, can be incorporated into human service organizations. Examples illustrate use of SPC procedures to analyze behavioral data…

A conference on implementing coordinated patient education was held for 45 participants from various health care occupations, including nursing, social work, and dietetics. The morning session of the conference consisted of lectures by patient education directors who described implementation strategies that they have used, as well as continuing…