This chapter describes the historical and contemporary theoretical underpinnings of learning communities and argues that there is a need for more complex models in conceptualizing and assessing their effectiveness.

The Success By 6® (SB6) initiative is designed to support early care and education centers in improving and sustaining quality in Pennsylvania's Keystone STARS Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). This SB6 evaluation report examines implementation and outcomes. The findings have implications for SB6 continous quality improvement process…

The Success By 6® (SB6) initiative is designed to support early care and education centers in improving and sustaining quality in Pennsylvania's Keystone STARS Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). The SB6 evaluation report examines implementation and outcomes. The findings have implications for SB6 continous quality improvement process…

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in creating a dynamic and successful European economy. Time-poor managers in these organisations generally have fewer opportunities for training and development than their counterparts in larger organisations. As a result, different requirements are placed on training. The aim of…

This report, prepared by the Delinquency and School Environments Program of the Center for Social Organization of Schools, presents a set of standards for implementing Program Development Evaluation (PDE), a method for strengthening school organizational and research effectiveness. This report supplements an earlier account of the Program…

Noting that language study (one leg of the traditional English tripod of language, literature, and composition) has received mixed attention internationally and is almost forgotten in North America, this paper presents a rationale for researching language awareness and three instruments that can be used in such research. The paper begins with…

Ideally, there is a close interaction between research and practice in human services, and program planning is based on such interaction, particularly the findings of outcome research. This book reviews the bodies of outcome research about child welfare programs from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, particularly outcomes in…

This evaluation of a federally funded economics curriculum project reviews acquisition of learning outcomes, success of content and teaching methods, perception of curriculum change, and facilitation of decision making. Over 10,000 elementary and secondary school students in Illinois were exposed to economics through the specially developed World…

A longitudinal study was undertaken in Alberta to pilot an evaluation model which was devised by Robert E. Stake and which could provide feedback on the merit and effectiveness of vocational education in the provincial high school curriculum. Using both student records and questionnaires administered to the students, information was gathered over…

A project was conducted to design and implement an educational delivery system that incorporated both assessment and instructional services for adult basic education (ABE) exceptional learners in an urban adult learning center in New Jersey. Two areas were considered of priority in developing the project design: the development of an assessment…

This booklet reviews the development and implementation of population education programs in the Philippines. Section one describes the Population Education Program (PEP), a national program sponsored by the Philippine Department of Education and UNESCO. PEP's goals are to develop curriculum, train teachers, and encourage research for population…

People who care about young people are aware of the serious problems caused by underage alcohol use. They should also be aware that there are many effective strategies for reducing underage drinking, and every state and community should be using these strategies. The "Guide to Conducting Youth Surveys" provides information about one important tool…