The focus of this paper is to share thinking about meta-level evaluation of action research (AR), and to introduce indicator domains for assessing and measuring inputs, outputs and outcomes. Meta-level and multi-site evaluation has been rare in AR beyond project implementation and participant satisfaction. The paper is the first of several…

Our understanding of programs is enhanced when trained, skilled, and observant evaluators go "into the field"--the real world where programs are conducted--paying attention to what's going on, systematically documenting what they see, and reporting what they learn. The article opens by presenting and illustrating twelve reasons for…

The focus of this report is the Direct Instruction Supervision Code, developed to assess the degree of implementation of the Direct Instruction Follow Through Model. Most of this paper deals with the development, reliability, concurrent validity, and criterion-related validity of the code, which is a classroom observation instrument. The report…

The Service Delivery Assessment (SDA) model is a human services evaluation tool which offers a viable alternative to more traditional approaches and is appropriate for small local evaluations as well as large national studies. There are five phases to an SDA study: assignment, pre-assessment, design, analysis, and communication of the findings.…

This report discusses the analysis of program review data obtained through visits to schools identified by an earlier statewide cost-effectiveness study. Primary purpose of this report was to determine the feasibility of conducting program site reviews of selected schools for the purpose of recommending instructional improvements. Site reviews…

This report describes the first year (Phase I) of the 3-year evaluation of the Child and Family Mental Health (CFMH) Project. Phase I was designed to provide a descriptive analysis of the CFMH Project in terms of the number and characteristics of recipients of the services, the nature and extent of the specific primary prevention approaches used,…

This paper presents results evaluating the National Science Foundation's Comprehensive Assistance to Undergraduate Science Education (CAUSE) program focusing on: (1) institutional needs; (2) project implementation; (3) quality of instructional improvement; (4) evaluation; (5) project costs; and (6) recommendations. Evaluation methods included…

Multi-site evaluations are becoming increasingly common in federal funding portfolios. Although much thought has been given to multi-site evaluation, there has been little emphasis on how it might interact with participatory evaluation. Therefore, this paper reviews several National Science Foundation educational, multi-site evaluations for the…

The first of two articles about the accreditation of library and information science schools discusses current expectations and the emphasis on outcomes assessment. The second article provides advice on preparing for and managing a site visit by the American Library Association (ALA) Committee on Accreditation (COA) team. (seven references) (NRP)

Demonstration programs and social experiments are often subject to sophisticated, controlled evaluations. An important factor that is not subject to control, and sometimes even goes unobserved, is overall program site quality. Site quality can be observed in process evaluations, but these tend to be expensive. This paper describes an alternative…

The design and testing of a simulation of the planning evaluation process for use in training is presented and its use in a five-day professional workshop is described. Comments are made on this trial run and on the task of evaluation training in general. (MH)

This paper describes the presentations made at a symposium of behavioral scientists conducting research on school disorder and delinquency prevention. The application of a climate assessment battery in organizational development and the evaluation of disciplinary programs in schools is described. The "Effective Schools Battery" (ESB)…

This report examines the process used to evaluate five early childhood teacher education programs in Sweden, a process involving decentralized self-studies and site visits of approximately 5 hours in length conducted by an international expert. The report first provides background information on Helen L. Carlson, of the University of Minnesota,…

A 3-month evaluation design effort developed a strategy and implementation plan for a policy level evaluation of the Educational Satellite Communications Demonstration (ESCD). The final report of the effort covers: (1) development of the evaluation strategy and plan; (2) data collection and analysis; (3) measurement of the impact of satellite TV…

The Assessment Faculty Guide from St. Louis Community College provides guidance for faculty members about how to implement outcomes assessment. The handbook is divided into five areas: (1) assessment rationale, including history, definition, principles, and questions and answers; (2) the structure of assessment, providing a description,…