Despite recent emphasis on the use of randomized control trials (RCTs) for evaluating education interventions, in most areas of education research, observational methods remain the dominant approach for assessing program effects. Over the last three decades, the within-study comparison (WSC) design has emerged as a method for evaluating the…

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…

Factors that influence the sample size necessary for longitudinal evaluations include the nature of the evaluation questions, nature of available comparison groups, consistency of the treatment in different sites, effect size, attrition rate, significance level for statistical tests, and statistical power. (Author/GDC)

This paper describes administrative experimentation--a particular strategy and method of field testing or evaluation. Administrative experimentation can best be described as a specialized form of field testing, field experimentation or evaluation which emphasizes the dual role of administrator and experimenter. This method is first defined in…

The role of the instructional materials center in evaluating materials is asserted and evaluation is defined as a media of compiling and analyzing information. Four evaluative methods are explained: field testing and comparing results; assessing rationale; measuring attitudinal and motivational variables; and describing the material and its use. A…

Practical methods for implementing true experimental designs in evaluation settings in which such designs are rarely used are presented. Particular attention is paid to educational settings. (Author/JKS)

Attrition, or the loss of study subjects, confounds the subject identification process. Design attrition occurs when subjects initially involved in the study are excluded because of changes in study focus or rationale. Data collection attrition occurs when subjects are excluded because they were not contacted by the data gatherer, or because the…

A survey of existing research designs and accompanying techniques if presented along with brief assessments of their usefulness for programs of different types. The authors stress particularly the use of field experiments for the assessment of prospective social policies and programs. (Author/MV)

This report contains the field plan and implementation procedures which were utilized for the observational/focused ethnographic component of Head Start's Child and Family Mental Health (CFMH) Evaluation Project. The introductory section of the document provides the reader with an overview of the Head Start program, its mental health goals, the…

The 9 articles of this theme issue stem from a project on alcohol and drug abuse that involved 14 projects, 10 of which began with randomized clinical trials. These papers describe implementation problems associated with experimentation in field research and the focus on ensuring internal validity. (SLD)

Based on the evaluators' experience with a large-scale curriculum development project, this manual is designed to aid those who plan and implement field tests of educational products (instructional procedures and materials) in natural school settings. Within the procedures discussed, problems likely to arise are described. The steps in…

This chapter describes the implementation and lessons learned from the conduct of three field experiments in education. All three evaluation designs used randomized assignment. Results showed even under very adverse and unstable conditions, randomized designs can be maintained. (LMO)

The proposed research design, to be actualized beginning in 1969, was evolved to determine the nature and prevalence of mental retardation in Canada and to relate them to other variables. Issues raised concerning both nature and prevalence were reviewed as were surveys in seven different geographic areas. A pilot study conducted in two small…

The purpose of this field study was to determine the effect of using achievement motivation simulations on the vocational development of high school students. Two hundred 10th grade students from four Washington, D. C. schools were randomly divided into a control and an experimental population. The control population remained in the regular…

Discusses a number of ethical dilemmas encountered during different stages of qualitative research. Outlines problems specific to entering the field, being in the field, leaving the field, writing, and dissemination. Recounts an incident from ethnographic research that illustrates problems concerning conflicting roles and maintaining objectivity.…