This document is intended to assist State Education Agency (SEA) and Lead Agency (LA) staff and technical assistance providers in designing a meaningful evaluation for the State Performance Plan (SPP)/Annual Performance Report (APR) improvement activities. It provides: (1) information about the relevance of evaluation in the context of improvement…

Assessment and evaluation can be important tools in improving the effectiveness and quality of programs, especially criminal justice programs, if they are integrated into the plans and designs of strategies instead of being added later. An evaluation systems approach to program development is needed to ensure that effectiveness and efficiency are…

This report reviews the outcomes of a forum convened to examine policy and practice issues surrounding the annual evaluation of effectiveness of programs and services for students with disabilities. At the forum, alternative approaches being used by states to implement program evaluation were discussed, along with issues in gathering…

This review examined the evaluation components from 10 awarded state improvement grants designed to improve systems providing services for students with disabilities. The review examined the following aspects of the evaluation components: purposes, conceptual framework for the evaluation and systems reform, evaluation design and approaches,…

This review of effective practices in state-wide systems change was conducted as part of the PEERS (Providing Education for Everyone in Regular Schools) Project, a 5-year collaborative systems change project in California to facilitate the integration of students with severe disabilities previously at special centers into services at regular…

This paper documents what may be a "first in the nation": the implementation of a formalized planning process in the media field on a statewide basis. Guidelines were developed for an integrated media system, which included library, television, and audiovisual services, using a systems approach. The aim of the system was to increase use…

A study examined the performance measures and standards implemented by each of the 50 states to comply with Section 115 of the 1990 Perkins Act. Data were gathered through workshops and telephone conversations with contact persons from each state and from an analysis of relevant state-supplied documentation. The performance measures and standards…

Describes Partnerships for Inclusion, a North Carolina statewide project providing technical assistance (TA) to communities as they develop and coordinate inclusive services for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities and their families. Outlines the model's development, the project's core services, strategies for promoting…

This collection of papers presented at a 1996 conference on children's mental health focuses on program evaluation efforts within states and systems of care. Individual papers have the following titles and authors: (1) "An Overview of State Public Mental Health Programs for Children with a Serious Emotional Disturbance" (Pamela C. Roddy); (2) "A…

COPES (Community College Occupational Programs Evaluation System), established in 1971 as a cooperative undertaking of community colleges, is today the recognized system for evaluation of occupational education in California community colleges. In its fifth year of operation (1975-76) an assessment study focused on the basic system. Key objectives…

This report contains findings of a followup study of the impact of the District Review of Vocational Education (DROVE) on 19 secondary school districts and four regional occupational programs and centers (ROP/Cs) in California reviewed during 1974-75. (The followup study of the impact of DROVE is the third phase of DROVE, a three-phased,…

Texas is shifting to an integrated, systems-oriented approach to providing work force services for its residents and employers in which all services are guided by a single mission and vision. Implementation strategies are clearly focused on achieving common results. Accountability means being able to ensure taxpayers, residents, employers, and…

This paper offers an initial assessment of Texas' work force development evaluation and performance management efforts. Following an overview, section 2 clarifies distinctions between performance management and evaluation responsibilities such as purpose, definition, information produced, general question asked, and key questions addressed.…

The General Accounting Office (GAO) reviewed the performance measurement system of the Department of Labor's (DOL's) Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS), which administers programs and activities designed to help veterans obtain employment and training assistance. The GAO review focused on the following items: VETS' proposed…

This monograph provides a status report on issues related to accountability, including standards and assessments, data systems, and the role of incentives for schools, teachers, and students in improving student achievement. Using information gathered from the literature and interviews with state administrators of vocational education, this paper…