The Rand change agent study was designed to determine the factors for successful implementation and continuation of selected federal programs--the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title III, Innovation Projects; ESEA Title VII, Bilingual Projects; Vocational Education Part D, Exemplary Programs; and the Right-to-Read program. This report…

This handbook has been written to enable schools and community agency staff to carry out required evaluations under the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act. However, its applicability is not restricted to programs supported through that Act. The handbook describes the why and how of program evaluation and outlines the steps in conducting…

This publication focuses on the major issues and requirements that schools need to consider in developing an effective schoolwide assessment program. It is the first in a series on assessment by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. The primary purpose in developing an effective schoolwide assessment program must be to improve…

This guide provides a comprehensive guidance program evaluation or it can be used to evaluate selected parts of a program. Chapter 1 "What Is Guidance Program Evaluation? by Sharon K. Johnson, introduces evaluation concepts. Chapter 2 "Results-Based Guidance Programs" by C. D. Johnson introduces the elements common to results-based guidance…

This report begins with discussion of several issues in the field of quality assurance in residential services for individuals with developmental disabilities. The issues include definitions of key terms, the role of ideology, major types of quality assurance, and dimensions of quality assurance. The report takes the position that primary values…

Workplace-based educational programs are not new. Recent perceptions of a national literacy crisis and the need for a competitive workforce, however, have resulted in the development of new programs across the country, many of which provide literacy and language training for nonnative English speakers. This digest focuses on the reasons for…

The growing demand for program evaluation in the 1970s gave rise to a need for a comprehensive, carefully developed, objective set of guiding principles for the evaluation process, from initial planning to final report. The Joint Committee on Standards for Education Evaluation was established to meet this need. This broad-based group, representing…

The assessment center can be a mechanism for providing a highly sophisticated evaluation of the training effort. The article describes how the training manager can successfully incorporate the assessment center concept into an overall training evaluation strategy. (Author/MW)

The portfolio approach to evaluation can be a useful method of screening and comparing educational programs in terms of their productivity and potential. In the field of investments, portfolio analysis consists of identifying the relative strengths of assets in terms of the dimensions of return and potential for growth. College programs can be…

To help enhance the effectiveness of college and university program reviews, practical information is provided on all aspects of the program review process. Definitions are given of the specific roles and functions of faculty, administrators, support staff, and others in the review process and how to evaluate the effectiveness of an existing…

Using architectural design as a model, the article discusses the process of evaluation design. Like the architect, the evaluator faces a problem of finding forms that best fit a partially defined set of contextual demands. The context is the set of all factors which made demands upon the final design form. Like the architect, the evaluator's…

This book presents a compilation of 28 issues of the newsletter, "How To Evaluate Education Programs" from the first one published in September 1977 through the issue of December 1979 on the topic of evaluating educational programs. The subject is covered in the following chapters: (1) How to Choose a Test; (2) How to Rate and Compare…

Guidelines for evaluating responses to requests for proposals (RFPs) for state-level educational assessment programs are presented. The guidelines articulate key choice points, options, and considerations by state (and district) testing directors as they solicit services for large-scale assessment from commercial testing companies. Focus is on…

This three-part report provides a literature review on the evaluation of community college staff development programs, reports on a study conducted to identify and validate evaluation criteria, and suggests a process for the use of these criteria in program evaluation. Part I reviews literature focusing on staff and program development,…

The focus of this study was on the visual analysis of time series data for evaluating educational programs. Two characteristics of the data--changes in slope and variability--and two characteristics of evaluation--training in data utilization and the use of aimlines/decision rules--were manipulated. A total of 51 students and/or teachers in…