Two lead articles set the theme for this issue devoted to evaluation as Emile G. McAnany examines the usefulness of evaluation and Robert C. Hornik addresses four widely accepted myths about evaluation. Additional articles include a report of a field evaluation done by the Accion Cultural Popular (ACPO); a study of the impact of that evaluation by…

This collection of program evaluation studies is designed to help program evaluation staff in state agencies improve their current program education strategies. It alerts staff members to procedures being used in other state agencies, as well as provides further information about the current status of state rehabilitation agency program…

This eight chapters of this special issue introduce the use of a template to specify program components as a new tool for program evaluation. The template articulates the components needed for program delivery and provides a systematic method for assessing program implementation. (SLD)

This report describes the process followed by the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) in developing a comprehensive model of educational outcomes and indicators for all students, including students with disabilities, who are completing school. Stage One involved identifying five alternative models of educational outcomes--an educational…

Most Australian teachers do not hold traditional methods of supervision in very high regard. A more acceptable form of supervision, clinical supervision, utilizes the information gathered from classroom observations to allow the teacher to gain a wider perspective on his or her own performance under non-threatening conditions. A limited survey,…

The horizontal evaluation model was developed to remedy three major problems associated with competency-based approaches to teacher evaluation: there is no consensus regarding what competencies are essential to good teaching; teachers' behaviors may or may not be related to competencies they possess; and competency-based evaluation typically fails…

Varied development projects in several countries are described in this newsletter, which also provides current reviews of development books, and publications available from the Non-Formal Education Information Center at Michigan State University and ERIC. The following articles are included: (1) "From Oral Traditions to Elementary Textbooks:…

This article summarizes findings and recommendations about how to apply research on teaching and learning to classroom practice presented in "How People Learn: Bridging Research and Practice." Section 1 examines existing links between learning research and education practice. Section 2 highlights the ways that people learn, noting three…

The purpose of this study was to identify effective and ineffective strategies for teaching Title I students. The data collection took the form of direct observations of teacher-student interactions and classroom activities in the classes of 79 Oklahoma City Public Schools Title I teachers. The data on achievement gains came from the California…

Long-range planning is becoming increasingly important for educators in today's rapidly changing society. This bulletin accordingly presents a step-by-step model for school districts to use in developing and successfully implementing a long-range plan. Chapter 1 introduces long-range planning and suggests ways of getting district personnel…

To overcome teacher isolation and help make teaching a more attractive profession, educators might consider a peer support system based on the Stanford Collegial Evaluation Program. This paper describes the program's background, functioning, barriers to successful implementation, and how to neutralize them. The Stanford program uses a peer…

This document consists of the first 10 articles of volume 8 of the electronic journal "Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation" published in 2002-2003: (1) "Using Electronic Surveys: Advice from Survey Professionals" (David M. Shannon, Todd E. Johnson, Shelby Searcy, and Alan Lott); (2) "Four Assumptions of Multiple Regression That Researchers…

A look at various methods of evaluating vocational education and training in Europe shows traditional practices (correlated with results and objectives) using new interactive approaches. Because of the great variety of situations, levels of awareness, diversity of tools, and multiplicity of participants, the improvement of evaluation practices…

This document summarizes the results of a national survey that tested 4th, 8th, and 12th graders' ability to analyze geographic data in a variety of formats; explain complex geographic phenomena and processes; and show knowledge of relationships between human and geographic events. The survey tested three content dimensions: space and place,…

Partnerships between schools and businesses are becoming more frequent and more reciprocal as the two find common interests; the Salem-Keizer (Oregon) Public Schools provide a nationally recognized example of such a partnership. Salem's program began in 1981 with a joint school board and Chamber of Commerce policy statement. Despite economic…