Educational technology products offer potentially effective means of supporting teaching and learning in K-12 classrooms. But for any given instructional need, there are likely to be numerous product options available for purchasing. What can school districts do to help ensure that good selections are made? In a recent, comprehensive study of…

This guide was created to help district leaders understand the benefits and drawbacks of the four-day school week, assess their district's readiness to make the switch, and evaluate the results of implementing the new schedule. This guide begins with an overview of common goals and outcomes for the four-day school week. It then provides a set of…

A quality improvement system (QIS) is an intentional effort to raise the quality of afterschool programming in an ongoing, organized fashion. There are a number of reasons the QIS is gaining popularity. The main reasons community leaders are drawn to improving quality is that they know that 1) higher quality programs will mean better experiences…

Fewer employees, shorter hours, diminished collection budgets, reduced programs and services--all at a time of record library usage. In this book, library expert Carol Smallwood demonstrates that despite the obvious downsides, the necessity of doing business differently can be positive, leading to partnering, sharing, and innovating. This…

The Reflective Appraisal of Programs (RAP) approach allows county extension staff (in cooperation with volunteer leaders, specialists, and district staff) to obtain systematic evidence on results that participants perceive to have occurred in the months or years following their involvement in an extension program. Simpler than a…

Skillfully interviewing students can elicit useful information about the quality of the educational program. (JM)

This article presents a five-step, structured format to be used in preparing employers for conducting interviews with disabled applicants. Described in this article is a straightforward, convenient tool that can also be used by rehabilitation personnel when providing awareness training and employer education. (Author)

This manual describes the Job Seekers' Workshop and its component activities. It is intended as a guide to workshop leaders and discusses technical considerations such as materials, equipment, and recruitment of clients. The introduction states that the workshop is designed to improve job-seeking skills, especially behavior in a job interview, and…

Describes three techniques for evaluating educational media: questionnaires, continuous reaction measures, and focus group interviews. Purposes of media evaluation are identified as finding out audience reaction and developing effective methods to use media in teaching. (Author/JJD)

Describes fundamental guideposts for an effective private school admissions program. Included are a clear statement of purpose, informative literature, clearly stated admission requirements, standardized testing, a cooperative faculty, image positioning and a recruiting plan. (RC)

Program documentation is an important role for evaluation in both formative and summative modes. It should describe processes, materials, participants and social interactions which produce certain outcomes. Program evaluation should judge the effect of the program and depict effective practices, products and outcomes. To demonstrate program…

This interview guide can be used to determine whether a workplace literacy provider has the skills to develop and deliver a successful workplace literacy program that will meet the needs of a business and build the productive capacity of its employees. It can be used to assess the capabilities of a wide variety of literacy providers, including…

This handbook reports on the use of consortia-appointed curriculum directors for meeting small, rural school districts' curriculum renewal needs. It is based on interviews with individuals involved with consortia in five Western U.S. case-study sites. Limited resources in rural schools often hinder curriculum-renewal efforts. If several districts…

This document presents the final report with two attachments: a teacher training guide; and the curriculum guide for the Job Club Project, a job search curriculum for non-college bound high school students with and without learning disabilities. The study used a post-test, control group design with a total of 162 students (90 in the experimental…

This publication contains a guide and set of five questionnaires designed to help determine whether the Vocational Education Act Amendments of 1976 have had an impact on the community. (The 1976 Amendments require recipients of federal funds to eliminate sex discrimination and sex stereotyping from their programs and provide specific resources.)…