This paper presents a rationale for taking a developmental perspective towards evaluation of early childhood programs and contrasts two models of development (organismic and mechanistic) with regard to evaluation and developmental issues. Examination of theoretical differences between the organismic model (which assumes an active organism) and…

This document contains both the findings and recommendations from a study conducted to develop a combined model for program vitality assessment and socioeconomic impact analysis of vocational programs in public postsecondary institutions in Texas, and an annotated bibliography resulting from the project. The principal findings of the study were as…

This paper provides a review of a wide range of books, guides, journal articles, and other professional literature associated with program evaluation in adult and higher education. It focuses on some of the basic questions associated with program evaluation. (For example, what purpose does program evaluation serve? What are the major program…

This literature review describes the major topics covered in the literature on school dropouts between 1988 and 1994, with special attention to the reasons why youth leave school. It analyzes recent literature on these topics, and links this literature to that on intervention programs meant to keep youth in school and prepare them for employment.…

This digest contains the following two articles on mentoring: "Mentoring in Educational Settings: Unresolved Issues and Unanswered Questions" (Olga M. Welch); and "Learning from the Field: Mentoring Projects in Field-based Settings" (Heidi Lynch). The first article describes mentoring in general and mentoring in the schools, examines some studies…

This paper reviews the foundations, trends, and issues in the professional development of student personnel workers and the potential impact of that development on the Division of Student Affairs. The history of professional development arising from the application of management techniques to school systems, and for faculty and administrator…

Preparing students for college and work in the Knowledge Age. That is the mission of this generic proposal. A counterpoint to Industrial Age mindsets marking most initiatives in the District of Columbia Public schools and described in the "fifth discipline" works of Peter Senge, Creating a Culture of Thinking in DCPS proposes a project…

This book examines the various components of hospital, residential, and outpatient treatments for children and adolescents with mental disorders. Options and settings for residential care are presented, including the principles and practical issues, such as providing continuing education, that underlie the decision making for placement of youth in…

A study examined the feasibility of performing a national cost-benefit analysis of secondary, postsecondary, and adult vocational education. The study involved three components: a survey of the state of the art of utilizing cost-benefit methodologies to evaluate the returns on investments in vocational education; an overview of the potential…

This report examines the state of the art of utilizing cost-benefit methodologies to evaluate the returns on investments in vocational education. The objectives and format of the report and the literature search methodology employed in it are outlined. Presented next is an overview of the diverse literature related to cost-benefit analysis,…

This booklet, which is intended for general readers wishing to understand important trends in vocational education and training, provides insight into how self-paced learning programs are being implemented in Australia and how teachers and students evaluate their effectiveness. The following topics are discussed in the first booklet's first seven…