Underrepresented minority (URM) students face unique challenges when pursuing graduate education, with some not even considering the possibility of pursuing a graduate degree. This paper describes a nontraditional approach to the graduate application process that involves identification of potential applicants by graduate faculty and staff at The…

Effective recruitment initiatives for underrepresented student populations interested in pursuing degrees in agricultural-related sciences have the potential to diversify colleges of agriculture while also increasing enrollment. In the current study, we used a qualitative case study approach to examine the effectiveness of the recruitment…

The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evaluates research studies that look at the effectiveness of education programs, products, practices, and policies, which the WWC calls "interventions." Many studies of education interventions make claims about impacts on students' outcomes. Some studies have designs that enable readers to make causal…

The ultimate goal of gifted education programs is to cultivate students' competences through challenging, enriching, and engaging opportunities for talent development. The purpose of this review is to present two main approaches of enrichment programs for gifted learners in Taiwan: the programs following the law and the alternative programs…

The University of Missouri Extension needed to develop an annual program review process that collaboratively engaged county-level stakeholders. The results from the first 2 years highlight the results, challenges, and implications of the design process. The annual review process needs to be adaptive, responsive, and reflective from year to year…

The HEPS Tool for Schools provides ideas, guidelines and suggested techniques to help schools in their development of school policy on healthy eating and physical activity. There is growing evidence that a comprehensive whole school policy on healthy eating and physical activity can lead to better academic outcomes of pupils as well as promoting…

This article describes the use of assessment in the design and implementation stages of launching online courses and programs. While use of assessment for improving student engagement in both face-to-face and online courses has been commonly used, the authors augmented the strategic planning of programs to include assessment as a tool for…

Extension and evaluation share some similar challenges, including working with diverse stakeholders, parallel processes for focusing priorities, meeting common standards of excellence, and adapting to globalization, new technologies, and changing times. Evaluations of extension programs have helped clarify how change occurs, especially the…

In "Characteristics and Determinants of Teacher-Designed Pay for Performance Plans: Evidence from Texas' Governor's Educator Excellence Grant (GEEG) Program"--a paper presented at the February 2008 National Center on Performance Incentives research to policy conference--Lori Taylor, Matthew Springer, and Mark Ehlert describe the teacher…

The advice of evaluators is useful in the planning of program objectives because the program will eventually be evaluated on the basis of these objectives. This paper provides two tools for the development of program objectives. The "Levels of Program Objectives" method focuses on the intended outcomes of a program. The levels range from the…

Documentation of positive outcomes for severely handicapped learners as a function of their educational programs is receiving increased attention as the major focus of program development, monitoring, and evaluation efforts. At the same time, those strategies that have been used predominantly to determine program effectiveness--particularly…

Administrators, who assess others, cannot themselves be immune from assessment. A plan for administrator assessment is offered. (Editor/RK)

In determining a vocational program's effectiveness through a follow-up study, attention should be given to: (1) gathering data on comparison groups, (2) specifying the degree of relatedness between vocational training and employment, and (3) obtaining feedback from the employer. (Author/BP)

Management needs in Southeast Asia are the focal points of a workshop held in Penang, March 1972, by the Regional Institute of Higher Education and Development. Following the opening statement concerning these needs, the discussions at the workshop and a background paper, "Developing Management Competence," are presented. (MJM)

Presents results of research focusing on identifying "certification best practices" to provide a framework for business managers and certification practitioners. Describes a 10-step process for evaluating certification programs that takes into consideration four perspectives: audience, learning, business, and financial. (AEF)