Describes an evaluation plan and preliminary results for the ATS-6 satellite interactive telecommunication program for teaching basic science and clinical diagnosis at sites remote from an established medical school (University of Washington). This study assesses the technical feasibility, interaction characteristics of the education programs, and…

Since the inception of the School-to-Work Project in 1998, networks members have increasingly viewed credible evidence as critical to both their approaches to program improvement and their strategies for winning and sustaining support and resources. This issue brief: (1) Describes the activities Network members have pursued together during…

Regardless of how well your students are scoring on standardized math tests, test scores can't tell you which aspects of your program are moving students from proficient to advanced and why some students are falling behind. To get a total picture of math learning, hundreds of schools in urban, suburban, and rural districts use the detailed,…

Following the growing commitment to assessment at the undergraduate level, doctoral programs are now grappling with what accountability means for them. This book provides a foundation for faculty and academic leaders of doctoral programs to promote inquiry into the educational practices that define their programs and contribute to graduate…

Starting Early Starting Smart (SESS) is a knowledge development initiative designed to: (1) create and test a new model for providing mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment for young children (birth to 7 years) and their families; and (2) inform practitioners and policymakers of successful interventions and promising practices…

The report details the activities of the Virginia Assessment Study Group in documenting the utility of various approaches to assessing adult education programs and instruction within the state. A group of diverse practitioners convened during 1997 to establish project objectives and research questions and to report on their work. The reports of…

This packet contains three papers from a symposium on feedback systems held at a conference on human resource development (HRD). The first paper, "The Role of Feedback in Management Development Training" (K. Peter Kuchinke), reports on a survey-based study that investigated the role of feedback in nine management development training…

First-year evaluation results of Iowa's Basic Skills Certification pilot program were reported for the four community colleges participating: Northeast Iowa, Des Moines Area, Western Iowa Tech, and Iowa Western. The pilot sites represented a variety of adult basic education instructional environments that included a workforce development center,…

Ideally, there is a close interaction between research and practice in human services, and program planning is based on such interaction, particularly the findings of outcome research. This book reviews the bodies of outcome research about child welfare programs from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, particularly outcomes in…

Recommends that schools experiment with a comprehensive formative evaluation system suggested by "A Study of Schooling" by John Goodlad and his associates. The system includes periodic assessment of such things as student achievement, teaching practices, class climates, adult working environments, and parent attitudes. (Author/JM)

Describes an alternative method for identifying exemplary practices in early childhood education programs. In this approach, parents and practitioners identify exemplary practices after coming to know the practices and the context in which they operate through observation, interview, and document review. Discusses methodological issues raised by…

Compares and contrasts the primary outcomes and methods used to evaluate curricular changes at eight medical schools participating in a large-scale medical curriculum development project. Describes how the evaluative data, both quantitative and qualitative, were collected, and how evaluation drove curricular change. Although the evaluations were…

Purpose: We report the results of a survey of state initiatives that measure resident satisfaction in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and we describe several model programs for legislators and public administrators contemplating the initiation of their own state programs. Design and Methods: Data on state initiatives and programs…

This paper investigates the role of some selected psychological and personality traits of learners of English as a foreign language in the accuracy of self- and peer-assessments. The selected traits were motivation types, self-esteem, anxiety, motivational intensity, and achievement. 78 students of English as a foreign language participated in…

The authors undertook a review of measures available for assessing outcomes of early childhood services for children with disabilities and their families. With principles of family-centered practice mandating the inclusion of both family and child outcome measures in effective evaluation plans, the review examined measures with established…