Much is unknown about the effectiveness of networked technology in education. Although a great deal of research exists dealing with the effectiveness of various types of web-based learning systems, the focal question of most evaluation studies does not concern the innovation of the delivery model itself and the factors that contribute to its…

Direct observation in natural settings has been recognized for nearly a century as an important methodology to capture the nuances of children's behavior for research, clinical assessment, and program evaluation. These ecologically valid descriptive data complement more widely used behavior rating scales to evaluate the impact of intervention…

The authors investigated student and faculty perceptions of academic challenge at their institution, based on early administrations of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). This analysis revealed that the NSSE did not fully capture many meanings of academic challenge held by these faculty and students. This study led to a proposal for…

This book provides practical strategies and tools for assessing and teaching even the most hard to reach English language learners across the content areas. Syrja offers educators the latest information on working with ELLs (including using formative assessments) and provides a wealth of classroom-tested models and measures. These tools have…

The U.S. Department of Education awarded 19 Challenge Grants for Technology in Education in fiscal year 1995, and planned to award additional grants in fiscal year 1996. The diverse projects are intended to mobilize resources, develop technology enabled learning environments, and provide lessons to others seeking to make effective use of…

In 1988, the United States Congress passed legislation that created the School Dropout Demonstration Assistance Program (SDDAP). The program provides funding for local educational agencies, community-based organizations, and educational partnerships to establish effective programs. This report, the second of two volumes, presents statistical data…

Goal 1 of the 6 national education goals established by President Bush and the nation's governors states that by the year 2000, all children in America will start school ready to learn. This document provides schools and communities with information about what children need to be able to start school ready to learn and gives examples of…

Through a federal grant, Salt Lake Community College (Utah), in conjunction with two area industries, implemented a workplace literacy project to serve 225 employees. The training included work-related curriculum and instruction in reading, English as a Second Language, oral communication skills, written communication skills, mathematics, and…

This report documents efforts to develop instruments for data-gathering and to train field staff in the use of the instruments, as part of a feasibility study designed to validate a conceptual framework that describes the elements of California's special education prereferral and alternative assessment procedures for ethno-linguistically diverse…

This two-part document reports the results of a literature review of workplace literacy program evaluation and then details a study of two current workplace literacy programs. The five chapters of the first part summarize findings on what is known about workplace literacy programs, methods for evaluating workplace literacy programs, assessing…

When evaluation is applied to teacher education programs in higher education, a myriad of issues emerge which make assessment complex and critical, especially during the era of reform. The purpose of this paper is to establish a comprehensive overview of assessment processes and reform efforts in teacher education programs. Organized into five…

This document is a compendium of information from 34 colleges and universities on freshman seminar/student success courses and their outcomes and how institutions are evaluating and reporting on these programs. Freshman seminars or success courses are courses for entering students that aim to ease the student's transition to the college…

Action research in the Cobb County (Georgia) school district is described. This research is being conducted in the district under three main approaches: (1) co-researcher projects addressing central level issues; (2) district-wide projects; and (3) school-focused action research, including minigrants to teachers. The first three…

A 1-year study was conducted to: document the effects of the Artists-in-Residence Program of the Music Center of Los Angeles County, Education Division (MCED); inform program planning and revision; and provide a compendium of evaluation strategies for future use. This study was divided into four phases and used a variety of methods: (1)…

A review of current research on workplace literacy programs reveals few programs reporting rigorous evaluations. Assessments are often limited to the completion of questionnaires, surveys of program participants, and anecdotal reports of effectiveness. Occasionally, a standardized reading test provides an indication of learner gains. Only a few…