Several of the available methods of program evaluation are discussed, with emphasis on adult basic education projects. The following evaluation models are presented: intuitive judgment, cost/benefit analysis, experimental research, and a synthetic approach which includes planning, action, and evaluation. The author also presents his Project…

A study was done to (1) examine the impact of terminating the G.I. Bill in respect to the number, quality, and representativeness of Service accessions (supply of volunteers for military services), and (2) provide a means for measuring the relative costs and benefits of alternative educational programs which might be needed to sustain military…

The Open University of Great Britain provides home-based instruction via broadcasts and correspondence. Since technical arguments for the superiority of open-network, cable, or cassette television systems are inconclusive, the university has been forced to develop a decision-making model to determine which system is the most cost effective. For…

This statewide study achieved the following objectives: (1) It developed a methodology for conducting a benefit-cost analysis of vocational education programs in Florida; (2) It examined, compared, and analyzed public and private costs and benefits of four Florida vocational programs, (3) It compared public and private benefits and costs for…

This paper discusses a technique for evaluating the comprehensiveness, feasibility and viability of project models. The developed technique is based on the assumption that a school staffing model is an organizational pattern demonstrating certain specific characteristics. A method for describing these characteristics has also been developed as a…

The results of a study which used the regression discontinuity model in the analysis of criterion-referenced test data are presented and inherent drawbacks in the use of the regression discontinuity model with this type of data are discussed. The discussion is based on the results of an analysis of data collected in the Mesa, Arizona School…

This report presents the evaluation of a court approved desegregation plan for elementary schools in the school district of the City of Erie, Pennsylvania, starting with the school year in September 1975. The plan was that the district's elementary school would house grades K-5. Two elementary schools, Garfield and Longfellow, would close and…

This brief paper presents initial findings midway through the first year of implementing a school-based model of providing mental health services to children and families living in urban, low-income communities and provided by community-based mental health providers. The model emphasizes the central role of ecological factors in childhood conduct…

This paper describes a training management system developed by the Center for Development of Social Services. It is a set of practical, systematic procedures designed to manage and evaluate training programs. It is a complete model that meets the necessary criteria for competency-based training system. The system integrates the complex procedures…

A project evaluated 23 preregistration midwifery education programs in Britain. Phase 1 reviewed the programs and identified a cohort of students for indepth study. Phase 2 followed this cohort into their first year in practice. A survey selected six case study sites. Findings showed a common cause of attrition was students being unable to balance…

Project AFFIRM (African-American First Investment Return Module) was established at Evergreen Community College in fall 1989 as a comprehensive academic and support program to help African-American students achieve their college transfer or associate degree goals. AFFIRM courses have the same content as traditional courses, but utilize…

The Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) was an ambitious effort launched in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1996 to provide high-quality early care and education services to at-risk children, on a county-wide scale and under the direction of local neighborhood agencies. Four years after its launch, ECI was providing substantial social and educational…

Smart Start is North Carolina's model early childhood initiative to help all North Carolina children enter school healthy and prepared for success. Serving all 100 counties in the state, Smart Start's services include child care subsidies and health and family support services. This report describes the program, focusing on its impact on the…

Many children and adolescents, in Boston and elsewhere, experience drastic incongruities between their home, school, and community environments. Arguing that after-school programs can help to unify these disparate worlds, thereby fostering a sense of continuity for youth and aiding their development as learners, this report shows how best to…

For children with disabilities, children at risk, and even for healthy infants and toddlers born into well-functioning families, support and early intervention can foster optimal growth and development. Based upon the underlying principle that the most effective interventions incorporate flexible, client-centered approaches with the client-service…