This paper examines new approaches to program evaluation and explores their possible utility in Latin American educational settings. Part 1 briefly discusses why new ideas for evaluating educational studies are needed. Part 2 examines seven new evaluative approaches as follows: (1) "Concept Mapping," a type of structural…

This analysis of achievement and descriptive data from 20 compensatory education projects funded under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act serving highly educationally disadvantaged students indicates that these projects are serving high-need students effectively. A wide variety of kinds of school systems delivered…

This final report describes major activities of a Maine project to develop a follow-up and follow-along survey instrument and data management system to allow local school districts to determine outcomes for graduates with disabilities and use this information in program review and modifications. The report explains the process used in the 1-year…

This paper focuses on how teachers and administrators share a commitment towards the general principle of accountability in regard to efficiency in educational programs. The notion of efficiency is shown to have limited application to complex multidimensional processes, including those of classroom language learning and of language program…

This study was conducted by seven graduate students to investigate their experiences in the Center for Excellence in Education doctoral program in Educational Leadership at Northern Arizona University. The purpose of the study was to provide the graduate students with experience in conducting qualitative research. Aspects of the doctoral program…

This policy research summary outlines the paradigms and processes used in recent research and evaluation studies conducted on supported employment and rehabilitation programs in Minnesota. First, the paper reviews evaluation strategies and models for assessing the individual and societal efficacy of supported employment. It identifies key…

A summary of the findings from the 1989 British Columbia (Canada) Assessment of Social Studies is presented. The extensive revision of the curriculum undertaken since the last social studies assessment (Aoki, Langford, Williams and Wilson, 1977), resulted in a relatively progressive and challenging curriculum. A few modifications are proposed in…

This study is designed to meet the evaluation requirement of Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981, which mandated that every 3 years a determination must be made of whether or not improved performance is sustained over more than 1 year from programs funded under this Act. The Saginaw program funded by Chapter 1 is…

The study described in this report was conducted to assess peer coaching, a technique selected by the School District of Philadelphia as a means of encouraging the professional growth and ongoing development of teachers working with limited-English-proficient students. This report is an end-of-year assessment of the status of peer coaching in 32…

This book approaches the theory and practice of assessment with an overview of the condition of American higher education, addressing its scope, objectives, and diversity. From that base, the book explores the challenges which society poses to campuses in terms of justification of expenditures and demonstration of tangible outcomes. It discusses…

To asertain the long-term results of preservice courses in reading, a followup study was undertaken with 20 preservice teachers who had completed a 36-hour course entitled "Reading in the Secondary School." Students were given a reading attitude inventory at the beginning and at the end of the course and asked to complete the following…

The use of student proctors or tutors for a Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) has been considered essential; however, the cost of tutorial training programs may be prohibitive. In an attempt to develop an equivalent but less expensive alternative, students (N=219) participated in an evaluation of the use of a VAX computer system as a…

This paper offers a summary analysis of 4 years of interviews with 1,003 kindergarten and first through third grade teachers regarding their experience in teaching either a small class, a regular size class, or a regular size class with a full-time teacher's aide. The paper uses teachers' descriptions of their experience to explore the effect of…

This report provides information about the use of extended time strategies by local Chapter 1 programs and offers practical guidance for district and school staff who are considering adoption of the strategies. The report focuses on five basic strategies for extending instructional time for Chapter 1 students: (1) extended day kindergarten; (2)…

Recent developments in the field of cognitive psychology, particularly in the area of information processing, have shed light on the way people think in order to make decisions and solve problems. In addition, cooperative learning research has provided evidence of the effectiveness of cooperatively structured group work aimed at problem solving.…