Survival Skills for Youth (SSY) is a life skills management program developed for out-of-school youth who have a history of failure in academic or employment settings, or who are considered at-risk for failure in the adult world of work. The skills taught are grouped into 10 areas, one skill category per workshop. The workshops include up to 15…

A study surveyed 44 skills centers in The Gambia through a questionnaire, evaluated them regarding vocational training, and conducted on-site research of 17 targeted centers. Findings were as follows: most operated as private organizations; the retention rate was an average of 84%; centers operated with an average student/staff ratio of about 12:1…

The Neighborhood Jobs Initiative (NJI) began in 1998 in five cities (Chicago, Fort Worth, Hartford, New York, and Washington, D.C.) in 1998. The NJI targets high-poverty urban neighborhoods, attempting to connect residents to employment opportunities nearby and in the urban periphery by providing training, supporting interpersonal networks, and…

This report provides information on design and evaluation of workplace literacy programs (WLPs) to improve work force readiness and an overview of concepts about the nature, uses, and abuses of standardized tests in program evaluation and accountability. Chapter 1 takes a sociohistorical and sociopolitical perspective in discussing the knowledge…

Many universities currently encourage the use of online materials to enhance on-campus courses. Assessment of the impact of these technology-enhanced course initiatives is necessary to give insight into the best practices--those that faculty should be encouraged to use based on student need. Assessment studies of this type will enrich the…

This report summarizes findings from an evaluation of the impacts of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeships (IGERT) program. Through support of interdisciplinary graduate education programs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, the IGERT program aims to educate U.S.…

Teachers and administrators were surveyed to determine the extent to which AP Vertical Teams for English were implemented in schools. Results indicate that even though the goals of the AP Vertical Teams were only partially realized, there was some positive impact on student exposure to Pre-AP instruction and AP courses and student performance on…

This report summarizes evaluation results of AISD's state-funded Accelerated Reading Instruction (ARI) grant activities for 2002-2003.

Describes the Home Visit Initiative at Socorro Middle School in Texas. Discusses the purpose of home visits; selection of families for teacher home visits; the visiting team; parents', students', and teachers' reactions to visits, and the results of an evaluation of the home visits, especially the impact on parent volunteerism and schooling,…

Maintains that empirical curriculum development (evaluating a curriculum as one develops it) can be a useful tool for drug abuse prevention efforts. Presents a model of a systemic process of empirical development that considers variables such as manipulation checks, interest, belief changes and perceived helplessness. Discusses research…

Constructs a model that explains a large fraction of the variance in political science departmental rankings. Divides the objective predictors into two sets: one reflecting faculty quality ratings of department members, the other the effects of circumstances beyond a department's control. This model works well with most social science disciplines.…

A British national study of the university research enterprise in 1995-96 assessed the impact of a 1992 change in higher education policy to restructure the entire higher education system. The study investigated impact at the system, institution, unit, and individual levels, in the areas of research policy and strategy, structures, and processes.…

Studied the effect of programs within desegregated schools that serve an identified population of students for cultural affirmation and advancement. Ethnographic data from a girls' group at an urban magnet school and a Vietnamese students' homeroom, focusing on 20 high school students, in an urban comprehensive school demonstrate both the power of…

To study impact of bilingual education programs on reading and mathematics achievement, 278 Mexican-American seventh and eighth grade students were examined over a three-year period. The effects of the following variables on posttest scores were examined: (1) pretest scores; (2) gender; and (3) group (bilingual or mainstream). (BJV)

A preliminary evaluation of a recently developed multicomponent educational and support program for enhancing the self-determination of youth with disabilities found that participating students (18 young adults with mental retardation) in the classroom-based competency building sessions demonstrated improved choice-making, interpersonal problem…