A sample of educational evaluators was asked to design an outcomes-focused evaluation of a school program that aims to improve the academic achievement and self-esteem of students. Evaluators provided detailed descriptions of their evaluation design and methodology in their responses. These descriptions were coded and analyzed to determine the…

As a result of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002, the field of education has seen a heavy emphasis on the use of "scientifically based research" for designing and testing the effectiveness of new and existing educational programs. According to NCLB, when addressing basic cause and effect questions scientifically based…

Case study results of a cooperative education program are presented. Conclusions drawn from this study indicate student expectations and perceptions of the co-op experience are critical to the experiential learning process. The program design seems more appropriate for substantiating academic credit than for assuring student learning. (DWH)

Ten evaluation models are examined in terms of their applicability to investigative, emergent design programs: Stake's portrayal, Wolf's adversary, Patton's utilization, Guba's investigative journalism, Scriven's goal-free, Scriven's modus operandi, Eisner's connoisseurial, Stufflebeam's CIPP, Tyler's objective based, and Levin's cost…

PLANA is a training program for subject matter analysis and construction of instructional objectives. This evaluation compared the performance of PLANA-trained and control-group teachers as to their precision in defining teaching objectives and their corresponding instructional tasks and test items. (BW)

Further development of research regarding the effectiveness of parent education programs depends upon a shift in conventional strategies of program evaluation. Current evaluation methods have been dominated by an interest in the outcomes of parent education programs. It is suggested that program evaluations should examine relationships between…

Four evaluation studies concerning the relationship between parent behaviors/attitudes and child achievement are presented. In each study, parental data were obtained either by direct observation or lengthy face-to-face interviews. In all four studies, significant relationships were found between parental measures and child achievement. (Author/LC)

PLANA is a training program for subject matter analysis and construction of instructional objectives. This investigation tries to find out whether education students in the PLANA program differ from other students on planning instruction processes. (BW)

Point of entry problems are faced by evaluators when asked to start an evaluation at an inappropriate time or to perform an inappropriate study. The fundamental purpose of evaluation is to help improve services. Guidelines are presented for choosing when to do a context, input, process, or product evaluation. (GDC)

The influence of two studies--the Westinghouse-Ohio and Consortium for Longitudinal Studies evaluations--on Project Head Start are discussed. The associations of one evaluation with program contraction and the other with program expansion are analyzed in terms of differences in findings, study credibility, climate of opinion, and dissemination of…

Issues that emerged in the evaluation of the Queensland (Australia) Review of School-Based Assessment are discussed. The effects of implementation on secondary school teachers are addressed. The legal requirements, under Section 37 of the Queensland Education Act, of the curriculum innovation have been implemented and met by teachers. (TJH)