Realist evaluation (RE) is a research design increasingly used in program evaluation, that aims to explore and understand the influence of context and underlying mechanisms on intervention or program outcomes. Several methodological challenges, however, are associated with this approach. This article summarizes RE key principles and examines some…

This study investigated the effect School-Wide Positive Behavior Support had on special education students' achievement and office discipline referrals. Sixty-nine special education students from eight elementary schools participated in this study. Thirty-four participants were in the group with School-Wide Positive Behavior Support, and 35…

Background: Evaluation is a tool that can promote accountability and enhance organizational improvement. For these reasons funding entities from government to foundations are increasingly relying on program evaluation as a key instrument to determine effectiveness and hold recipient organizations accountable. What has ensued is an environment of…

The authors extend findings from qualitative research on the effects of action research by reporting two linked quantitative studies (N = 80 and 105). They found that teachers who participated in collaborative action research experienced statistically significant improvements in attitudes to educational research and teacher efficacy. The pre-post…

This document, which is intended for individuals at the state and local levels with responsibility for school-to-work opportunities, focuses on recommended standard procedures for evaluating school-to-work transition programs. In the introduction, the role of evaluation as a critical element in an overall program management strategy is discussed…

After a brief introduction indicating the value of the first Follow Through evaluation, this document offers ideas about how a new wave of Follow Through approaches should be evaluated. The discussion is based on the premise that the form of an evaluation must be derived from the questions for which answers are sought, the audience(s) to whom the…

Many school reform initiatives now require school leaders to make curriculum and resourcing decisions on the basis of evidence about their likely impact on student achievement. In this paper, we discuss the implications of this policy demand in the context of a descriptive study of schools' capacity to collect, analyze, and use collective…

This document is a handbook for adult education professionals to follow when beginning or expanding learning programs to meet the needs of stakeholders at a particular workplace. The handbook presents a seven-step model that is based on the findings of several research and demonstration programs. Each of the handbook's seven chapters details one…