Implementation fidelity assessment provides a means of measuring the alignment between the planned program and the implemented program. Unfortunately, the implemented program can differ from the planned program, resulting in ambiguous inferences about the planned program's effectiveness (i.e., it is uncertain if poor results are due to an…

Written by a social worker for social work students, this is a nuts and bolts guide to statistics that presents complex calculations and concepts in clear, easy-to-understand language. It includes numerous examples, data sets, and issues that students will encounter in social work practice. The first section introduces basic concepts and terms to…

Describes a series of 16 longitudinal studies conducted by Utah State University on alternative early intervention programs for disabled children, focusing on the intensity of intervention, the age intervention begins, and parent involvement. Reviews factors that gave rise to the studies, research designs and procedures, and data interpretation.…

This commentary on a previous article that demonstrates three ways of analyzing qualitative interview data (content, cultural models, and narrative analyses), discusses the need for greater articulation of the complexities of interpretation and a greater emphasis on verification procedures in early intervention qualitative research. (CR)

In 1981, the developers of a school-based change effort engaged researchers to conduct an evaluation study employing qualitative methodology that would provide the developers with information that could be used to improve the program. Resource constraints, short timelines, and the developers' preference for useable information encouraged…

This book provides conceptual and practical strategies for the data and information collection and analysis needs of a diverse group of institutions, ranging from small rural community colleges to large urban research institutions. The model framework is designed for use by any size or type of institution and gives a broad overview of various…