The continuously growing demand for program results has produced an increased need for evaluation capacity building (ECB). The "Integrative ECB Model" was developed to integrate concepts from existing ECB theory literature and to structure a synthesis of the empirical ECB literature. The study used a broad-based research synthesis method with…

Publicly available statistics from government agencies that are credible, relevant, accurate, and timely are essential for policy makers, individuals, households, businesses, academic institutions, and other organizations to make informed decisions. Even more, the effective operation of a democratic system of government depends on the unhindered…

Professional development that improves teaching and student learning meets research-based standards to ensure high-quality educator learning experiences. Since the quality of professional learning affects its results, many states, districts, and schools want to measure the effectiveness of their professional development to make targeted…

The study is an evaluation of an English as a Second Language (ESL) program at a southeastern technical college. Thousands of adults who enroll in ESL programs are individuals who appear to be intelligent. They have worked diligently for a year or more to learn to speak, read, write, listen and improve English comprehension skills. However, some…

This study attempts to clarify some of the issues involved in defining the effectiveness of compensatory education programs. It discusses the extent to which conclusions about the effectiveness of compensatory education programs are affected by two major components of an evaluation: the period of time on which the evaluation is based and the…

This report, developed over a 17 calendar-day period, was prepared to quantitatively present the status of vocational education for use in identifying major issues and problems, and in indicating implications for the future. Findings and recommendations are to be used as a background for considering alternative policy decisions regarding…

This document contains the appendices for the report prepared by an analysis group that quantitatively presented the status of vocational education and implications for the future. Appendixes A-F contain: (A) documentation supporting the discussion of the vocational education system, (B) documentation supporting the discussion of measuring…

This technical report presents issues related to defining and applying accountability systems for young children, including those with disabilities. It notes that reaching shared perspectives on definitions of accountability systems and their constituents remains complicated by the number of levels to which such systems can apply (e.g., child-,…

Because the information/library field in and around London seems well-provided with short courses covering a wide range of topics of presumed interest to people working in this field, a project was undertaken to design and test measures for assessing short courses and to explore the possibility of applying evaluation measures to such courses.…

This handbook is designed to help state and local vocational education evaluators and persons using evaluation results by presenting strategies and procedures for improved use of vocational education evaluation results. It is divided into five sections, followed by a glossary and annotated bibliographies. Chapter 1 contains an overview of the…

A project regarding the interpretability of data on vocational education outcome data was done (1) to determine how different definitions of the vocational student and relatedness of training to employment might affect the interpretability of vocational education impact data; (2) to synthesize the current literature and approaches measuring job…

Developed as a guide for improving current procedures or initiating procedures to evaluate vocational education programs in correctional institutions, this handbook provides an introduction to and understanding of the evaluation process through the use of a case study, flowcharts, check lists, descriptions of helpful resources, and examples of…

A manual for trainers of development workers and change agents in the third world provides guidelines for evaluation of development training programs. Chapters define evaluation, present a general model of development, and discuss evaluation in development training programs. Designing training systems for development workers and change agents,…

This guide is intended to give workforce investment boards (WIBs) a practical framework for overseeing the performance of one-stop career centers. The introduction presents background information on a proposed quality assurance framework and the guide's format and development. The first two sections explain the importance of quality assurance to…

This guide for improving the quality of National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) data through improved data collection and training is intended for local providers and state administrators. Chapter 1 explains the guide's purpose, contents, and use and defines the following components of data quality: objectivity; integrity;…