This report presents an approach to evaluating networked improvement communities (NICs) and describes the tools used to apply the approach to a formative evaluation of the Minnesota Alternative Learning Center Networked Improvement Community (Minnesota ALC NIC). In fall 2019 leaders at the Minnesota Department of Education requested support from…

Amid rising college tuition, low college-completion rates, and ever-changing employer demands for specialized skills, new forms of postsecondary education are gaining prominence. These "nontraditional" programs (such as coding boot camps) are typically short in duration and designed to prepare students for a particular occupation or…

This study aims to determine the functional literacy acquisition of Alternative Learning System learners and make a sound basis for strategic planning and pedagogical intervention that will help promote and develop the said program. The descriptive-evaluative method of research was used in the study. The descriptive method was used to identify the…

Alternative high schools serve some of the most vulnerable students and their programs present a significant challenge to evaluate. Determining the impact of an alternative high school that serves mostly at-risk students presented a significant research problem. Few studies exist that dig deeper into the characteristics and strategies of…

This paper addresses methodological issues arising from an experimental study of North Carolina's Early College High School Initiative, a four-year longitudinal experimental study funded by Institute for Education Sciences. North Carolina implemented the Early College High School (ECHS) Initiative in response to low high school graduation rates.…

The purpose of this article is to set forth an innovative methodological protocol for culturally grounding interventions with high-risk youths in alternative schools. This study used mixed methods to evaluate original and adapted versions of a culturally grounded substance abuse prevention program. The qualitative and quantitative methods…

Author gives thourough treatment to alternatives evaluation purposes and problems. (Editor)

The Comprehensive Evaluation Model is useful in helping address issues related to program quality, cost-effectiveness, and program improvement. Four levels of program effects can be evaluated: participant reaction, learning, transfer of learning, and organizational impact of the program. (Author/MLW)

An evaluation of the "Project Advance" program at the Morse Crisis Intervention Center was conducted. Review of documents, formal and informal interviews, questionnaires and direct observations were the methods used to assess the correspondence between the objectives of the program and its achievements. The evidence, based on findings from…

Three major stages are outlined for conducting evaluations of nontraditional programs: the preoperational stage, the implementation stage, and the post-operational stage. Utilization of the model in evaluating the Master of Liberal Studies Program at the University of Maine is described. (Author/MLW)

This newsletter comprises four sections: (1) the educational philosophy and objectives of Shanti, a public alternative school in Hartford, Connecticut; (2) Rosen's statements about the difficulties of finding an evaluation model for alternative schools and the implications of the methodology that he later used in evaluating the Shanti school in…

Twelve major areas (e.g., student outcomes, cost, entrance procedures) that require attention when evaluating a nontraditional degree program are identified. Priorities are suggested in terms of their long-term, overall importance in a complete evaluation plan and their immediate or short-term importance in the early stages of program…

The Street Academy is an alternative school specially designed for students aged 12 to 18 who cannot acclimate to the regular public school system. The purpose of the evaluation is, generally, to see if the program is serving the students for whom it was established. The evaluation is also concerned with such areas as academic skills development,…

Program evaluation is a tri-level process: evaluation of the learners, of the program against its own objectives, and as compared against a criterion program. Evaluation of innovative programs is primarily an issue of definition, and they should be judged in terms of the needs they were designed to satisfy. (Author/CTM)

Although the demand for formal evaluation of alternative schools is greater than for conventional schools, the unique characteristics of these schools make evaluation especially challenging. Use of traditional instruments and methods may yield misleading results. Evaluators must understand the issues associated with the evaluation of alternative…