This dissertation presents two essays on econometric methods for program evaluation and policy choice. In Chapter 1, I develop a statistically optimal way of using data to make policy decisions when the performance of counterfactual policies is only partially identified. Specifically, I consider a class of statistical decision problems in which…

Many Extension programs are turning to the input-output software IMPLAN to demonstrate economic impacts. IMPLAN is a powerful tool that can be used to estimate the total economic activity associated with an industry, event, or policy. One possible application, therefore, is to use program spending data to estimate the economic effects of…

Effective partnerships for education reform "require that schools view parents and communities not simply as customers or clients but as partners in the educational process" (Sanders, 2009, p. 1695). In 2012, seven Seattle area school districts and the Puget Sound Educational Service District (the PSESD) were awarded funding for the Road…

Postsecondary early awareness strategies are a fast-growing component of college access to attainment efforts. Broadly defined, these programs and policies encourage low-income and first-generation students to gain the information, skills, and resources they need to successfully take part in higher education. They focus on students in fifth…

In September 1970, Congress launched a comprehensive program to make funds available directly to those school districts facing problems associated with school desegregation. The legislation was entitled the Emergency School Assistance Program (ESAP) and took $75 million from previously authorized appropriations. Ten percent of the funds was…

Evaluated 30 Community Action Program for Children (CAPC) projects in Ontario, Canada. CAPC is a Canadian federal government initiative that funds community groups in activities supporting child development and strengthening families. Identified categories of program activities and project outcomes, and found that most projects have adopted…

The Cooperative Extension Service's Children, Youth, and Families at Risk initiative is being assessed by the Evaluation Collaboration's three projects: state-strengthening evaluation project (resources to help states evaluate community programs); NetCon (evaluation of electronic and other networks); and National Youth at Risk Sustainability Study…

At the request of Congressman Charles B. Rangel, the General Accounting Office (GAO) conducted an investigation of federal efforts in drug abuse prevention and education activities, focusing on: (1) how the federal government provides leadership and coordination; (2) the federal agencies involved in drug abuse prevention and education activities;…

This report describes and evaluates the community school program in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) during the period of September, 1978 through December, 1979. In addition to documenting two community schools funded by a federal grant, the report also describes three other community school programs in MDUSD funded by adult…

This workbook is designed to help communities and program administrators assess the success of their Title V delinquency prevention programs, but it may serve as an evaluation tool for other prevention efforts as well. It provides information and resource aids on program planning, conducting evaluations, tracking programs, describing activities,…

This brief paper summarizes three papers and a response presented at a symposium examining longitudinal comparison studies of federally funded community mental health services (CMHS) for children and their families. Emphasis was on comparing the system of care approach to a more traditional approach. The symposium provided an update on the status…

To provide a more permanent foundation for foreign language education in general and for extracurricular FLES programs in particular, a project was funded by the Iowa Humanities Board and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Its overall goals were to ensure positive foreign language learning experiences for elementary and secondary school…

A process description and preliminary evaluation are provided for the Weed and Seed initiative in Springfield (Illinois). This initiative involved local, state, and federal resources in projects that included (1) facility improvement, (2) drug prevention, (3) youth education and child care, (4) jobs and vocational training, (5) resident…

Directors of 39 projects funded by the federal Consumers' Education Program were interviewed about their attitudes toward federally mandated evaluation. The projects were varied, and included activities such as consumer workshops; development of curriculum, materials or policy; inservice training; consumer advocacy/counseling; and television…

The Community Youth Activity Program (CYAP) was the first Center for Substance Abuse Prevention grantee demonstration project with a community prevention emphasis mandated by Congress under the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. One of the goals of the national evaluation of the CYAP, which expanded to 31 state grantees, was to establish a baseline of…