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…

The State Family Outcomes Measurement System Framework (S-FOMS) is a framework originally developed by the Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center that identifies seven key components of a high-quality family outcomes measurement system at the state level. This document contains background information about the framework's seven components, 15…

The State Family Outcomes Measurement System Framework (S-FOMS) is a framework originally developed by the Early Childhood Outcomes Center that identifies seven key components of a high-quality family outcomes measurement system at the state level. The seven components are: (1) Purpose; (2) Data collection and transmission; (3) Analysis; (4)…

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…

The impact of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is usually understood in relation to schools and districts, but the legislation has also affected community-based organizations that operate school-linked programs. This case study of an after-school program in California demonstrates how educational accountability systems that emphasize students' academic…

The objective of this paper is to discuss the utilization of Stake's theory of responsive evaluation by a unit in state government charged with the evaluation of the Illinois Migrant Program. Through interviews with state and local Title I staff, we were able to discover program purposes and concerns and to later conceptualize these concerns into…

This report presents amendments to H.R. 4250, a bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 1995 through 1998 to carry out the Head Start Act, the Community Services Block Grant Act, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act, and the newly enacted Family Resource and Support Act. The text of the amendments themselves, as well as the complete…

Five Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA)/Local Education Agency (LEA) programs designed to provide youth with employment-related services were reviewed. Onsite visits were conducted to assess program development and implementation in Houston, Worcester (Massachusetts), Minnesota, Fairfax County (Virginia), and Los Angeles. (Each area…

This report synthesizes information from many sources about state and local Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) evaluation activities and issues. The report's five sections are interrelated, but each can stand alone as a discussion piece on JTPA evaluation. The first section, on the role of evaluation in JTPA, outlines the rationale for doing…

The Comprehensive Child Development Program (CCDP), enacted by Congress in 1988, provides intensive, comprehensive, integrated, and continuous support to preschool children from low-income families to enhance their intellectual, social, and physical development. It also provides needed services to parents and household family members to enhance…

Research on the implementation of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) included a sample of more than 20,000 people in 16 service delivery areas (SDAs). The random assignment model for the study produced estimates of the impact of the overall JTPA program in this sample of SDAs, plus separate impact estimates for individuals recommended for…

This report provides an overview of the current welfare system. The number and size of federal public assistance programs have increased during the past 25 years, with particular growth in noncash benefit programs, which now constitute about three-quarters of all means-tested assistance. From mid-1983 to mid-1984, more than 52.5 million Americans…

This report presents findings from a national survey of secondary and postsecondary institutions offering vocational education that sought to determine state and local response to the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. The study involved qualitative case studies of state and local programs as well as a national survey of local vocational…

An assessment was made of the staff structures of Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs, recommended staff backgrounds, current staff backgrounds, and staff development measures. Recommendations were made on how staff development could be improved. Data for the study were gathered through a survey of all state JTPA directors and a random…

This guide was developed to provide local policymakers and program managers with an approach for using performance standards as a tool for reviewing and improving performance of Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs at the local level. The guide is keyed to the Program Year (PY) 1990 U.S. Department of Labor adjustment methodology for…