This report presents baseline and process study findings of an evaluation of the Urban Alliance high school internship program, which provides training, mentoring, and work experience to high school seniors from distressed communities in Washington, DC, Baltimore, Northern Virginia, and Chicago. The report, which focuses on the program's…

Final of a six part series discusses the idea that the reputation and credibility of training and development is much lower outside the training community than within it. Urges organizational trainers and developers to prove cost effective contributions to their organizations. (LAS)

This document contains the viewpoints of five providers of education and training of adults at British institutions on the subject of which indicators should be used to measure the quality of performance. According to the representative of the Unit for the Development of Adult Continuing Education (Powell), measures applied to adult education have…

Describes a method to elicit data about the results of a personnel training program so that quality improvements can be made by having trainees' supervisors evaluate the training impact on the job. Also describes cases in different organizations where this approach was used to determine program weaknesses and strengths. (MF)

A study investigated the use of training needs assessment (TNA) by training and development practitioners in business and industry. It allowed for an assessment of both real TNA (practitioners' knowledge, observation, and experience) and ideal TNA (the literature and experts' opinions). A literature review focused on the concept of TNA,…

The Anne E. Casey Foundation (AECF) funded replications of effective jobs projects to achieve better job placement and retention for low-income, young adults. The six projects funded, collectively called the Jobs Initiative (JI), in Denver, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Seattle, and St. Louis, used an outcomes framework developed by The…

This handbook introduces a new training model that reflects the complexity of organizational life, changes in the human resources (HR) function, and the need to involve line management. Part I outlines the new context in which training must be delivered. It discusses the changing organizational requirements for training and the changing position…

Training interventions can be evaluated by calculating return on investment (ROI) and cost-benefit analysis. The four-level model proposed by Kirkpatrick is the dominant evaluation model used. Calculating ROI has been a critical issue for trainers and executives, but only a few organizations have implemented the process that is considered as…

Many organizations are not satisfied that their methods of evaluating training are rigorous or extensive enough to answer questions of value to them. Complaints about Kirkpatrick's popular four-step model (1959) of training evaluation are that each level is assumed to be associated with the previous and next levels and that the model is too simple…

This document is intended to guide further education colleges and work-based learning providers through some of the commonly used tools, techniques, and theories of quality management. The following are among the topics discussed: (1) various ways of defining quality; methods used by organizations to achieve quality (quality control, quality…

These four papers are from a symposium on evaluation in human resource development (HRD). "Assessing Organizational Readiness for Learning through Evaluative Inquiry" (Hallie Preskill, Rosalie T. Torres) reviews how evaluative inquiry can facilitate organizational learning; argues HRD evaluation should be reconceptualized as a process…

This book contains 19 papers examining ways in which innovative organizations are using distance learning technology to maximize learning and meet business objectives. The following papers are included: "Preface" (Deborah A. Schreiber, Zane L. Berge); "Organizational Technology and Its Impact on Distance Training" (Deborah A.…

This two-volume document contains the proceedings of the 2000 conference of the Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD). Volume 1 contains the following materials: conference overview; text of a town forum on social responsibility and human resource development (HRD); papers from symposia 1-24; and papers from innovative sessions 1-4. The…