The Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative (MBLC) is a demonstration project taking place in 47 schools across Washington to help decision makers understand what quality mastery-based (or competency-based) learning looks like, how long it takes to implement, and what resources are necessary. The schools receive funding, coaching, and professional…

We present the results of a study of local education agency (LEA)-based interventions to improve the reading outcomes of struggling readers in sixth grade. The sample included 1,076 intervention students and 3,644 comparison students. Regression discontinuity was used to evaluate intervention impact. The study contributes to the field by…

K-3 Plus was established in 2007 as a six-year pilot project that permitted schools with high numbers of at-risk students to begin the school year 25 days earlier for kindergarten through third grade. The purpose of the K-3 Plus program is to demonstrate that increased instructional time in kindergarten and the early grades narrows the achievement…

The University of Missouri Extension needed to develop an annual program review process that collaboratively engaged county-level stakeholders. The results from the first 2 years highlight the results, challenges, and implications of the design process. The annual review process needs to be adaptive, responsive, and reflective from year to year…

Innovative Digital Education and Learning-New Mexico (IDEAL-NM) was created in response to the 2005 Performance and Accountability Contract, "Making Schools Work" to leverage technology. On October 27, 2006, the statewide e-learning program that would implement a shared e-learning infrastructure using a single statewide learning…

Systematic evaluation is an essential tool for understanding program effectiveness. This article describes the pilot test of a statewide evaluation tool for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed). A computer algorithm helped Community Nutrition Educators (CNEs) build surveys specific to their varied educational settings…

Training and technical assistance programs for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have emerged in many states as educators, administrators, and institutions of higher education attempt to address the increasing needs for enhancing the knowledge and skills of educators and disseminating the ever-growing knowledge of educational practices. This report…

This evaluation study examined the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of the statewide master plan for professional development (PD Master Plan) by investigating seven questions. With regard to effectiveness, (1) What was the level of implementation for the PD Master Plan, overall and by individual providers? (2) What were the impediments, if…

In this evaluation, as in previous years, four main aspects of the implementation of the West Virginia Board of Education's Master Plan for Statewide Professional Development were examined: (a) basic information reported by providers about the size and scope of the effort, including attendance, and adherence to the newly adopted standards for…

The School Counseling Leadership Team (SCLT) is a model of a collaborative team formed to advocate for the transformed role of professional school counselors. The members of the SCLT included school district counseling supervisors, counselor educators, and leaders of statewide school counselor organizations. This article reviews the need for and…

The author lists some 20 principles as restated by state-level decision makers, presents definite ideas on how policy should be stated, and calls on states to review not only their policy statements but also their rules and regulations. (Editor/HD)

To evaluate the effectiveness of local advisory council involvement in the Making Cable Work project, two questionnaires were employed. The first was distributed to all local advisory council members to collect factual and attitudinal information which facilitated a subsequent set of workshops. Workshop content areas included: (1) public access;…

An evaluation was conducted of the Arkansas adult education for homeless persons program funded through the Stewart B. McKinney Act. Evaluation activities included the following: a review of program applications; onsite inspection of the classrooms and materials for the homeless; observation of class activities; and interviews with program…

Written for local, State, and Federal vocational educators, this publication discusses the feasibility of implementing recommendations from some recent evaluations of educational excellence. Criteria for estimating the appropriateness of evaluation findings are given, and recommendations are offered for creating an infrastructure among local,…

Community colleges have traditionally received funding based on student enrollment, which is usually considered an input in the educational process. Recently, however, legislation enacted at the federal and state levels specifies that funding is to hinge, as least in part, on student performance--an output measure. Performance standards improve…