The widespread adoption of research-supported treatments by mental health providers has facilitated empirical development of quality assurance (QA) methods. Research in this area has focused on QA systems aimed at assuring the integrity of research-supported treatment implementation, while examination of QA systems to assure appropriate…

Practice and Research Together (PART) is an Ontario-based research utilization initiative, the core function of which is to distil and disseminate practice-relevant research findings to child welfare practitioners. This article addresses (a) the mission and goals of the PART program; (b) the key components of the program design; (c) the conceptual…

In 2006, six community and technical colleges in Washington State joined the innovative national reform initiative called Achieving the Dream (ATD). This report describes the progress each college made in implementing ATD's "culture of evidence" principles for institutional improvement, examines strategies implemented by the colleges to…

Making Connections was the Annie E. Casey Foundation's signature place-based, community-change initiative of the 2000s. It sought to build on previous work and launch an effort focused firmly on the framework of family strengthening. The Foundation started Making Connections in 22 places, focusing eventually on first 10, then seven sites. It…

Program-theory approaches to evaluation have gained acceptability over the past 25 years as a means for examining conditions for implementation that are associated with better outcomes and developing detailed program theory. They have also gained confusion, as witnessed in the review of recent studies in this article. (Author/SLD)

A retrospective look at the Preservice Teacher Education Project shows both the benefits and shortcomings of the program. Involvement of institutions in this program indicates interest and need for support systems to help facilitate change in teacher education programs. (DF)

Review of literature concerning the use of program review in higher education lists sources discussing the review process, focusing on the links between program review and other institutional processes, and addressing application of program review principles and practices to different higher education settings. Critical factors for successful use…

Described is a model for teaching elementary school science based on the generative view of learning: that meaning is created by the learner through mental processing that involves relating new input to existing ways of viewing the world. How curriculum researchers can help teachers implement this model is also discussed. (RM)

This paper provides a case study of eight magnet schools in Austin, Texas, to illustrate the role of evaluation research in assessing the impact of the magnet school experience on students and parents. After an introduction, the paper describes the history of Austin's magnet schools at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels. Next,…

Maryland's School Improvement Through Instructional Process (SITIP) program involved 24 local education agencies (LEAs) in implementing one or more research-based instructional models: Active Teaching, Mastery Learning, Student Team Teaching, and Teaching Variables. A summary is presented of: (1) descriptions of each of the instructional models;…

An evaluation team was formed to sponsor research designed to improve the conduct and utilization of federally funded evaluations. The research projects assigned to the team reflected existing priorities for evaluation research, mainly by third party studies of existing urban area educational programs. It was found that something was seriously…

A statewide sustained effort to improve student learning in Missouri by adopting and adapting promising research-based educational practices is described. The concept of an Instructional Management System (IMS) with desired learner outcomes determining both instruction and testing was suggested to local school districts beginning in 1980. In 1985,…

In order to contribute to the refinement of methods for assessing the adequacy of program implementation, this study investigated data collection efforts made during the implementation of ALERTA, a bilingual, multicultural preschool curriculum model. Comparisons of results are made with those of previously conducted studies of program…

This report describes and evaluates efforts to enhance school districts' capacity to implement and institutionalize the monitoring and management system for an instructional leadership program called Achievement Directed Leadership (ADL). Chapter one introduces the report's methodology, limitations, and structure. Chapter two first states the…

The School Improvement Through Instructional Process (SITIP) Program, initiated in Maryland in 1980, was concerned with improving classroom and school activities through the application of process-product research on classroom and school effectiveness. All 24 local education agencies voluntarily implemented one or more of four research-based…