The Office of Policy and Evaluation of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) contracted with SRI International to conduct an outcome assessment of the Tibetan Scholarship Program (TSP). The purpose of this evaluation is to determine if the program has been successful in meeting these goals. The assessment…

"Data Trends" reports present summaries of research on mental health services for children and adolescents and their families. The article summarized in this "Data Trends" examines research on the "contribution of informal support linkages in the achievement of treatment outcomes" in three models of family-based practice: Intensive Family…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has the potential to improve many of America's schools, but this potential is currently undermined by serious flaws in how the program evaluates school performance. Because NCLB's measurement system compares only students' performance at a single point in time against state-determined standards, the information…

For schools to spend Title I funds on comprehensive school reform (CSR) programs under the No Child Left Behind Act, there must be empirical evidence of significant improvement in the academic achievement of CSR students. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of convincing evidence that CSR programs have a positive impact on student achievement. Over a…

The Pacific Communities with High-performance in Literacy Development (Pacific CHILD) Professional Development Model research project was initiated in response to an overwhelming need in PREL's Pacific service region for improvement of teachers' knowledge and instructional practices in early reading. This report examines the question of the…

The main goal of the study was to document and describe the beginnings of the implementation of the Strategic Instructional Model at five (5) middle schools in the EPISD. The study also examined Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) data from those students that participated in the program. Methodology: Implementation information was…

One of a series of booklets on disability research, this paper is intended as an introduction to the role of evaluation in the utilization process. Its purpose is to help disability researchers grasp the importance of incorporating a focus on assessing use into plans for disseminating research outcomes. The paper begins by examining basic…

This paper describes a 1996-97 faculty development program conducted for the social work department at Andrews University (Michigan). The training included the presentation of instructional theory, demonstration of instructional techniques, practice of the techniques by the participants, feedback on these practice sessions, and on-going support…

This study attempted to develop a reliable and valid instrument for measuring the diagnostic and remedial capacity of primary schools and to apply this instrument in examining how special needs services are provided in ordinary primary schools in the Dutch speaking part of Belgium. The study's conceptual model was based on two clusters--the key…

This final report describes activities and accomplishments of a 3-year project of faculty and curricular development using a variety of classic texts and involving 10 liberal arts colleges and one state university. Three-week summer seminars were held for faculty who studied self-selected classics introduced by master teachers, and discussed…

The 24 chapters of this collection discuss contemporary approaches to using student learning gains to evaluating teachers or schools. The four methods considered are: (1) the Oregon Teacher Work Sample Methodology (chapters 2 through 6); (2) the Dallas Value-Added Accountability System (Texas) (chapters 7 through 11); (3) the Tennessee Value-Added…

There are a great many types of violence prevention programs in schools, and many are demonstrating signs of success. Funders will not provide resources for programs, nor will schools know how to choose them, unless quality evaluation data are available to show their effectiveness and promise. Resources to conduct a meaningful evaluation are often…

This technical report presents issues related to defining and applying accountability systems for young children, including those with disabilities. It notes that reaching shared perspectives on definitions of accountability systems and their constituents remains complicated by the number of levels to which such systems can apply (e.g., child-,…

This paper describes how researchers at SRI International's Center for Technology and Learning designed and used an observation tool as part of its evaluation of a local Technology Innovation Challenge Grant program called Challenge 2000: Multimedia Project. The paper aims to present both the process and the tool that researchers, program…

This report announces the publication of an annotated bibliography on family literacy and family literacy programs. The bibliography summarizes writings and research on family literacy and on topics directly relevant to family literacy programs. Directed toward program staff, researchers, community leaders, and policymakers, the publication covers…