A case study illustrates the ways in which local reactions to a program evaluation directly threaten its validity, and shows that not all participants in a qualitative evaluation study understand or defer to the commitments of democratic evaluation. Ethical concerns in program evaluation are considered. (SLD)

A Colorado school district collaborated with local university personnel to plan, implement, and evaluate a staff development program addressing instructional improvement. The project trained upper elementary and junior high teachers in content area reading instruction and provided follow-up coaching as they implemented the new strategies. (SM)

This article addresses the evaluation of new British programs designed to bring more experiential and active learning into the higher education curriculum. Some of the difficulties of assessing these programs are examined and political influences on evaluation are discussed. (MSE)

The process used in Papua New Guinea to integrate national and district health planning in a decentralized setting is described, highlighting the key elements of participation, learning by doing, and integration. The importance of this three-pronged approach for program development and application is discussed. (SLD)

Practices in needs assessment are reviewed since 1981, the year the federal government changed the role it plays in promoting needs assessment in the public sector. The review is based on reports published to 1993 and indicates that needs assessment is flourishing in a variety of settings. (SLD)

Describes the teacher's guide made up of 125 student activities encompassing 1 year of high school physics instruction called Physics Resources and Instructional Strategies for Motivating Students (PRISMS). The learning cycle of each activity includes three phases: exploration, concept introduction, and concept application. Provides exploration…

Two approaches for identifying, evaluating, and disseminating materials are discussed. One is the National Diffusion Network and its Program Effectiveness Panel, and the other is the Committee on Education and Human Resources, a new interagency effort with potential for examining a large body of generally underutilized mathematics and science…

The outcome evaluation of a Drug-Free Schools and Community Program using a case-study design and pattern-matching logic in elementary schools and high schools is described, including the use of a panel survey and qualitative interviews. The elementary school case matched predicted outcome, but the high school case did not. (SLD)

A study compared practice-level variables between two sites that have been implementing system-of-care (SOC) principles for at least 5 years and two traditional service systems. Overall, SOC sites scored significantly higher than non-SOC sites in the child-centered and family-focused, community-based, and cultural competence domains. (Contains…

The utility of cost-benefit analysis in program evaluation is illustrated using hypothetical examples of the consequences of natural environments service provision. Areas for further research related to cost and benefit implications are presented. Early intervention programs can use the cost-benefit framework to evaluate the social impact of…

Student teaching or internship evaluation instruments used in teacher education programs at 11 research universities were analyzed. Their emphasis on classroom management knowledge and skills may be contributing to what many teachers see as a frustrating concentration on management and a smooth-running classroom over attention to substantive…

Considers the competing demands placed on evaluators in relation to the service (characteristics of the intervention), the sample (people participating), and methodology or research design. Explores compromises that may be required between scientific ideals and real-world limitations, and assesses implications for obtaining meaningful results in…

Evaluated a professional development project, Constructing and Networking for Multiage Learning, which gave teachers Internet access and support for more constructivist teaching. Found that teachers initially modified their teaching, but reverted to more traditional practices by the end of 3 years. Although most became successful technology users,…

This chapter describes Clemson University's Laptop Faculty Development Program and its assessment, offering the program as one model for designing faculty development to successfully implement laptop mandates. The chapter also acquaints readers with the many types of in-class, laptop-based activities that meet best-practice criteria for effective…

Teacher implementation of the Accelerated Reader Program is as widespread as it is diverse in terms of classroom and campus application. This manuscript highlights the findings of an informal, pilot study that examined four categories regarding the Accelerated Reader Program. The categories include: (1) assessment; (2) aesthetics and text…