Program evaluation has long been used to reveal program characteristics, merits, and challenges. While providing information about program effectiveness, evaluations can also ensure understanding of program outcomes, efficiency, and quality. Furthermore, evaluations can analyze and examine a program's political and social environment as well as…

Pharma Development has used action learning to help participants in their 360[degrees] feedback programme develop their leadership competencies. The article describes how the programme was designed, supported and run across four sites over a period of 2 years. The programme was systematically evaluated and found to be successful in meeting its…

This report presents findings from the second-year evaluation of the Governor's Educator Excellence Grant (GEEG) program. The GEEG program was federally- and state-funded and provided three-year grants to schools to design and implement performance pay plans from the 2005-06 to 2007-08 school years. GEEG was implemented in 99 high poverty, high…

Measures of quality are now in widespread use across states as part of quality improvement initiatives. For example, many states are currently using global measures of quality that were first developed for research and practice purposes (such as the Environmental Rating Scales) in their Quality Rating Systems (QRSs). Although global quality…

The history of unpaid work experience shows that work requirements for welfare recipients have often been proposed and attempted. The consistent trend has been to place greater emphasis on employability services. Studies of nine welfare-to-work programs providing unpaid work experience indicate that the level of participation is limited by factors…

In Michigan, a school-based bicycle helmet intervention program has been developed to increase the prevalence of helmet use among middle/junior high school students. The intervention involved approximately 3,100 students and their parents. The school-based intervention component of the project is the focus of this report. A two-tier intervention…

The report describes the design and results of a Calgary (Canada) program (August 1, 1990 to June 12, 1992) to disseminate information about literacy education needs and services to the local community. It is organized into sections, each addressing a specific program objective. Sections include the following: (1) increasing awareness,…

This publication is a guide with the materials necessary for leading a workshop session on comprehensive needs assessment for Chapter 1 programs for teachers and administrators. As the packet points out, secondary and elementary schools with Chapter 1 programs often do comprehensive needs assessment to satisfy federal regulations or to record…

A proposal for a preservice agricultural education teacher preparation program involves the examination of seven aspects: (1) role statement; (2) curriculum; (3) instruction; (4) facilities and resources; (5) student selection; (6) faculty; and (7) evaluation. Agricultural teachers have many roles: facilitator of learning; program developer;…

Nonformal education is any organized, systematic learning activity carried on outside the formal educational system and usually focused on improving participants' social and personal living, occupational capability, or vocational competency. Because it offers opportunity and participation to all in a non-threatening atmosphere and promotes rapid…

This paper identifies and discusses components of successful magnet programs. It is based on a review of existing research literature and information gathered directly from school districts. First, the paper discusses separately the following elements, which are considered "core components": (1) leadership; (2) organizational structure; (3)…

Nationwide attention to the problems of teenage pregnancy and suicide, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), substance abuse, domestic violence, child abuse, dropping out of school, and other conditions is resulting in a proliferation of primary prevention programs, projects, and activities. In too many communities, however, the growth of…

Educational programs and evaluations which were submitted to the Department of Education's Joint Dissemination Review Panel (JDRP), in order to be named validated programs, were studied to identify program characteristics associated with large versus small effect size. Effect size was calculated for 165 out of 232 submittals reviewed by JDRP from…

Providing information on the issue of merit pay for teachers, this booklet covers reasons for adopting merit-pay programs, examples of such programs now operating, definitions of types of programs, indications of why some programs have failed, and steps for developing a successful program. Noting the lagging pay of teachers and inadequacies of…

An intensive summer training course in Mandarin Chinese designed to help currently employed language teachers introduce exploratory Mandarin Chinese courses to their schools is described. Training current staff eliminated three common barriers to exploratory program introduction: needs for (1) additional teaching staff; (2) additional funds; and…