This guide presents the components and implementation phases of the Technical Assistance Center's Chapter 1 Program Improvement Process. The goal of this process is to improve the achievement of educationally disadvantaged students. The following components are discussed: (1) teamwork; (2) informed decision-making; (3) vision setting; (4) research…

The University of Liverpool's Evaluation and Assessment Unit (LEAU) organized a national conference on the growth, development, and potential of the National Curriculum. The National Curriculum consists of 10 subjects, each defined by attainment targets, programs of study, and attainment levels. These subjects are to be drawn up by working groups…

When formative feedback in teacher evaluation programs results in a summative decision, teacher evaluation programs fulfill both formative and summative needs. Teacher evaluation programs that fulfill both formative and summative needs should include components such as consistent and just policies and procedures; evaluation criteria that agree…

A study examined the development and implementation of an interactive video instruction system for teaching electronics and industrial maintenance at the University of Tennessee. The specific purposes of the study were to document unusual problems that may be encountered when this new technology is implemented, suggest corrective actions, and…

This paper describes the use of a theory-based framework, the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM), in evaluating the implementation of three educational innovations in the Portland (Oregon) Public Schools during 1986-87: (1) Project READ, a districtwide alternative language arts program for grades 1-8; (2) Timeline, project management software…

This introductory text is designed to accompany workshop instruction in evaluating bilingual programs. It is addressed to those involved with bilingual programs generally, educators directly involved in planning and implementation, and research and evaluation specialists. Areas in which evaluation can lead to improved bilingual practice and how a…

In this study, institution-wide strategic plans that were available online were examined in detail to determine how educational technology was referred to in these documents. Based on this data and the literature, a schedule of principles for supporting the implementation of educational technology in post-secondary teaching was developed.…

This section of the School Environment Handbook can be used by schools to improve school environment and to develop the necessary change strategies. The handbook serves four major purposes. First, the material is designed to facilitate thinking about steps in the planning process. Second, it discusses how to set goals and to state them in ways…

The proceedings of the First Mastery Learning Conference begins with Rocco Caponigri's introduction and Oscar E. Shabat's discussion of the importance of mastery learning to community colleges as they attempt to educate large numbers of underprepared students. Next, Benjamin S. Bloom examines the shifting emphasis in education research from…

Describes the development of a program in Connecticut that combined Web-based training with peer mentorship to improve technology integration in K-12 classrooms. Topics include prerequisites; program implementation; a nine-month pilot study; formative evaluation; mentor survey; summative evaluation; and the feasibility of this type of program for…

Lifestyle Education for Activity Program (LEAP) was a comprehensive, school-based intervention designed to promote physical activity in high school girls. The intervention focused on changes in instructional practices and the school environment to affect personal, social, and environmental factors related to physical activity. Multiple process…

This article describes changes in the practice of two teachers, observed over an 18-month period, who were participating in a study intended to support teachers in developing their use of assessment in support of learning. The design of the intervention allowed each teacher to choose for themselves which aspects of their practice to develop.…

Group-randomized trials (GRTs)--studies that evaluate the efficacy or effectiveness of interventions occurring at the group level--are increasingly used to assess the effects of school-based prevention programs on behavioral outcomes of children and adolescents. These designs pose many implementation and design challenges for school…

Scholars and practitioners have long criticized teacher evaluation as ineffective. Peer assistance and review (PAR) alters traditional teacher evaluation, as master teachers conduct summative as well as formative assessment of beginning teachers and veteran teachers in need of intervention. Relying on data from a longitudinal case study of one…

In February 1994 the San Diego (California) Board of Education adopted a policy to bring about a phased reduction in class size in all district schools. Resources were allocated to initiate Phase I of this plan, which called for limited class size in grades 1 and 2 at all elementary sites to 25.5 students. A formative review was undertaken to…