This article discusses the nonuse, misuse, and proper use of pilot studies in experimental evaluation research. The authors first show that there is little theoretical, practical, or empirical guidance available to researchers who seek to incorporate pilot studies into experimental evaluation research designs. The authors then discuss how pilot…

Monitoring fidelity of implementation is a critical task when initiating evidence-based programs. This pilot study sought to identify best practices in a fidelity monitoring process and determine the feasibility of continuing a fidelity monitoring process with a multisite, multiprogram initiative. A fidelity log was created for each of 11…

The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of music notation reinforcement on aural memory for melodies. Participants were 41 undergraduate and graduate music majors in a within-subjects design. Experimental trials tested melodic memory through a sequence of target melodies, distraction melodies, and matched and unmatched answer choices.…

Population changes, legislative changes, time and cost constraints, and practitioner and family perceptions each affect the delivery of early intervention services. This pilot project examined current evaluation practices used with the birth to 3 population. The role of norm-referenced and authentic assessment tools in the eligibility…

Many studies have called attention to the limitations of current teacher evaluation systems and the need for reform nationwide. This study addresses three research questions: (1) What are the features of the new teacher evaluation systems in New Hampshire's districts with SIG schools?; (2) To what extent did schools implement the evaluation system…

This article is aimed at the disclosure of the process of familiarizing senior preschool children to the culture of different nations through didactic games. The purpose of the article is to determine the content of ethno-national culture of the people, accessible to children preschool age, which includes a set of elements of ethnic (folk costume,…

Extensive graded reading (EGR) was carried out with a cohort of 600 engineering students in a university in northern Japan. Pre-and post-surveys were conducted to discover changes in the general reading habits of students, their attitudes toward the assessment method and how goals changed over the course of study. The first survey was carried out…

The purpose of this study was to describe the measures used to evaluate principals in New Jersey in the first (pilot) year of the new principal evaluation system and examine three of the statistical properties of the measures: their variation among principals, their year-to-year stability, and the associations between these measures and the…

The use of digital badges for peer-credentialing web-shared work offers the promise of extending classroom learning beyond explicit course objectives and evaluations. This pilot study of peer-awarded badges examines the results of an online graduate course where students voted on and evaluated the web-shared work of their colleagues on different…

Learners' feelings of social connectedness may be a key factor in predicting online course success. However, students attempting to perceive and process the social context in online courses often find themselves engaging in unfamiliar, technology-mediated communication channels. While there have been several empirically based strategies published…

The Hampshire Hundreds project was a local authority-led intervention which brought together lead teachers from Hampshire primary schools to provide them with evidence and support for effective teaching strategies to decrease the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils (aged 9-11) and their peers. The intervention involved a facilitator…

This report summarizes findings from a two-year study of Chicago's Excellence in Teaching Pilot, which was designed to drive instructional improvement by providing teachers with evidence-based feedback on their strengths and weaknesses. The pilot consisted of training and support for principals and teachers, principal observations of teaching…

This study surveyed evaluation and dissemination/diffusion practices of ESEA III projects funded in the 1969 fiscal year, which projects are nearing the end of their operations as federally supported programs. The study attempted to discover if (1) the projects were evaluated in accordance with generally accepted procedures, (2) the project…

THIS PROJECT EXPLORED THE HYPOTHESIS THAT HIGH SCHOOL SELF-EVALUATIONS BASED ON THE EVALUATIVE CRITERIA OF THE NATIONAL STUDY OF SECONDARY SCHOOL EVALUATION PRODUCE CURRICULUM CHANGE AND HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDES OF TEACHERS. THIS PROCESS OF SELF-EVALUATION WAS COMPLETED BY THE SCHOOL FACULTY, FOLLOWED BY A REVIEW OF A VISITING…

This article describes the construction of instruments for evaluating statistics texts that are grounded in the statistical education and text evaluation literatures. Student, instructor, and expert evaluator instruments were piloted with 36 graduate students and 5 faculty members. Results suggest the usefulness of the developed instruments. (SLD)