This brief provides a basic review of process evaluations, also known as formative or implementation evaluations. It describes what a process evaluation is, why process evaluations are important, when they should be used, and how they can be a useful tool for out-of-school time program practitioners. The brief also focuses on guidelines,…

How does one design an on-line course to bridge theory and practice? How can the feedback of on-going stakeholder (student and administration) be incorporated into the design process to enhance quality? This paper presents the theoretical underpinning of designing an on-line management course recognized as best practice for a "well organized…

It is familiar in the world of systems building that funders start out saying they are not particularly interested in attribution, only to later begin using words like "prove" and "impact." Boards begin by asking for intelligent reflection from the 30,000-foot level and then suddenly want to know how many more children are ready for school.…

Are the five states that are participating in the Great Start project, in fact, off to a Great Start? The simple answer from a casual read of this excellent case study appears to be "yes." Any early learning initiative that begins with a scientific evaluation is off to a great start. Sadly, some public and private funders have begun early learning…

Documenting evidence of impact demonstrates that organizations and programs are making a difference and/or accomplishing something positive. The results of a program must ultimately change people's attitudes or behavior, or benefit society in other ways (Diem, 1997). As competition increases and the availability of financial resources decreases,…

In this paper the author evaluates the Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) program in the Rochester City School District, Rochester, NY. The author evaluates the system's strengths and weaknesses and discusses the program's alignment with New York State requirements.

Academic program life cycle concept states each program's life flows through several stages: introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. A mixed-influence diffusion growth model is fitted to enrolment data on academic programs to analyze the factors determining progress of academic programs through their life cycles. The regression analysis yield…

The current study implemented and evaluated an adapted version of the Within Our Reach program called FRAME. Participants were 173 low-income couples in committed relationships and caring for at least one child together. Participating couples were randomly assigned to one of the four study conditions (couples group, female group, male group, or…

The mixed method study was conducted to determine the extent of difference in leadership practices, as measured by the LPI, of undergraduate students entering and graduating from a nontraditional business degree program. A second purpose was to determine the extent of difference in leadership practices of students about to graduate from the…

The National Writing Project (NWP) has expanded its national portfolio of research projects conducted at local Writing Project sites to 16 studies that examine professional development, teacher practices, and student writing achievement. NWP sites emphasize common principles of high-quality instruction and the professional development necessary to…

The purpose of this study was two-fold. It was first to find out what the educational materials needs were for children living in poverty, and second, to learn of the challenges, obstacles, and strengths by the programs already in place that were supplying educational materials to these children. This study used interviews and surveys as data…

As described in earlier articles, children whose parents have higher income and education levels are more likely to grow up in stable two-parent households than their economically disadvantaged counterparts. These widening gaps in fathers' involvement in parenting and in the quality and stability of parents' relationships may reinforce disparities…

Since its inception in 2001, Public Law 107-110 (No Child Left Behind) has put a direct emphasis on closing the achievement gap between minority students and their counterparts by implementing accountability systems. One component of this accountability system for educational districts in the United States is measuring academic achievement through…

This report evaluates college programmes within a wide range of disciplines subsumed within the business, management and administration (BMA) area. The disciplines covered are: business and finance; economics; law; management; public administration; international business studies; enterprise; management skills; management planning and control…

Data-driven planning or evidence-based decision making represents nothing new in its concept. For years, business leaders have claimed they have implemented planning informed by data that have been strategically and systematically gathered. Within higher education and student affairs, there may be less evidence of the actual practice of…