Operating on a budget of $845,745, the 1979-80 Austin Independent School District Title I Migrant Program for current and former migrant children at preschool through high school levels centers around student recruitment and parental involvement, a pending at-home program for children aged 2-3, a pre-K through 12 instructional program, and health…

The Satellite Technology Demonstration (STD) made a needs assessment profile as the first step in the creation of an instructional television series for junior high students, "Time Out!" The suggested sequence for a similar project is: (1) submit a list of potential projects to the appropriate decision-makers; (2) determine through…

This text provides directors of instructional programs with an extensive overview of the evaluation process. In 25 chapters, the contents focus on the definition of evaluation, a rationale for its use, a list of tools used in the evaluation process, a delineation of the elements contained in a well-done evaluation, and some suggestions on ways…

The meaning of program evaluation in the context of educational innovation has been expanded to embrace all aspects of a program, both formative and summative. This review seeks to identify meaningful literature on programs related to dropout prevention and the preparation of the disadvantaged for the world of work through vocational training,…

A research program is proposed which would establish a standard method of evaluating the effectiveness of educational television programs for elementary school students. Because of the rapid emergence of inexpensive video cassette recordings and cable television, and because research shows that children's comprehension and cognitive assimilation…

The focus is primarily on elementary and secondary education with implications for organized education at other levels. There are ten major topics of discussion: 1) the major social forces for stability and change that will effect planning; 2) the problem of educational change with emphasis on current analysis of change, educational history, and…

In their development of curriculum for the humanizing of learning, Research for Better Schools, Inc., has required the reorganization, reordering, and creation of instrumentation for evaluation in the higher-order cognitive skills, the affective skills, and the interpersonal skills. As part of their design, a critical organization and review of…

An evaluation study of the district's counseling and guidance services was undertaken to provide guidance to the San Mateo City School District Board of Trustees in their consideration of staff reductions. Evaluation to support policy decisions should use multiple measures, collecting both quantitative and qualitative data addressing board…

The "Notes & Reflections" newsletter offers practical information--ideas, strategies, tools, and resources--about topics of special interest to professional developers who are working to improve school performance. Today, professional development services to schools are provided by variety of people: teacher leaders; principals; and district,…

This paper addresses the methodological issues encountered when attempting to evaluate a college course's effectiveness by determining whether students who enroll in it perform at higher levels than students who did not enroll. The paper identifies resource people who may be helpful in the evaluation, and offers guidelines for the research…

The organization and operations of an evaluation unit in a local governmental agency are presented. How local evaluation units manage (1) external relations (to obtain funding, to gain access to data sources, and encourage evaluation use) and (2) internal operations (including staffing, communication, data collection, and analysis) are described.…

A review of existing evaluations of medical, educational, and counseling services for pregnant adolescents and young parents reveals methodological weaknesses. Among the suggestions for improving evaluative studies are recommendations for proper selection of control groups, improved analytic procedures, and formulation of realistic goals. (MH)

Discussion of teacher training for educational technology highlights a program developed by the Houston Independent School District to provide inservice training for teachers. Continuous needs assessment and the need for evaluation are emphasized, and technology planning and implementation for the present day and for the future are discussed.…

Describes the language-arts assessment instrument developed and piloted by a small urban school district that has a high percentage of students learning English as a Second Language. Developing the instrument, training teachers to be scorers, and the actual piloting of the reading and writing portions of the evaluation are detailed. (SLD)

The application of middle school and high school curriculum-based management (CBM) to critical thinking in content areas is discussed. The article outlines essential features of critical thinking assessments, development of CBM problem-solving prompts, and examples of scoring systems. An example involving a student with learning disabilities is…