This article uses the developmental systems approach, an approach developed by M. Guralnick (2001), with an aim to assess and evaluate early childhood intervention (ECI) practices in Australia. The author explores the Australian national context of ECI and its complexities and conclude with recommendations to address (a) the possibility of a…

Invasive species are one of the main threats to biodiversity worldwide. Even though they are identified and recognized as such by the Portuguese law, the majority of the population is not yet aware of this problem. Aiming to increase awareness about biological invasions among young students, a workshop on Invasive Plant Species was organized at…

In "The Case for Participatory Evaluation in an Era of Accountability" (this issue), Jill Chouinard highlights seven tensions between the participatory and technocratic approaches to evaluation. She suggests that there is a need to create opportunities for more participatory approaches to evaluation. In this essay, I suggest that the era of…

For over four decades, Upward Bound programs have influenced students' aspirations and goals toward attending college, college enrollment, and overall educational achievement, providing a standard for successful college preparation for historically marginalized students. Although Upward Bound has helped many Americans prepare for and earn their…

Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) has gained national momentum. The authors first present a national scene of QRIS and then use Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County as a case study to illustrate a number of things. First, they look at the logic model behind the QRIS. Next, they review the design and implementation of the QRIS in…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of the distance education program at Makerere University based on a quality scorecard and the perceptions of administrators and faculty. The study employed an explanatory mixed-methods design which utilizes both the quantitative and qualitative research phases. Data for the quantitative phase…

Many of UNC's E-Learning efforts are new and an evaluation of their effects is premature. Despite this, evaluating learning outcomes in online education may provide insight for future decisions. In order to evaluate these courses, UNC General Administration's Policy & Funding Analysis Division used a statistical technique that allows one to…

This PBIS school status report provides a summary of the current status of all schools implementing PBIS in Minnesota with regard to participating in the Minnesota Department of Education's training sequence, implementation fidelity assessment scores, and outcomes (as appropriate). In particular, this report highlights the patterns and trends in…

School connectedness has a significant impact on adolescent outcomes, including reducing risk-taking behavior. This paper critically examines the literature on school-based programs targeting increased connectedness for reductions in risk taking. Fourteen articles describing seven different school-based programs were reviewed. Programs drew on a…

Funded by Race to the Top, a federal education initiative, the Department of Education of a Midwestern state in the U.S. launched statewide implementation of online teacher professional development (OTPD) to apply formative instructional practices (FIP) to enhance classroom instruction. Central to the design and implementation of OTPD was the need…

In order to promote high quality clinical experiences for teacher candidates, one of the recent changes to educator preparation accreditation standards specifically targeted clinical faculty qualifications. Qualified mentor teachers are critical clinical faculty because they serve as the model for training practices for teacher candidates, the…

More than four thousand students engage in the community-based learning capstone program every year by enrolling in one of 240 senior-level courses that culminate their undergraduate education. In this article, the author shares the context and history of the program, its foundational principles and processes, and the nuts-and-bolts details of the…

A survey of 61 master's degree advertising programs reveals significant trends in program titles, curriculum design, course delivery, and students served. The results provide insight for current and planned master's degree programs as research predicts a continued increase in demand for master's education over the next decade. Survey results are…

A grant from a regional nonprofit organization for the 2012-2013 academic year facilitated the revision of an existing course learning objective in a Culinary Nutrition lab course--performing effective culinary demonstrations--to include a service-learning experience. This course is a graduation requirement in a research- and science-based…

In this paper, our aim is to examine the effect of project based learning on 7th grade students' mathematical success in "Ratio, Proportion and Percentage" unit and attitudes towards mathematics. This study was implemented with 70 7th grade students of Atatürk Primary School in Eminönü District in Istanbul. Before starting the…