North Central Regional Educational Laboratory study assessed school reform in Chicago, using case studies, school and central office audits, expert review of reform indicators. Shows partial success in achieving reform goals through site-based management. Local school improvement plans have not been integrated into a set of goals or visions;…

Minnesota and Maryland have developed explicit criteria for excellence and quality in extension programs. Unless extension educators can define and judge excellence, they cannot promote excellence within extension or communicate the quality of extension programs to external audiences. (JOW)

Comparison of three audiology service delivery systems--(1) school-based audiology within the district, (2) non-school-based audiology in the community, and (3) school-based audiology in a remote community--found the local school-based delivery system superior on various quality indicators. (Author/DB)

A college or university's intercollegiate athletics program is a visible and sensitive component of a campus about which pressures for data and information can become intense quickly. The campus institutional research professional and other campus administrators must be prepared to face this challenge knowledgeably and responsibly. (MSE)

The article presents and illustrates use of an evaluation model for assessing programs for the gifted where tight experimental control is not possible. The model consists of four components: ex post factor designs including intact groups; comparative evaluation; strength of treatment; and multiple outcome assessment from flexible data sources. (DB)

Analyzes 106 randomly selected school restructuring proposals from 1,600 submitted to the RJR Nabisco Foundation's Next Century Schools Program. The majority of these proposals emphasized student/parent support and curriculum improvement. Most avoided breadth versus depth and substantive discussion/inquiry issues and left governance structures…

Taking students seriously is the key to the student evaluator model. Aided by an experienced evaluation facilitator, students design and carry out evaluations of specific programs in which they are involved. For a project to succeed, those in charge must place their trust in the students and help create a climate of acceptance for the project. Two…

This article presents a framework for conducting effective evaluations of programs for gifted students, reflecting current best practice. The evaluation framework proceeds through four stages: preparing for the evaluation, designing data collection and analysis, conducting the evaluation, and reporting findings and follow-up. A planning matrix is…

Although mentoring enhances teachers' and trainees' professional development, there is little consensus regarding best management practices or universal applications. This paper considers mentoring and associated dimensions, using the literature to inform various aspects of the mentoring process: selection and training practices; mentor-student…

Describes formal mentoring program for junior female faculty implemented by Southern Illinois University at Carbondale because women face more career barriers than men and because mentoring shows promise as a contributor to career success. Describes Faculty Mentoring Program and includes section on program evaluation. (NB)

Outlines five perspectives contributing to an overall assessment of early childhood program quality: the top-down, bottom-up, outside-inside, inside, and ultimate (community and societal) perspectives. Use of multiple evaluation perspectives requires high inference levels for assessors and raises accountability issues. Unfortunately, appallingly…

This article describes Wyoming's development and implementation of a multimethod approach to assessing quality of care for people with mental retardation in rural areas. The approach incorporates fiscal accountability, parental satisfaction, consumer satisfaction, national accreditation standards, and broad measures of personal and system change.…

This discussion of evaluations of mediation programs at seven sites and of shock incarceration and home arrest focuses on the similarities in the interpretations of alternative dispute-resolution programs to interpretations of alternatives to incarceration programs. The political construction of the two approaches, which are both designed to…

A recent study asked 178 secondary school principals at 100 schools to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies used with at-risk youth. The most effective strategies were afterschool programs, Chapter I programs, teacher aides, coping skills, and peer tutoring for middle schools; and individualized instruction, teacher aides, and summer school…

Lists six recommendations made by consultants who evaluated a writing program at Lehigh University. Gives a brief history of the problem that led to each of the recommendations. Offers five tips for others who are thinking of doing a writing program evaluation. (MG)