Senior Project is a culminating assessment for 12th graders that determines what they know and can do as they prepare to graduate from high school in North Carolina. It consists of a research paper on an approved topic of the students choice, a product and portfolio related to the paper, and a presentation before a review panel of community…

In response to the need for guidance, this manual provides assistance for faith-based communities as they decide whether licensed child care fits within their ministry. The manual covers steps for getting started, key factors in determining budget, performing a needs assessment in the community and for the facility, the administrative structure of…

This guide is based on a project titled "Shaping the Preparation of Future Science and Mathematics Faculty," a 4-year effort supported by the National Science Foundation. This volume contains lessons learned by faculty members, graduate students, and academic administrators who established innovative programs as part of the initiative. The…

As part of a school reform program, focused initially on literacy the San Diego City Schools decided to create the position of school-based staff developer. Creating this position proved to be a daunting challenge, with considerable disagreement between the union and the school district. Data were collected about the early implementation of the…

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has made substantial changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). These changes range from new assessment and accountability provisions in Title I that affect states, school districts, and schools to increased flexibility in use of funds for several programs, including the ability to consolidate…

Educators devoted to school reform focus all too often on the isolated components of K-12 education. The author of this book contends that the focus really should be on the interdependence of variables that affect student learning, both inside and outside the classroom. The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 introduces the Four Cycles Model…

Although school districts are critical to the operation of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (SDFSCA) Program, relatively little is known about how they plan, implement, and evaluate their SDFSCA-funded prevention activities. The U.S. Department of Education initiated this study to provide a more complete description of the ways…

This qualitative study documented the variance of five different school districts and one consortium as they implemented Local Professional Development Committees (LPDCs). Two of the sites were pilot districts in the state of Ohio, which mandated that districts/consortiums create LPDCs effective in September 1998. The six different cases are…

Much-needed initiatives to treat the immediate and long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect are costly. To address steadily growing needs cost-effectively, federal programs increasingly require community agencies to collaborate in providing services to children, youth, and families. Moreover, policymakers increasingly aim to capture the…

A new multi-year effort to promote the health, positive development, and well-being of children has been established in the midwest Great Lakes region. The working name of this project is the Kellogg Pre-Birth through Age Three initiative. The first phase focuses on cross-site participation in the development of an overall design. Phase 2 will…

Effective faculty professional development programs in independent schools can lead to a collegial, intellectually stimulating school culture. These programs can inspire exciting partnerships. Importantly, there's a "trickle down effect"; energized faculty lead to energized students. Yet, many independent schools lack faculty…

Over the period of 40 years public sentiment in this country in favor of provisions for the comfort and security of aged groups has had a steady growth. The sentiment in favor of provisions for the retirement of public-school teachers is now so general that it is often felt unnecessary to include any consideration of the social and economic…

This research determined the extent of implementation and the perceived effectiveness of evaluation practices required by federal legislation for vocational education. The respondents reported they have either fully implemented or are in the process of implementing the mandated evaluation activities and indicated a high level of usefulness of the…

Presents a conceptual model of discrepancy analysis evaluation for planning, evaluating, and assessing the impact of continuing medical education (CME). Describes the model in terms of its value as a means of diagnosing errors in the development and implementation of CME. (JOW)

Stakeholder-based studies modify the relationship between evaluator and user, producing conflict that can cause evaluators to regress to familiar, traditional patterns that leave interactive evaluation strategies only partially implemented. (Author/PN)