As the procedures of evaluation research have developed during recent years, it has become clear that the results of evaluation studies have failed to provide policy decision makers with useful information. An approach towards designing and implementing more useful evaluations--the stakeholder survey--is discussed. Stakeholders are individuals, or…

Prepared to assist Ohio school personnel in improving nutrition education, this self-appraisal checklist can be used to survey and assess an existing program and to compare it to a quality program exemplified by the checklist items. A brief description of how to use the checklist is followed by 89 items divided into seven categories: philosophy,…

Evaluation of a middle school humanities program is the focus of this report. It explains how to identify information needs and set priorities, how to obtain information from a variety of sources, and what to do with the data collected in terms of formulating recommendations for the school board. The variety of evaluation approaches presented are…

A methodological approach to evaluation is presented. This model attempts to integrate quantitative and qualitative procedures in evaluating the effects of bilingual/bicultural Head Start programs on young children. The evaluation was intended to provide information on the following: (1) the extent to which the curriculum models, once implemented,…

The Louisiana State Department of Education (LSDE) competency-based education and accountability effort includes, as an integral component, a Compensatory/Remedial Education Program. The primary purpose of the program is to provide special instruction to those students who fail -- or, who are at risk to fail -- to meet the state's minimum…

Using the American Institutes for Research (AIR) Report (1978) and evaluation of the Head Start Bilingual/Bicultural Curriculum Project by Juarez Associates as contrasting examples of bilingual research, the authors suggest a new direction for policy research in bilingual education oriented towards examining all factors affecting such policy…

The 3,750 non-completers of Colorado Vocational Education Programs are significant in that students not completing at least 50 percent of their program are less likely to obtain permanent related employment. This study addresses the question of why students have not completed their programs, from the students' and the counselors' points of view.…

This paper presents key concepts and practical suggestions to use in evaluating three types of Title I summer programs. A description of the summer program characteristics is followed by outlines of the three evaluation designs: (1) norm referenced design; (2) criterion referenced design; and (3) comparison group design. The techniques, procedural…

This paper analyzes educational evaluation and assesses its value to the educational process. The development of evaluation research and practice is outlined and the paper focuses on a comparison of formative and summative evaluation techniques. Both of these types of evaluation are discussed with an emphasis on formative evaluation. The facets of…

The use of systems terms and ecological concepts is increasingly common in psychology, and in particular, community psychology. Interest in systems theory began with the development of general systems theory during the 1950's, and led to the adoption of an ecological-systems orientation which recognized the environment as a major determinant of…

The heavy concentration of time and funds to measure writing performance is the major reason other areas deserving scrutiny are so often neglected by evaluators. Three failings typical of the field of writing assessment as it is conducted for the purpose of program evaluation are: (1) a failure to view writing as a multiple construct; (2) a…

The goal of this booklet is to describe some of the special challenges posed by early childhood assessment in general, and particularly as they apply to Title I program evaluation. The booklet has four purposes: (1) to describe special issues in early childhood assessment; (2) to describe briefly alternative approaches to early childhood…

This report is a partial review of the Evalution Office of the Seattle, Washington School District's ongoing development of an evaluation method that can be used to compare schools, diverse instructional programs, or similar programs in different settings. The need for a method that can identify educational practices which result in student…

This General Accounting Office (GAO) report examines the problems encountered by school food service programs in their efforts to meet the Department of Agriculture's nutrient requirements for school lunches while increasing student participation and reducing food waste and program costs. The report is based on an evaluation of two senior high…

State-funded programs in Washington for providing vocational and English-language training for Indochinese refugees were evaluated. The evaluation was conducted by means of a survey and site visits. Although data show both strengths and weaknesses, programs share some common positive features: (1) dedication of program staff, (2) use of a wide…