At Columbia College, a 2-year college in California, an Early Alert program was implemented in the middle 1980s to alert students at risk of academic failure to potential problems. With the exception of a few years in the 1990s, the program has been conducted each semester. In the fourth week of the semester, instructors are asked to identify…

This report, the fifth in a serious of reports about the evaluation of the National School Lunch Program focuses on issues relating to applications for free or reduced-price meals. In particular, it presents (1) an impact analysis of the effects of the pilot policies on the number of applications submitted, and (2) a descriptive analysis of the…

This symposium evolved from a research interest and the need to develop validity, reliability, and accountability measures to be used in the teacher education program at Delta State University, Mississippi. Researchers wanted to study student teacher self-efficacy and to establish a continuing database on the program's student teachers. The papers…

This booklet provides an introduction to project-based instruction, explaining the research-based rationale for using the approach and outlining how the approach can increase students' engagement and knowledge retention. It offers guidelines for planning and implementing projects and includes a checklist of important things to keep in mind when…

A study was conducted to analyze the impact of the Reading Recovery Program on first grade students in Vigo County, Indiana. The program was implemented in Vigo County just last school year (2000-01). For the study, a first-round sample of 51 students who were successfully discontinued from Reading Recovery was measured to obtain information on…

Technology planning policy in Michigan has been reviewed and revised through research on local school districts, with an emphasis on the effects of planning on program outcomes. This paper is a case study in the impact of research on practice as it evolved in relation to technology planning in Michigan. This paper reviews the study results and the…

As part of the revised method for quality assurance in higher education in England, a Task Group was established to identify the categories of data, information, and judgments about quality and standards of teaching and learning that should be available within higher education institutions (HEIs), and those that should be published. The Task Group…

The prekindergarten (pre-K) program is an important part of the systemic effort by the Austin Independent School District, Texas (AISD) to help every student meet the state's student performance standards. In 2000-2001, 41 of the district's schools offering pre-K (79% of all elementary schools) had full-day programs and 17 had half-day programs. A…

This report outlines the major themes of the 2000 annual conference of the Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), which focused on educational accountability in the 21st century. The conference opened with a panel presentation on the Texas accountability system. This session included a presentation by one of…

Family literacy programs, of which there is no shortage, need to be examined to know "if" and "why" a program is successful. Family literacy programs, like any literacy programs, must be viewed from a critical reflective stance. This paper aims to describe one way of evaluating the effectiveness of family literacy programs. The…

This document describes the history of the New American Schools (NAS) organization from establishment in 1991 as the New American Schools Development Corporation (NASDC) to its present form. The organization requested proposals, received hundreds of applications, and ultimately selected 11. The successful proposals shared many ideas and…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has been the subject of many evaluations during its history. Those evaluations are reviewed, focusing on external evaluations, and the influences of recommendations made in the evaluations are discussed. The report concludes that many of the recommendations of evaluators have been heeded by…

Three forms of evaluation are required to fully evaluate comprehensive school guidance programs. First, the program must be reviewed using program standards, evidence, and documentation to establish that a written guidance program exists in a school district and that the written program matches the implemented program. Second, guidance program…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect the educational preparation curriculum had on graduates of Sam Houston State University's Educator Preparation Program as they began their professional careers. The population was drawn from all graduates receiving certification in elementary education from 1997 through spring 2000. A…

Central Cabarrus High School (CCHS), near Charlotte, North Carolina, uses the PLATO computer assisted instruction system primarily to support remediation programs that are intended to help low performing students meet graduation requirements. CCHS used PLATO to: (1) provide an option for students to earn credit for failed courses or their…