Impact evaluation of two continuing education symposia gathered data from participant evaluations and follow-up interviews that assessed learning gains. The results were used to improve program promotion in four areas: copy for print and broadcast announcements, future program titles, speakers' reputations, and consideration of the nature of the…

Defines the range of interventions considered under the rubric of counseling for the elderly. Uses evaluation of treatments for depression among the elderly to exemplify the current state of outcome-evaluation research. (Author)

A British education council compared services for older adults with learners' needs and found a gap between intent and practice. Three areas for improvement were charted: communication, interagency collaboration, and promotion of equal opportunities. (SK)

In 1968, the New York State Legislature, following recommendations of a commission chaired by McGeorge Bundy, authorized direct aid to certain private colleges and universities in the state. This paper summarizes the economic costs and benefits of "Bundy aid" and concludes that the program was not cost-effective. Includes 13 references.…

Results from a study of 284 young men receiving vocational rehabilitation in North Carolina programs for 18 to 22 year olds are provided. Findings suggest that carefully integrated and implemented vocational training and reentry programs for youthful property offenders can reduce the rate at which such individuals are arrested after release. (SLD)

Experiences from evaluation of the American Sociological Association's Project to Improve Undergraduate Training in Sociology, and ways that evaluators can avoid alienating program participants are discussed. Data highlight the futility of measurement couched solely in terms of success and failure. A conceptual framework based on organizational…

The hospital charts of 44 patients who were autologous blood donors undergoing elective orthopedic surgery and a matched group of 44 patients who were not autologous blood donors were analyzed to determine their physicians' transfusion practices. A continuing medical education program was developed. (Author/MLW)

The CIPP (Context Input Process Product) Evaluation Model is recommended for use in self-assessment of sign language programs. Five areas should be assessed: personnel selection, curriculum, student placement, media utilization, and supervision. For each area, a checklist is offered to determine whether existing goals and objectives require…

The study examining the validity of statistical conclusions of 49 early intervention studies found that 4 percent had adequate power to detect medium intervention effects and 18 percent to detect large intervention effects. Low statistical conclusion validity has practical consequences in program evaluation and cost-effectiveness determinations.…

A project synchronizing clinical laboratory experiences with instruction in nursing theory and science that featured a close collaboration between faculty, students, and nurse practitioners was evaluated. It was found that students in the clinic experiment had higher achievement gains than the control group. (MSE)

Describes a Texas school district's attempt to determine highly effective and valid data for management decision-making and to increase managers' access to this data. Common sense and planning expertise helped immeasurably. (MLH)

The article lists questions parents can use to evaluate the quality of educational services for children with learning disabilities. Questions are grouped into the following categories: services, agency and staff, residential or special schools, camps. (DB)

The new quality assurance system for nursing homes implemented by the New York State Department of Health in 1981 was compared to the previous system. The new system devoted more resources to on-site activities and identified more patient-care deficiencies and more repeat deficiencies. (SLD)

Definitions of and approaches to naturalistic evaluation are discussed. The qualitative aspects of the discipline are reviewed; and use of naturalistic evaluation in descriptions, illustrations, explications, hypothesis testing, and assessment of public spending are defined. A new paradigm for naturalistic evaluation is proposed. (TJH)

An evaluation model was developed for an intervention project with mentally handicapped children and their parents involving speech therapists, a speech pathologist, and a psychologist. The model emphasizes transactional and formative approaches to qualitative evaluation, with the goal of increasing understanding of the processes underlying change…