Serious studies are underway that may help outdoor experiential training (OET) shed its faddishness and gain credibility as a legitimate instructional methodology. Only those programs that include clear objectives, skilled facilitation, a plan for transferring training back to the job, and credible evaluation and followup will be effective and…

Refutes three evaluation myths--(1) evaluation is findings; (2) outcomes are hard to measure; and (3) evaluation is an add-on--with three principles: (1) evaluation is a learning process; (2) soft data about important issues are better than hard data about unimportant issues; and (3) meaningful evaluation is integrated into teaching and learning.…

Optimizing the use of resources for teacher development is a hardy perennial facing school and district administrators. This paper outlines a three-step process to assess the desirability and feasibility of proposed inservice education projects. The process involves establishing worth based on expressed interest; projecting likelihood of success…

Evaluators vary in their propensity to make direct valuative judgments of program worth. The decision to include recommendations with a report or provide merely descriptive evaluation depends on individuals' perspectives concerning the nature of reality, truth and values, human agency, and informational utility. (SLD)

Most school-based drug abuse prevention programs comprise five categories, stressing knowledge change, attitude change, knowledge and attitude change, peer relationships, or drug use alternatives. Peer programs seem most effective. Programs often fail because of unrealistic expectations, wasted energy, program weakness, lack of creativity, failure…

Continuing medical education providers at the University of Toronto use focus group data in program planning. Their focus group interviews reveal the importance of (1) more information about audience learning needs; (2) relevant handouts and syllabi; and (3) active learning. (SK)

Advises first-time conference attendees to be adventuresome about meeting new people, consider shared transportation and accommodations to save money, take along appropriate clothes, choose sessions offering new skills and information, get invitations to parties, provide positive feedback about programs, and plan postconference activities with…

Summarizes results of research into productivity of Welsh postsecondary educational institutions, focusing on period 1966-87 and comparing situation before and after introduction of tertiary educational system in Cardiff area. Shows that tertiary education has been successful in raising and maintaining the standard of educational provision, and an…

Describes a framework, or process, for determining the value of a reading/language arts program--a model for program evaluation. (MG)

Discusses the difficulties of program evaluation. Notes that very few projects in at-risk education have been formally evaluated. (DM)

An analysis of apparent program failure should determine whether the fault lies with the program model, implementation strategy, expectations, or evaluation methods. The evaluation should be planned before completing and carrying out the program design. (SK)

The role of program evaluation is examined in relation to policy analysis. Program evaluation is most persuasive as a component of the policy process when its role is clearly understood. Clarity can be achieved by using the program mandate to guide evaluation and by including practitioners in evaluation model developments. (SLD)

Four conditions for creating or refining alternative teacher certification programs are improving instruction, addressing shortages of qualified teachers, placing teachers in hard-to-staff schools, and measuring teacher competence. Programs should be pragmatic, market sensitive, embedded in the learning context, and performance driven. (SK)

Total quality management interventions and assessments must be more theory grounded and contingency based to advance understanding of its applicability, potential, and pitfalls in the public sector. Two-step and stage-state evaluative models can be used to ameliorate its shortcomings. (JOW)

Qualitative observations of groups in Bellcore Group Decisions Support Systems (GDSS) laboratory were analyzed for task type, anonymity, evaluative tone, overall satisfaction with meetings, motivation, and task importance. Results suggest strategies for optimizing either quantity or quality of GDSS meeting results and suggests further research for…