This article reports on an assessment of North Carolina State University's Extension, Engagement, and Economic Development Seed Grant Program (2004-2009). The research questions addressed the extent to which the grants (1) stimulated faculty interest in the engagement and outreach mission of the university; (2) served as incentives for faculty…

In an educational landscape where teacher evaluation methods are increasingly discussed and scrutinized in research offices, legislatures, and school buildings, the differences in policy and instrumentation among states and school districts can paint a confusing picture of these varying methods and their impacts. To help assess the picture in…

A comprehensive assessment system is one in which three types of assessments: summative, benchmark, and formative assessments are routinely administered to all students in K-12 classrooms. The first part of this report summarizes the research on comprehensive assessment systems and provides clarity in terms of how each individual assessment type…

The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to compare the perceived benefits of topical Scripture memorization (TSM) with the perceived benefits of extended Scripture memorization (ESM) to explore if one strategy fosters more perceived spiritual growth than the other. A baseline for the study is established by investigating the historical,…

Performance-based accountability along with budget tightening has increased pressure on publicly funded organizations to develop and deliver programs that produce meaningful social benefits. As a result, there is increasing need to undertake formative evaluations that estimate preliminary program outcomes and identify promising program components…

This study compares the content and sources of the pedagogical beliefs of 106 pre-service teachers in two teacher education programmes in China and the USA. Qualitative data were collected using an open-ended survey instrument to compare similarities and differences in the content and sources of participants' pedagogical beliefs. The findings…

This study analyzed the instructional practices of more versus less effective U.S. History teachers identified by a multiple regression model. Using surveys, observations, and focus-group interviews, the study found that the most effective teachers had a more complete package of rigor, relevance, and relationship strategies than less effective…

The lack of consensus among researchers in defining the focal construct of rurality has led to contradictory conclusions of whether or not a rural-urban performance gap exists in higher education. Compounding this problem are the changing definitions of rural and urban, even among governmental agencies. Thus, this study used two different…