The middle grades have become the agreed upon starting point for high-quality Career Technical Education (CTE) programs, as this represents a critical time for students making important decisions that may have a lasting impact on their careers. However, there lacks a common view among state and local leaders on what makes up a high-quality middle…

One component of the recently required State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) for State Departments of Education calls for the selection and implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs). This report provides six steps to guide the process of selecting evidence based practices (EBP): (1) Begin with the End in Mind--Determine Targeted Outcomes;…

Head Start has long focused on assessing and improving program quality to ensure that the children served receive the best possible preparation for school and life. Most research has been focused inside the classroom--the classroom environment, teacher qualifications, and teacher interactions. Of course, the classroom is important because that is…

As state education agencies (SEAs) across the nation take on the ambitious work of implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), it is critical that they have a clear understanding of the effectiveness of their efforts: Are educators being reached with the correct messages? Are the SEAs' supports and resources meeting the needs of the…

In January 2011, a Joint Committee of representatives from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) began work to establish cross-agency guidelines for improving the quality, coherence, and pace of knowledge development in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Although the…

Extended learning opportunities (ELOs) provide safe, structured learning environments for students outside the traditional school day. ELOs include afterschool and summer learning programs as well as before-school, evening, and weekend programs. ELOs come in many forms and can include tutoring, volunteering, academic support, community service,…

Claims that assessment is the process by which educators know if they are actually doing what they intend to do in the classroom. Presents an overview of the history, the present, and the future of educational assessment to enable readers working with communication assessment issues to make more informed decisions. (NH)

The applicability of conventional measurement techniques in the assessment and evaluation of a middle school educational program has been disputed. The objectives of this program include assisting students in the development of several areas. Among these are independence, healthy self concepts, viable ethical and value systems, socially…

For a pilot program to succeed, administrators should take the following steps: state the program objectives; keep lines of communication open with school staff; broaden available resources; be clear about expected time demands; see that staff members know the availability and how to handle funds; and take time to review, assess, reflect, and…

As presented, goal attainment scaling involves devising a set of goals with involved persons, assigning weights to these goals, developing a set of expected outcomes for each goal, scoring the outcomes, and calculating a summary score of the outcomes across the goals. (Author/DLS)

Discusses the planning and preparation necessary to make field trips economically justifiable and educationally worthwhile. Student orientations and positive motivation are essential for successful fieldtrips. A description of a well-planned field trip to Rockport, Massachusetts, for a high school portfolio art class is included. (AM)

There are many resources available for supporting Title I or school-improvement processes, but many of them present a disjointed picture of the complicated process. This guidebook was developed to provide a coherent framework for planning educational improvement and can be used to support any school or district staff working to improve an…

This report discusses and presents guidelines for the evaluation of specific educational offerings--i.e., courses, workshops, and seminars--in the field of scientific documentation and information retrieval. The topics covered in particular sections of the report are levels of evaluation, the nature and role of evaluation in education, approaches…

This planning guide, written for those developing new education programs and those attempting to improve existing educational services, uses a family planning education program to illustrate the planning process in a practical, step-by-step approach. Each of the five chapters - How to Plan and Evaluate Your Program, Client Education, Community…

The 1992-93 annual report describes Utah's progress in implementing the Utah State Public Education Strategic Plan. The plan is designed to guide schools to improvement. It seeks to educate Utah citizens, give students learning and occupational skills, develop students, and offer schools flexibility in meeting goals. Part of the strategic plan is…