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…

One goal of the National Forum on Education Statistics is to improve the quality of education data gathered for use by policymakers and program decision-makers. One approach to furthering this goal has been to pool the collective experiences of Forum members to produce "best practice" guides in areas of high interest to those who…

The momentum behind building high-quality data systems to harvest better information about student, school and district performance has never been stronger. To meet the goal of improving student achievement, policymakers and educators need longitudinal data systems capable of providing timely, valid and relevant data. Although…

The purpose of this Guide is to advise researchers, policymakers, and others on when it is possible to conduct a high-quality randomized controlled trial in education at reduced cost. Well-designed randomized controlled trials are recognized as the gold standard for evaluating the effectiveness of an intervention (i.e., program or practice) in…

This guidebook is designed to assist Comprehensive Employment and Training Act prime sponsors in obtaining the maximum benefit for their participants and themselves from follow-up and follow-through activities. An introduction explains the purposes of the guidebook and overviews follow-up and follow-through. After an overview of the essential…

This document outlines requirements for evaluating schoolwide projects funded under Title I Chapter 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 1975. The following school-level requirements must be met on a school by school basis: (1) demonstrate the aggregate achievement gains of all disadvantaged students in grades 2-12; (2) examine…

This report contains procedural guidelines to assist local Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) prime sponsor staff members in developing a labor market analysis of the local economy. The guidelines are designed to be used in conjunction with other materials that have been developed by the United States Department of Labor. The focus…

This guide is designed to assist state and local consortia with their evaluation of Tech Prep education programs and with their reporting of Tech Prep program and student outcomes data to meet the accountability requirements of the Perkins Act of 1998. Intended for Tech Prep stakeholders in secondary schools and two-year colleges, the guide also…

Guidance is provided for state Chapter 2 coordinators and evaluators in designing and implementing the congressionally mandated evaluation of the effectiveness of the Chapter 2 program. The first part of this paper reviews the congressional mandate and discusses the appropriate audience for evaluation reports. A schedule is outlined for conducting…

This handbook is designed to help state and local vocational education evaluators and persons using evaluation results by presenting strategies and procedures for improved use of vocational education evaluation results. It is divided into five sections, followed by a glossary and annotated bibliographies. Chapter 1 contains an overview of the…

Emphasis on the systematic evaluation of federally funded programs has steadily increased over the last several years. In response to this increased emphasis, a workshop was held in Eugene, Oregon, on April 12-14, 1977, to familiarize the directors and selected staff members from six Far West Teacher Corps Network projects with the program…

This training guide for financial aid staff explains the process of direct loan reconciliation and suggests appropriate cash management accounting practices. Chapter 1 explains the importance of cash management, the role of data matching, and reviews basic reconciliation concepts and terms and direct loan reporting requirements. Chapter 2 reviews…

This workbook is intended to assist schools that participate in the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program gain the necessary skills to reconcile their loan records with U.S. Department of Education data each month. After an introduction that offers general information, establishes course goals and objectives, and sets out the course agenda, the…

"Educators Resource Directory" is designed to provide both educators and education professionals with immediate access to a unique compilation of over 6,500 educational resources and over 130 tables and charts of education statistics and rankings. It would take many hours of searching through multiple resources to uncover all the…

This guide, which is based on a 12-month study that examined the feasibility of and procedures for evaluating federal, state, and local supported employment programs for individuals with severe disabilities, discusses recommended data items and measures and presents guidelines for developing a data collection strategy and implementation plan.…