The word "evaluation" often strikes fear in people, but the author is different. She has always been a person who thought of evaluation, in any form, as a way to make her better and help her strive for excellence. So naturally when her library supervisor announced at a meeting that they were going to do the American Association of School…

Effective, efficient, and sustainable ID/DD organizations: are they possible in today's world of dwindling resources and mounting demands for more and better services? Yes--with the practical tools and strategies in this lifeline for ID/DD leaders. Developed by two of the most trusted authorities in the disability field, this innovative business…

Achieving the Dream colleges engage in a process of institutional improvement to increase student success. A central component of this process is engaging internal and external stakeholders to help develop and implement interventions or changes in programs and services that improve student success. To determine whether these interventions do…

In order to assess how completely a Small Learning Community (SLC) and/or Career Academy is implemented in any given site, and to connect the degree of implementation with the amount of improvement in student performance, two kinds of information are needed. The first is information on the quality of implementation, which can be collected by…

The Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI) is a bold approach to improving student learning by encouraging teachers, parents, and the community to work collaboratively to introduce innovative projects that address local needs. Initiated in 1999 by the Alberta Government and its partners, AISI provides targeted funding to school…

This guide is designed for persons who need to plan education programs in world affairs for presentation to an organization. Such a person might be a program chair of a local League of Women Voters or a community Rotary Club. The guide is organized in five sections, each of which presents information on one of five steps to program planning. The…

In this article we suggest that the current popularity of student voice can lead to surface compliance--to a quick response that focuses on "how to do it" rather than a reflective review of "why we might want to do it". We look at the links between student consultation and participation and the legacy of the progressive democratic tradition in our…

Seventeen guidelines for reading improvement programs in elementary and secondary schools are presented and discussed in this report. Areas focused upon include needs assessment, implementation, evaluation, philosophy and dissemination. The guidelines are: (1) identify the status of the reading program, including reading problems and program…

This fifth edition of the Maryland Community Colleges Instructional Program Manual was designed to be used in the development, submission, review, and approval of all new instructional programs in the Maryland community colleges. The first section provides a timetable for program proposals and program evaluations. The next sections contain…

Prepared for the reading personnel of the California Right to Read program, this document defines general areas and specific items which should be considered in a well-planned, comprehensive reading program for kindergarten through adult learners. It may be used as a guide for planning a reading program, evaluating a current program, or…

Community foundations can be effective vehicles for channeling support to low income neighborhood organizations. This document comprises a guide for community foundations to help them develop their grantmaking and programming skills and to connect with other elements of community leadership. Chapter 1, "Why Support Low Income Neighborhood…

During the 1970's, school districts throughout the country have created alternative educational programs allowing students and parents to choose the appropriate educational structure and methodology that suit their individual needs. School boards who establish alternative schools must assess, plan, design, effect, and evaluate educational programs…

This document presents a 10-step action plan to guide educators through a review process designed to aid them in the improvement and enhancement of the social studies curriculum for grades K-12. Curriculum review and development are continuous tasks which extend over a span of several years and should be continuous processes. Step 1 involves the…

This paper provides an overview of a project (now in its formative stages) to develop Head Start measures of program effects on children 3 to 7 years of age. The program approach is distinctive in emphasizing evaluation of all aspects of children's development that may affect their overall competence in reflecting the concerns, views, and values…

This booklet is an update of the "English Language Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve" published in 1968. One of the functions of this framework is "to provide a structure which integrates evidence, suggests action, and articulates new ideas and relationships." The document is divided…