This paper examines the extent to which legitimacy affects program continuation, and focuses on the process by which programs attempt to maintain legitimate status through conformity with the larger environment. Legitimacy is defined as cultural support from a program's larger environment, such as the school district or community. An innovative…

This study investigates the impact of activities done in the basic education sub-sector by a consortium of four non-government organizations in four provinces in Afghanistan from January 2004 to June 2005. The evaluation uses the project objectives and components as the evaluation framework, and data collected through survey questionnaires,…

Schoolyard ecosystem programs, such as mini-farms, gardens, or nature trails on school grounds, are usually designed to promote greater insight and understanding of ecological relationships and develop an appreciation of an individual's responsibility for environmental quality. This paper focuses on evaluation practices of schoolyard habitat…

Rural communities are often plagued with socioeconomic challenges that contribute to family vulnerability and developmental challenges. Family Development Programs is a course that provides learning experiences related to rural community issues and family interactions with an opportunity to review programs that are provided within the region.…

The Office of Educational Leadership (OEL) of the Minnesota State Department of Education initiated a project to develop and examine the effects of processes designed to transform schools into structures that assure that all students learn. In September 1989, 10 Research and Development (R&D) project sites received grants from the OEL. The…

During the 1976-77 school year, fourteen experience-based career education (EBCE) pilot sites were the focus of a second-year of operation evaluation. Each pilot site represented one of four regional education laboratories (Appalachia Evaluation Laboratory, Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development, Northwest Regional…

A study investigated the introduction of an experimental school-centered and neighborhood-oriented communication system in a small midwestern town. It was anticipated that normal parent-teacher-school communication would be enhanced by the electronic messaging potential of the system. Researchers observed the entire adoption process from the…

The report evaluates a project to stimulate dialog between staff and inmates of a Federal penitentiary and members of a nearby community. The purpose was to bring prison and community people together to begin discussion of crime, punishment, rehabilitation, and recidivism in an atmosphere of informed, reflective thought. Nearly 500 people…

This paper focuses on the perceptions of all administrators (N=24) and teachers (N=165) in a school district regarding the success of a merit pay program in providing a motivational climate for teachers. In 1984 a school district in New Hampshire instituted a Performance Based Salary Program (PBSP). This paper addresses the following research…

Declines in the numbers of 18-22-year-old college students, coupled with rapidly rising costs for providing education, are contributing to the increased efforts that colleges and universities are making to attract nontraditional students into both traditional and nontraditional programs. A study was made of all 73 colleges and universities in…