Drawing on our five years of experience developing WWC evidence standards and reviewing studies against those standards as well as current literature on the design of impact studies, we highlight in this paper some of the most critical issues and common pitfalls in designing and conducting impact studies in education, and provide practical…

The goals, methods, and long- and short-term effects of a comprehensive intervention project are described. Included is a discussion of the social policy implications, particularly that intervention programs should provide quality services and options responsive to the needs of the individuals. (Author/GK)

The Consortium for Longitudinal Studies is a cooperative effort of investigators endeavoring to assess long-term effects of early childhood education on children from low-income families. The data and follow-up measures of research projects conducted in the 1960s were pooled for joint analyses. (Author/GK)

Summarizes the results of the first five years of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, which allowed students to attend private schools with public vouchers. Identifies positive and negative aspects of the program, showing how the school quality and outcomes vary. (SLD)

A brief description of the development of the ESEA Title I evaluating and reporting system is provided. An analysis and assessment of the kinds of concerns state evaluation officers have about implementing the new guidelines are outlined. Appropriate recommendations based on the findings are provided. (Author/AL)

Brief summaries are offered for various childhood intervention programs. The expected major differences between curricula were not obtained. It is suggested that the basic issues in successful programing relate to the quality of program implementation rather than the philosophy of curriculum selected. (Author/GK)

Presents the concept of instructional program coherence and explains why school improvement frameworks that incorporate instructional program coherence are more likely to advance student achievement than multiple unrelated efforts. Presents some evidence that Chicago, Illinois, elementary schools with stronger instructional program coherence make…

This article features case studies of two elementary schools, identified as exemplary by Washington educators, as they worked to enact Washington's Essential Academic Learning Requirements and help students achieve proficiency on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning. We describe school- and classroom-level practices and analyze the…