In the 1960s, evaluation thrived in the sunshine of political support for our work. We also experienced the dark side of the force of politics: efforts to introduce partisan biases favorable to special interests. In response to politics as contamination, at least two families of stances developed: populist and public interest. The populist stances…

Initially drawing from, yet then expanding on the research discussed in this volume, this article discusses specific measures that practitioners, researchers, and policymakers can take to support purpose among youth. Strategies for educators include utilizing practical purpose teaching tools, such as purpose interviews, purpose-related…

Scholarly analysis in the sociology of education has burgeoned in recent decades. "Frontiers in Sociology of Education" aims to provide a roadmap for sociologists and other social scientists as they set bold new directions for future research on schools. In Part 1 of this forward-looking volume, the authors present cutting-edge research…

Results are reported from an analysis of the research literature including children with disabilities (birth through age 5), their families, personnel who serve them, and policies and systems change strategies related to the provision of services. Analysis reveals trends in research methods and for studying particular topics and information about…

This paper was presented as part of a symposium exploring different philosophical and technical perspectives and implications of implementation research. Some basic differences between the structured and unstructured approach to implementation as portrayed in the literature are described. Next, the assumptions and assessment techniques of the…

This report on the SCALE Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) Case Studies line of work provides preliminary findings about SCALE activities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison). This study focuses on the structural and behavioral dynamics influencing the implementation of the four core SCALE strategies for effecting change in…

The concept of public marketing presents a strategy for the systems approach to community development that would facilitate the community decision making process via improved communication. Basic aspects of the social marketing process include: (1) product policy; (2) channels of distribution; (3) pricing (perceived price vs quality and quantity…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress studies selected research efforts in the agriculture, economics, and health fields to discover successful strategies for the dissemination and adoption of educational research. Interviews were conducted with people familiar with the Agricultural Extension Movement, Health Examination Interview…

The American doctorate owes its lineage to the German research ideal, but its purpose, structure, and process have become Americanized through six developmental stages over a century and a half. Federal and state governments, accreditation officials, policymakers, campus administrators, faculty, and students all have sought to professionalize…

Four evaluation methods for determining educational policy are objectivism; subjectivism; emotive-imperative; and instrumentalism. For the objectivist, the rationale for undertaking an evaluation is based on empirical verification or non-verification of claims of existing policies or activities. Secondly, the objectivist is interested in…

This report describes early childhood education policy making and legislation in several states and discusses research methodology for comparative case study research. The first part of the study provides a historical account of the emergence of the national compulsory attendance movement in the 19th century, and the corresponding growth of early…

This report is based on a three-year study of the design of New York's Regional Network Strategy and its subsequent implementation activities, including the development of statewide professional development for members of the network involved in the state's strategy. The study is based on the idea that internal coherence--alignment and shared…

This article uses the issue of custody relinquishment to illustrate ways in which research can be used in the policy change process. In the case studies profiled, research was most effective when combined with family stories. The stories gave the problem life and the research helped find families with stories. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Two volumes of a handbook on theory and research in higher education are presented. The 11 papers included in Volume III are as follows: "Qualitative Research Methods in Higher Education" (R. Crowson); "Bricks and Mortar: Architecture and the Study of Higher Education" (J. Thelin and J. Yankovich); "Enrollment Demand Models and Their Policy Uses…

The experiences of early school leavers in a New South Wales Central Coast community during the year after they left school were examined to identify ways of easing their transition into the community and the work force. Data were collected through interviews with community service providers, representatives of educational agencies, refuge…