The bi-directional relationships within the personal and contextual environments of adolescents are critical to the development of adolescents and their transition into adulthood. Opportunities for youth to participate in and provide leadership in meaningful programs, gain life skills, and interact with adults in sustained relationships are key…

Evaluation research is currently facing a crisis. At the same time that federal and other funding sources are placing increasing emphasis on evaluating on-going programs, action personnel are becoming more and more skeptical about the value of such research. Evidence of this skepticism can be found at any gathering of evaluators. Certainly,…

Communities across the nation have become increasingly concerned about inhalant use and use of harmful legal products among youth because of increasing prevalence rates and deleterious health consequences from abusing these products. The increasing concern of communities about inhaling and ingesting legal products has been coupled with increasing…

Context: Decades of behavioral research suggest that awareness of health threats is a necessary precursor to engage in health promotion and disease prevention, findings that can be extended to the community level. Purpose: We sought to better understand local perspectives on the main health concerns of rural Appalachian communities in order to…

Action research is disciplined inquiry to improve the quality of an organization and its performance. It is a method for improving practice in which one collects data to diagnose problems, searches for solutions, takes action, and monitors how well it works. Action research is characterized by groups of colleagues working together for systematic…

Researchers who undertake the evaluation of social action programs face several hazards, among which is the politicization of evaluation. Several alternatives in research methodology are suggested, as well as implications from the evaluations themselves. (DM)

This invited special issue of "Early Education and Development" presents research related to the Early Development Instrument (EDI; Janus & Offord, 2007), a community tool to assess children's school readiness at a population level. In this editorial introduction, we first sketch out recent trends in school readiness research that call for a…

This handbook is designed to help persons or groups plan, organize, and conduct efficient antipoverty action surveys. It shows how to use surveys to identify a specific problem in a slum neighborhood, measure the opinions, attitudes, and needs of the people involved, establish target areas, pinpoint problems needing immediate attention, decide…

The handbook is available to assist small communities with limited resources in planning, initiating, and carrying out a beautification or community development program. Evidence is provided of results which can be obtained when individual citizens and groups are given opportunities to participate, use their special skills, and become involved in…

Presents a case study of participatory evaluation which suggests an evaluation method which not only provides meaningful data for decision makers but also provides important feedback to the community. Shows the steps leading to self-evaluation workshops and reviews the evaluation methods that were utilized. (Author/CT)

This handbook is written to help community coalitions and other groups fighting substance abuse develop indicators that describe the scope and nature of local substance abuse problems. These indicators can be powerful tools in efforts to combat substance abuse. They provide a picture of the local impact of substance abuse problems and make it…

The previous history of unsystematic practice of educational evaluation has created for the present evaluator a set of problems resulting from a tradition of fear, mistrust, suspicion and disbelief among the educational community. Absences of evidence of critical influence have resulted in the underfunding of evaluation. Common problems faced by…

This book is about an approach to curriculum development and evaluation in which teachers and students worked with parents, local communities, politicians, and a major international organization, to carry out research and bring about improvements. The participants were part of the Environment and Schools Initiative (ENSI), a major international…

INTRODUCED BY EXCERPTS FROM PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED WORKS ABOUT CULTURALLY DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN, THIS DOCUMENT PRESENTS GUIDELINES FOR (1) IMPLEMENTING THE 1965 CONNECTICUT STATE ACT TO PROVIDE AID FOR THE EDUCATION OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN AND (2) ESTABLISHING THE TITLE I PROGRAMS CREATED BY THE 1965 FEDERAL ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION…

Researchers evaluated community social action education programs for at-risk youths using a portfolio and panel review evaluation process. Each program assembled portfolios that an expert panel analyzed for successful program components. Panelists then participated in focus groups. Results detailed 13 features necessary to make such community…