Ten years ago, many policymakers viewed the reform of teacher evaluation as a highly promising mechanism to improve teacher effectiveness and student achievement. Recently, that enthusiasm has dimmed as the available evidence suggests the subsequent reforms had a mixed record of implementation and efficacy. Even in districts where there was…

How do educators at a systems level know that professional learning is impacting teacher practice in a way that leads to improved student outcomes? California's Long Beach Unified School District, a member of Learning Forward's Redesign PD Community of Practice, partnered with other districts from across the country to answer that question. As…

This guide is designed to help districts and schools evaluate reform efforts related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), including School Improvement Grants. It includes practical, how-to tips for conducting program evaluations, whether one takes a "do-it-yourself" approach or seeks outside assistance to evaluate reform…

The PREPS (Program of Research and Evaluation for Public Schools) consortium in Mississippi is described. The article discusses the consortium's purpose, the role of university researchers, what kind of research is conducted, function of the PREPS staff, PREPS membership, the kinds of problems that PREPS addresses, and suggestions for developing…

This handbook has been designed to assist personnel within the Chicago Public Schools to assess the operation of their government funded programs, make certain that these programs are being implemented in accordance with the design as funded, and that they are in compliance with appropriate legislation and guidelines. The handbook establishes a…

An evaluation research capability was used to document the design and implementation of two programs in a large urban school district. This paper describes the research context, the origins of the role of resident evaluator, the broad functions of this role, and factors contributing to the usefulness of this approach. (BW)

Regulations pertaining to project design of Title IV Indian Education Act projects are described in this guide. In addition to being helpful and giving each project a standard format to follow, the guide also includes examples of required and suggested forms. Each of the seven components of program design (needs, goals, objectives, activities,…

The first author set out to design and secure funding for an hypothesis-based program in a public school setting. The natural history of what happened to that study as it proceeded from design, to funding, to actual implementation, to final reporting serves as the case history of two idealistic evaluators' wildest nightmares. (Author)

The Ontario Ministry of Education conducted case studies of the testing programs in nine selected school districts. Results are presented in narrative form on the major study questions: testing program development and organization, the tests administered, uses of test results, and perceived role of the ministry in evaluation programs. (SJL)

This long-range system entails the development of programs in the areas of educational goals and objectives, accounting and budgeting, and curriculum design. Ongoing programs of implementation and evaluation are an important feature. (DLG)

A design for the evaluation of ESEA Title VII bilingual programs in the Austin Independent School District is presented. The following topics are included: (1) Evaluation Design Review Form; (2) decision questions including the actual questions addressed on three levels: the Office of Education-Level, the system-level and the project-level; (3) a…

A monograph for school district personnel and education agencies presents a comprehensive plan to address the legal and administrative complexities of implementation of services for language minority students, particularly in bilingual education programs. The first section sketches federal involvement in bilingual education and related programs…

This handbook is intended to help Missouri school districts develop and implement quality family and consumer sciences programs that will prepare students of all ages to be critical, ethical thinkers and successful family, career, and community leaders. The handbook begins with a bibliography listing 27 resources. The following are among the…