This appendix augments a report that updates 2013 guidance to school district leaders and their partners across the country who are interested in launching summer learning programs or improving established ones. In that report, the authors present recommendations based on evaluations, conducted between 2011 and 2016, of summer programs in five…

Efficacy studies of educational programs often involve mediator analyses aimed at testing empirically appropriate theories of action. In particular, in the studies of professional teacher development programs, the intervention targets presumably teacher performance while the ultimate outcome is the student achievement measured by a standardized…

States and districts can use this tool to create their own plans for continual improvement of an observation system, no matter where they are in their implementation. Included are action steps to improve observation rubrics, observer training, observer assessment, and monitoring. A planning process is described to assess current status, determine…

The Nebraska Early Childhood Coach (ECC) training was a 3 day (8 hours) professional development event sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Education, Office of Child Development in 2009-2010. Sixty-five early childhood teachers and related service providers participated for the purpose of learning the basic principles and behaviors associated…

Effective teaching has long been an issue of national concern, but in recent years focus on the effectiveness of programs to produce high-quality teachers has sharpened. Long-standing achievement gaps persist despite large-scale legislative changes at the federal and state levels, and American students continue to show poorer performance on…

Correlational analysis of two years of classroom observation indicates relationships between technology use and various classroom characteristics, including teacher roles and instructional strategies. Three observers used the ISTE Classroom Observation Tool (ICOT) to record 144 observations of classrooms participating in a variety of educational…

Two studies examined the validity and factor structure of the Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation-Checklist, an instrument used to evaluate school-based programs. The checklist is a cost-effective alternative to the original interview format, and the factor structure is consistent across gender, race, age, and time of administration.…

A Teacher Observation Scale (TOS) was developed in order to compare the behavior of teachers using the material of project PLAN with those using conventional insturctional systems. The scale listed 17 categories of teacher behavior grouped under the headings: individual instruction, group discussion, behavior modification, systems management, and…

An overview of the function of observation systems within the context of program evaluation is illustrated by summarizing observation systems used in evaluations of primary education, compensatory education, and Follow Through programs. (Author/CM)

Head Start classroom observations are an integral part of providing high-quality services to families and children while supporting staff. All too often, however, this opportunity to enhance services and solve problems is viewed either as an evaluation of staff or as a "rubber stamp" to meet funding requirements. Depending on the…

This paper describes attempts to evaluate whether teachers who had participated in a staff development program could apply what they had learned in a controlled, specific situation significantly better than teachers who had not had the training. The program under evaluation provided training in peer supervision and evaluation. Test results…

Ethnography may be used to inform the audience of a curriculum program with the activities of the educators and students involved. Thus the expository function of evaluation is best met by ethnography. A conceptual model developed at the Central Midwestern Regional Educational Laboratory incorporates ethnographic data and techniques into…

This paper describes how researchers at SRI International's Center for Technology and Learning designed and used an observation tool as part of its evaluation of a local Technology Innovation Challenge Grant program called Challenge 2000: Multimedia Project. The paper aims to present both the process and the tool that researchers, program…

Claiming that observation is the first and most authentic tool for assessing young children's learning and development, this book advises educators of young children how to improve observation skills by recording children's growth and development. The book also serves as a tool to evaluate and improve early childhood programs. Specific benefits of…

This compilation of papers presented at the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers Colloquium focuses on the interrelated roles of the foreign language teacher and the language program supervisor. The following papers are included: (1) "The Foreign Language Curriculum: A Joint Venture" by Charles Blake; (2) "Updated Observation…