The concept of "implementation fidelity" is broadly used to capture the extent to which an intervention is executed as intended by the designers of the intervention (Century, Rudnick, & Freeman, 2010; Huntley, 2005, McNaught, Tarr, & Sears, 2010, Munter, 2010). Though implementation fidelity instruments are often used to assess…

Many inquiries regarding the causal effects of policies or programs are based on research designs where the treatment assignment process is unknown, and thus valid inferences depend on tenuous assumptions about the assignment mechanism. This article draws attention to the importance of understanding the assignment mechanism in policy and program…

All evaluators face the challenge of striving to adhere to the highest possible standards of ethical conduct. Translating the AEA's Guiding Principles and the Joint Committee's Program Evaluation Standards into everyday practice, however, can be a complex, uncertain, and frustrating endeavor. Moreover, acting in an ethical fashion can require…

In 2001, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) conducted a geography assessment of the nation's fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade students. This report presents the results of that assessment. Results in 2001 are compared to results of 1994's NAEP geography assessment, which was the preceding NAEP geography assessment and the…

An eighth grade alcohol education program and its evaluation are described. The design and methodology of this evaluation, and of program evaluation in general, are also discussed. The results are not presented. (CTM)

This report, one of six volumes presenting the results of Georgia's statewide testing program, provides test results for the eight grade by school category and, within categories, by school. The categories, totaling 48 for individual schools and 48 for systems, were devised in an effort to make comparisons between schools and systems more…

This book reports on the 1994 National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment in geography for grades 4, 8, and 12. Students performance is summarized on a scale ranging from 0 to 500 with the achievement levels of Basic, Proficient and Advanced for each grade. Major findings for the nation include: (1) The Proficient level was…

This report, one of six volumes presenting the results of Georgia's statewide testing program, provides test results for grades 4, 8 and 11 by school system category and, within categories, by school system. The categories, totaling 48 for individual schools and 48 for systems, were devised in an effort to make comparisons between schools and…

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2001 geography results show student improvement since 1994 at grades 4 and 8. The average score of twelfth-grade students, however, has not changed significantly when compared to 1994 results. This colorfully illustrated and easy-to-read report, which highlights findings of "The Nation's…

The Quality Measurement Project (QMP), initiated in 1957, published its final report, a School Quality Workbook, in 1963. When the achievement tests on which the QMP norms were based were renormed by the publisher, it was decided to test again in 1965. The results of that testing are reported herein. Testing was restricted to grades 5 and 8 in…

Civics education in the nation's schools informs students about the structures, functions, and processes of government and about the meaningful ways in which citizens can make decisions about public issues and participate in governance. This report, part of the Nation's Report Card program and based on findings from the 1998 National Assessment of…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the nation's only ongoing survey of what students know and can do in various academic subject areas. This report summarizes the results of the 1998 NAEP civics assessment for the nation. The results are based on an assessment of students at grade 4, grade 8, and grade 12. Students'…

The 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) civics assessment contained a combination of multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Each student participating in the assessment received two 25-minute sections of questions. Most civics questions measured both knowledge and intellectual skills. In addition, some questions measured…

The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program (GEAR UP) is designed to provide assistance to low income students. The program provides discretionary grants for the purpose of increasing the readiness of low income students to attend and succeed in postsecondary education. The grants are up to six years in length and provide…

The Baltimore City Public School System's (BCPSS) Grade 9 Transition Program was implemented in 2001-02. It is designed to increase student achievement in an era of No Child Left Behind federal legislation by providing additional time and learning opportunities for eighth-grade students who have not met all promotion standards established by the…