Since the inception of the School-to-Work Project in 1998, networks members have increasingly viewed credible evidence as critical to both their approaches to program improvement and their strategies for winning and sustaining support and resources. This issue brief: (1) Describes the activities Network members have pursued together during…

Regardless of how well your students are scoring on standardized math tests, test scores can't tell you which aspects of your program are moving students from proficient to advanced and why some students are falling behind. To get a total picture of math learning, hundreds of schools in urban, suburban, and rural districts use the detailed,…

Early Head Start (EHS) is a comprehensive, two-generation program providing intensive services from before birth to age 3 to promote improved outcomes in children's development, family development, staff development, and community development. The second of a 3-volume series designed to share the experiences of the 17 EHS programs participating in…

This report extends the results of an earlier study on the use of performance measures and standards to suggest principles for designing outcome-based program improvement systems. It examines the implications of that research for enhancing accountability in future federal work force preparation legislation. It also illustrates specifically how the…

Reviews evolution of workfare programs during the past 25 years. Summarizes both positive and negative outcomes of such programs, and identifies some key issues and unanswered questions resulting from these outcomes. Suggests a more viable direction for welfare reform in the areas of child care responsibility, balance of rights and obligations,…

In fall 2002, the University of Hawai'i at Manoa (UHM) Board of Regents approved a new structure for teacher education programs in the College of Education (COE). The new Institute for Teacher Education (ITE) provides coordinated oversight for four programs: the Bachelor of Education (BEd) in Elementary Education, Bachelor of Education (BEd) in…

The evaluation examined issues related to: (1) Rationale and Relevance; (2) Implementation; and (3) Success. In addition, the interim evaluation was intended to: (1) Determine whether sufficient data was being collected to inform the summative evaluation and identify opportunities for improvement to fill any potential gaps; (2) Assess whether the…

This report describes the final status of classroom practice in Texas prekindergarten programs in comparison to initial study findings and findings from a self-study component implemented in 1993 with prekindergarten staffs participating in the study. Findings from the longitudinal component indicated positive trends in academic performance for…

An evaluation was conducted of the educational programs and facilities at two male juvenile corrections schools in Wisconsin (Ethan Allen and Lincoln Hills). Surveys were developed in cooperation with administrative personnel at both schools and given to all students, instructors, and support staff. A total of 573 students, 76 teachers, and 140…

In response to the recommendations of the New Jersey Special Education Study Commission and input from parents, educators, and the general public, the New Jersey Department of Education's Division of Special Education developed "A Plan To Revise Special Education in New Jersey" (1986), commonly called P2R. P2R calls for changes in the…

In the fragmented federal system, over 150 programs provide employment training assistance to adults and out-of-school youth. Individually, these programs have well-intended purposes. Collectively, they raise four concerns: (1) they are difficult for job seekers and employers to access and for administrators to implement; (2) they overlap and…

This document proposes a direction and strategies for using a total quality management approach to develop and implement standards for evaluating vocational education students and assessing programs throughout Michigan. Discussed in part 1 are the following: the terms "standards,""assessments," and "certification";…

These planning guides are intended to help vocational rehabilitation programs and agencies identify important issues during preliminary discussions concerning possible use of assistive technology and technology-related services. They are designed to evaluate the effectiveness of current technology-related services, to implement or expand assistive…

This report concerns the use of benchmarking as a strategy for assessing and improving efficiency and productivity of administrative processes and instructional models in colleges and universities. The introductory chapter addresses the need for new tools and strategies to meet the increased competition and the higher demand for accountability…

In 1993 the National Science Foundation approved the funding of a 5-year program to enhance science education within a large school district in the southern United States. The initial grant funded training for 34 mentors and identified 7 primary goals and 31 activities toward those goals. During the project, two teachers in each elementary school…