When assessing a staff development program, several factors must be considered, including improvement in student outcomes, content and quality of the staff development program, and organizational climate and culture. Specific suggestions for evaluating program influences on participants, students, and the organization are offered. A multifaceted…

Some of the confusion surrounding evaluations of case management results from lack of clarity about value frames used to arrive at judgments of the merit of case management. Six value frames commonly applied to human service evaluation are reviewed, and the relevance of each perspective is examined. (SLD)

The five articles of this sourcebook, organized around the five-component framework for evaluation described by W. Shadish, T. Cook, and L. Leviton (1991), present a new theory of realist evaluation that captures the sensemaking contributions of postpositivism and the sensitivity to values from the constructivist traditions. (SLD)

Evaluates the largely successful retraining program for immigrant science teachers from the former Soviet Union to Israel in 1990-91 following the mass Soviet immigration. A list of policy recommendations is offered. The retraining considerations and models from this study might be applied in other countries experiencing major social changes. (SLD)

Discusses an investigation into factors affecting planning effectiveness in Hong Kong self-managing schools. An analysis of survey data from schools participating in the School Management Initiative scheme shows that principal's support and resource support are significant factors in predicting positive planning outcomes. Explores flexible…

Examines how parents become involved in state-funded prekindergarten programs for children identified as at risk for later school failure. Participants included 21 teachers at two programs in a midwestern school district. Significant differences exist between home-visitation and family-center models of program delivery in the types of activities…

Describes implementation of a system-level planning model focused on institutional improvement and effectiveness at the University of Missouri. Details implementation of three phases of the strategic planning model (strategic analysis, strategic thinking/decision-making, and campus outreach/systems administration planning); identifies critical…

An interaction of processes (e.g., design, implementation) and elements (e.g., curriculum) form a matrix for language teaching programs. The concept of stakeholders within this program matrix is elaborated: learners, teachers, administrators, and controlling authorities. A worksheet is appended. (Contains 56 references.) (Author)

Developed a "Fostering a Love of Nature Index" to provide "best practice" guidelines for planning, implementing, and evaluating environmental education programs for young children. Research used in developing this index was drawn from both the early-childhood education literature and the environmental education literature.…

Two chapters of this issue consider critical multiplism as a research strategy with links to meta analysis and generalizability theory. The unifying perspective it can provide for quantitative and qualitative evaluation is discussed. The third chapter explores meta analysis as a way to improve causal inferences in nonexperimental data. (SLD)

Considers the requirements of the Children Act (1989) in Great Britain and the use of "Looking After Children" materials in assessing the progress of children in out-of-home care. Demonstrates how simple indicators in the key areas of needs, objectives, services, and outcomes can be used to develop answers to complex questions regarding…

Demonstrates how the latent growth model can be applied to the evaluation of programs targeting HIV risk behavior among drug users. Multigroup piecewise latent growth models were fit to longitudinal data with three repeated response measures. Participants were 430 drug users and their sex partners. (SLD)

Developed an evaluation based on R. Stake's Countenance Model of Program Evaluation (1967) to evaluate the Senior Block Field Experience Program at Mississippi State University, a teacher education program. Results identify strengths and weaknesses in all components of the program. (SLD)

A conceptual model for evaluating community-based program sustainability is presented, along with a 53-item Program Sustainability Index (PSI). Structural equation modeling (SEM) and principal axis factor analysis indicate strong support for each of the seven elements of the PSI. When considered as an overall model, six of the seven framework…

Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) requires that independent living programs annually report demographic information on consumers receiving services and the numbers receiving specific types of services. Although some states collect information on consumer outcomes (for example, improvement in daily living skills), RSA does not request…