An overview of the evaluation issues associated with contraceptive social marketing programs is provided. Methodologies covered include survey techniques, cost-effectiveness analyses, retail audits of sales data, time series analysis, nested logit analysis, and discriminant analysis. (TJH)

Difficulties faced in evaluations that include data in a language not native to the evaluators or that lie outside the evaluators' cultural experience are discussed. Improvements to credibility and fairness from using a cross-cultural, bilingual evaluation are described and illustrated through evaluation of a language immersion program in Hawaii.…

This commentary summarizes findings from previous articles on system-of-care mental health programs for children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders. It addresses characteristics of participating children and families, system measurement system development, costs and sustainability, and family participation in program…

In the present climate of public accountability, there is increasing demand to show "what works" and what return is gained for the public from investments to improve communities. This increasing demand for accountability is being met with growing confidence in the field of philanthropy during the past 10 years that the impact or effectiveness of…

This study uses virtual reference transcripts for which patrons completed exit surveys to seek any correlations between user and librarian satisfaction within virtual reference transactions. By analyzing transcripts with a focus on three elements-technology performance, preferred reference practices, and the demonstrated communication levels of…

The boot camp model became a correctional panacea for juvenile offenders during the early 1990s, promising the best of both worlds--less recidivism and lower operating costs. Although there have been numerous studies of boot camp programs since that time, most have relied on nonrandomized comparison groups. The California Youth Authority's (CYA's)…

Researchers conducted focus groups in three Minnesota Head Start programs that provide full-day services. The purpose of this descriptive study was to understand how these programs operated, the strengths and challenges of full-day Head Start programs, and how working parents and those on public assistance described these services. Findings…

In the fall of 2007, Education Resource Strategies (ERS) was invited by Philadelphia's School Reform Commission to conduct a Strategic Professional Development Review for the School District of Philadelphia (SDP). ERS is a nonprofit organization that is nationally recognized for its extensive work in partnering with urban school districts to make…

The Asian Tsunami struck Sri Lanka on December 26, 2004. Sri Lanka was the second worst affected country after Indonesia, and this natural disaster killed in excess of 35,000 people and displaced over 1 million. The article explores the Tsunami Disaster Management Program developed by one Sri Lankan university: the Postgraduate Institute of…

The Workshop on Integrating Federal Statistics on Children provided a forum for assessing strengths and shortcomings of existing and proposed federal statistical data sources for children and families. In particular, these data sources were assessed with respect to their capacity to fill the most pressing information needs of those who formulate,…

This book examines approaches to the evaluation of students' critical thinking on programmatic, school-based, and classroom levels. The first chapter examines the nature of critical thinking and offers a definition as well as an appraisal of the definition. The second chapter looks at methods of gathering quality information on students' critical…

The International School Effectiveness Research Programme (ISERP) is an example of the exchange of research and research results in the field of educational effectiveness. It aims to build on existing models of good practice and to avoid the variations in approach that limit the transferability of data within and between countries. A number of…

The school district in Saginaw (Michigan) operates a supplemental-education delivery system in reading and mathematics that consists of elementary and secondary compensatory education. The elementary program is both a push-in and pull-out program that serves 1,819 students in grades one through five. The secondary program is a self-contained…

This guide is designed to help educators and administrators evaluate educational technology programs. Primarily geared to educators or administrators with little or no research experience, it is intended for use at the district or school level. As more and more states, districts, and schools develop technology plans to ensure that technology will…

The North Carolina Partnership for Accelerated Schools includes nine schools in five counties in North Carolina. Representatives from the state Department of Education, the local school agencies, and the teacher educators from North Carolina State University and East Carolina University have worked together to implement the project, which works to…