Examined were the purposes and problems, as well as the present status and trends, of pre-school educational evaluation in seven European countries; Belgium, France, Germany (Federal Republic), Netherlands, Scandanavia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. These analysis required that national surveys be written which would first give brief…

The overall purpose of the Michigan Research Coordinating Unit (RCU) is to stimulate research and development activities within the State. This report reviews RCU activities in this area during the period July 1, 1967 to August 31, 1969. Problem areas include staffing and funding. In light of accomplishments and problems, the RCU has been…

Selected papers from the Conference for the Evaluation of Instructional Materials treat the area of evaluation by describing Richard Dershimer's three-part evaluative schema, the Educational Products Information Exchange approach to evaluating instructional materials, the evaluation procedures in Montgomery county (Maryland), the Consumers Union…

The serious problems faced in the ESAA (Emergency School Aid Act) data collection effort (magnitude of the data to be collected, many kinds of respondents, and sensitivity of much of the data) are discussed. Procedures for overcoming obstacles are described. These include limiting collection to essential data, tailoring instruments to respondents,…

Several problems that an evaluator of an experimental college has to face and resolve are considered. These include: (1) the purpose of the evaluation and the role of the evaluator, (2) the utility of a research design model, (3) the specificity of program goals before the evaluation is planned, and (4) the appropriateness of standardized or local…

Using examples from evaluations of the Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA) Basic Grants Program, the ESAA Pilot Program, and the sustaining effects of compensatory education programs, school and student attrition are discussed. As in the example cases, appreciable attrition can be expected in most longitudinal studies. The possible effects of this…

This study estimated a component of within-school variance which has been overlooked in policy research studies and program evaluations performed to date: the effect on pupil performance of different teachers within a single school or program. Results indicated that teacher effects accounted for 30 to 40 percent of within-school variance. (Author/…

The role of content validity in policy-relevant research is illustrated in a study contrasting results of surveys concerning public opinion toward gun control. Inadequate content validity threatened inferences about the overall level of support for gun control, but not about opinion difference between sexes or respondents of varying political…

Meta-analysis of Title I program evaluations shows the norm-referenced model overestimates positive effectiveness; while the regression-discontinuity design underestimates it. Potential biases include residual regression artifacts, attrition and time-of-testing problems in the norm-referenced design, and assignment, measurement, and data…

In one federally funded program, the third-party evaluator was under contract with the program evaluated and not the federal funding agency. The social structure of this arrangement has implications for information utilization. (Available from: Jossey-Bass, Inc., 433 California St., San Francisco, CA 94104, single issue, $6.95.) (Author/GDC)

Trends in European practice that relate to qualitative assessment in the evaluation of the impact of research and innovation are discussed and analyzed. To date, European evaluations have been mainly concerned with quality and direct impact with few assessments of medium- or long-term impact. (SLD)

Discusses the emphasis on promoting policy and practice changes based on research evidence in projects (funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation) related to housing, social policy, social care, youth, and families. Discusses the difficulties in using random control trials for assessing the effectiveness of interventions with individuals. Concludes…

This article examines the social skills training research-to-practice process and argues that a logical and attendant line of rigorous study is lacking. Areas of social inquiry are drawn from to discuss the need for conceptual frameworks to guide investigation and offer a way for research to be designed and interpreted. (Contains references.)…

Prior to graduating from high school, the vast majority of youth in the United States will take part in at least one community service activity. Although it is frequently assumed that community service is inherently beneficial to those that take part, the activities and processes of youth service programs tend to be unsystematic and vary widely.…

This paper explores how youth programs, particularly programs that try to prepare young people for the world of work and higher education, are organized and implemented in the field. It is argued that, in many cases, the needs of program practitioners are overlooked by the research community. The focus is on the field of "second-chance"…