Proceedings of a symposium sponsored by the Coalition for Education in the Outdoors (CEO) are presented in this report. The CEO is a network of institutions, organizations, agencies, businesses, and associations in support of outdoor education. This symposium, reflecting the work of CEO's Research Task Force, provides literature reviews and field…

This paper reviews both the content and the methodological issues involved in the small but growing number of empirical studies on the use of Direct Instruction programs and teaching procedures with special populations. The research reviewed includes experimental and quasi-experimental work, summative evaluations of entire programs, and…

In the first part of the paper, some realistic expectations about schools and curriculum development, the conditions which preclude applying the standards of basic research to evaluate a program of instruction in large school systems, and some new research paradigms which have emerged from practice are defined. In the second part, an effort is…

A number of organizational, personal and methodological characteristics have been identified through the literature which inhibit or can be used to facilitate the use of evaluation and testing information. Inhibitors of information usage include organizational characteristics such as loosely coupled and decentralized systems, personal…

Following an overview of the need for evaluation training, the Analysis of Evaluation Training Materials Project is described and the coverage, methodology, and usability of materials available for training educational personnel in evaluation skills are considered. Problem areas in evaluation, identified by the National Institute of Education…

The subject mortality problems of an experimental design which covers the period of student recruitment through posttesting over a 13-month period, is detailed in this study. Out of an effective applicant pool of 72 students randomly assigned to experimental and control groups, only 38 students remained at the end of the study with complete test…

This paper reports the problems involved in measuring the extent to which the practice in program sites matches model theory formulated in Head Start Planned Variation. The main focus in studying program implementation is the question of internal validity, whether the children in the HSPV programs actually receive the treatment being evaluated.…

The 1966-67 Towson Undergraduate Research Training Program consisted of: (1) three 4-credit hour courses in the basic concepts of measurement, experimental design, and data analysis; (2) a 4-credit hour course in the research literature of education; (3) a 6-credit hour research practicum in the summer session; and (4) a colloquium series,…

Describes a cost-benefit analysis of a proposed experimental program designed to solve Indonesia's serious dropout problem in elementary education. Discusses the data and methods used, the conclusions reached, and the unresolved questions that arise during evaluations carried out in less developed nations. (Author/RW)

Presents an overview of common mistakes in 1975-76 career education program evaluation: reporting weaknesses, particularly problems of omission; content of questionnaires and interviews; student sampling errors; and problems in research design and in the programs themselves. Notes evaluation needs and suggests improved evaluation questions. (MF)

Criticizes Strasser and Deniston's post-planned evaluation (TM 504 253) because of their: (1) emphasis on evaluation research; (2) imposition of experimental rigor; (3) inapplicability to human service projects; (4) inattention to congruity between the program and its environment; (5) distinct characteristics of program evaluation; and (6)…

A meta-analysis of school-based substance abuse prevention studies revealed that the mean proportion of subjects retained dropped from 81.4 percent at the three-month followup to 67.5 percent at the three-year followup. Researchers should interpret their results in light of these normative data and adopt second-effort strategies to reduce…

Statistical methods for program evaluation with nonexperimental data are reviewed with emphasis on circumstances in which nonexperimental data are valid. Three solutions are proposed for problems of selection bias, and implications for evaluation design and data collection and analysis are discussed. (SLD)

The six articles of this special section focus on HIV/AIDS outreach efforts with: (1) African-American drug users; (2) homeless substance abusers; (3) women at high risk; (4) Latinos at high risk; and (5) African Americans at high risk. All the programs were part of a federally funded outreach effort aimed at HIV/AIDS prevention. (SLD)