The authors argue that relatively few local governments conduct rigorous cost-benefit evaluations of their supervisory training and management development programs. The authors conclude that more attention to upper-level evaluation is warranted and provide an evaluation grid with practical suggestions for each level of training program evaluation.…

Reviews studies which focused on various aspects of pre-college student science training programs, pointing out that the programs have had impact on such areas as facilitating academic and career opportunities, increasing subject matter competencies, increasing laboratory skills, changing attitudes in a positive direction, and enhancing students'…

Describes results of a survey of "Personnel" readers and human resource managers and/or training directors concerning the nature of training in their firms. Answers concern kinds of training, methods and tools, perceived success of training programs, retraining and special programs, and entry-level skill development. (CT)

The author discusses the effectiveness of a Swedish scheme specifically designed to promote social equality via access to higher education. In reporting the apparent failure of the scheme, the author states that it illustrates how difficult it is to create a system of entry to higher education which overcomes the impact of inherited class…

Discusses the universal school: its expansion, whether it has meant progress, and some alleged failures of universal education. The author concludes that it has been generally successful in realizing the purposes that control it, but that it can be used to further aims that many people believe to be reactionary or evil or both. (CT)

This article discusses some criteria for development of career programs in organizations, including guidelines and recommendations for the development and implementation of such programs, and considerations in the area of program evaluation. (CT)

Program evaluation is a process of determining program performance for the purpose of improvement. Objectives essential to an effective program are accountability, public support, legitimacy, and communication of results. As a political tool, program evaluation must involve participants in the evaluation and decision-making processes of allocating…

Congress created Early Head Start in 1995 to support healthy prenatal outcomes and enhance intellectual, social, and emotional development of infants and toddlers to promote later success in school and in life. This policy brief summarizes findings of the Congressionally mandated National Evaluation of Early Head Start and offers policy…

At Columbia College, a 2-year college in California, an Early Alert program was implemented in the middle 1980s to alert students at risk of academic failure to potential problems. With the exception of a few years in the 1990s, the program has been conducted each semester. In the fourth week of the semester, instructors are asked to identify…

The prekindergarten (pre-K) program is an important part of the systemic effort by the Austin Independent School District, Texas (AISD) to help every student meet the state's student performance standards. In 2000-2001, 41 of the district's schools offering pre-K (79% of all elementary schools) had full-day programs and 17 had half-day programs. A…

Family literacy programs, of which there is no shortage, need to be examined to know "if" and "why" a program is successful. Family literacy programs, like any literacy programs, must be viewed from a critical reflective stance. This paper aims to describe one way of evaluating the effectiveness of family literacy programs. The…

There are many ways to assess the effectiveness of school conflict resolution training (CRT) programs. Some methods require extensive resources, but others, conducted by CRT practitioners themselves, also provide useful information. This digest presents a framework for CRT evaluation by practitioners that enables them to reflect productively on…

Many program evaluations involve some type of statistical testing to verify that the program has succeeded in accomplishing initially established goals. In many cases, this takes the form of null hypothesis significance testing (NHST) with t-tests, analysis of variance, or some form of the general linear model. This paper contends that, at least…

This document draws on more than 50 years of gang program evaluations to summarize what has been learned about: (1) prevention programs, including early childhood, school-based, and afterschool initiatives; (2) intervention programs, including those that work to create violence-free zones, establish gang summits and truces, and rehabilitate gang…

This guide examines claims for 24 schoolwide programs-- programs that promise to improve student learning by changing the entire school. Focusing on quantitative achievement measures such as test scores, grades, and graduation rates, the report was prepared for educators and others to assist them in their investigation of different approaches to…