Finds out how one local radio station works and communicates with its region's schools and teachers. (Editor/RK)

Education policy makers identify access to quality pre-Kindergarten programs as a critical step in early childhood development. While most agree on access, definitions of quality vary widely. A new study by the National Center for Early Development & Learning (NCEDL) finds that families define quality in broader terms than educators,…

Funded in 1999, the "Learning by Doing" (LBD) program of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system Center for Teaching and Learning was designed to increase faculty knowledge, skills, and confidence in using active learning strategies. This report marks the end of an in-depth evaluation study of active learning and the effects of LBD on…

This study examines how the Biology 101 curriculum at The Ohio State University, a non-major's course, was changing with regard to recommendations expressed in the National Science Education Standards (NSES) and Benchmarks for Science Literacy. The Bio 101 course was observed to compare the content topics identified in the syllabus with topics…

This implementation guide is designed for community-based organizations interested in developing programs similar to Plain Talk, a neighborhood-based initiative aimed at helping adults, parents, and community leaders develop the skills and tools needed to communicate effectively with youth about reducing adolescent sexual risk taking. The guide is…

This study evaluated a program that was designed to empower staff members form nonprofit organizations to design evaluations that help further their organizational mission, addressing the needs of their clients more effectively and efficiently. In 2001-200, the program was offered in five bimonthly, 2-day sessions. Twenty participants from 10…

After-school programs that provide additional learning opportunities for children are seen as potentially powerful opportunities to improve student learning and facilitate other positive youth outcomes. This digest summarizes a research synthesis conducted by the Regional Educational Laboratory at SERVE. The synthesis summarizes research and…

This paper describes the implementation of the Holistic Systemic Evaluation (HSE), a component of an Education Systemic Initiative's strategic management. The HSE provides general guidance for the implementation and continual improvement of an Education Systemic Initiative Reform (ESIR). The implementation of the education system initiative plan:…

The Literacy Support Plan is a comprehensive reading intervention initiative for kindergarten through grade 3 students in the Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD). The framework for the program is Reading Recovery. The purpose of the program is to provide assistance for students identified as needing extra help acquiring literacy…

A companion report provided a summary of what was learned from surveys of principals and staff developers about the newly created position of staff developer in the middle schools of the San Diego City Schools, California. This study investigated the spring followup study that asked teachers what they thought about the new position and the work of…

This digest summarizes the highlights of an analysis of assessment practices used in education and professional development for educators. A research team from RAND conducted a broad review of the literature and reviewed the documents of organizations engaged in such assessments. Researchers interviewed experts, attended conferences, and conducted…

This chapter presents a review of what is known from evaluation studies about the impacts of professional development programs in mathematics and science education, and their role in systemic reform. Following comparisons of program focus, structure, target population, and geographic scope, an overview of program goals is presented in terms of the…

The enabling legislation required a review of the Technology Workforce Development Grants program by an external expert evaluation team on a biennial basis. This program was designed to increase the number of engineering and computer science graduates and the number of collaborations among higher education institutions and private companies. At…

The "CSE Program Evaluation Kit" is a series of nine books intended to assist people conducting program evaluations. This volume, the first in the kit, provides an overview of evaluation activities and a directory to the rest of the kit. Chapter 1 explicates the evaluation perspective that grounds the kit and describes the role of evaluation in…

This guide was developed to empower individuals and organizations to solve social and educational problems. It is intended for use by anyone interested in leading groups in developing programs to improve education. The principles and methods that it contains are based on psychological theory and research, and it is intended to stimulate effective…