This document focuses on assessment portfolios and examines the advantages and challenges of using an assessment portfolio system inclusive of English language learners as a district-wide assessment tool. Advantages of including English language learners in the assessment program include increased school accountability for all students, a shared…

The impacts of the Maryland State Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) and the Maryland Learning Outcomes (MLOs) on curriculum, classroom instruction and assessment, professional development, and student learning were studied. Data sources were questionnaires completed by principals, mathematics teachers, and students from 90 elementary and…

Maryland participated in the State National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in 1996 and 1998 when samples of approximately 2,500 fourth and eighth graders in 100 schools participated in the testing sessions for mathematics (1996) and reading (1998). This report is an initial attempt to return information to Maryland about the relations…

Many states have initiated prekindergarten programs to better prepare young children to enter school. A "blueprint for quality" was used as the basis for evaluating state prekindergarten initiatives; the blueprint focused on four components: (1) ensuring the availability of prekindergarten; (2) ensuring high quality prekindergarten; (3)…

This paper examines the overall process of implementing participatory evaluation methods in a nonparticipatory, nondemocratic environment. The paper is based on a 1-year evaluation of an after-school literacy program and is part of a larger effort to bring participatory evaluation to the grantees of a foundation. The evaluation occurred with an…

The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) has provided an alternative school program for students with long-term suspensions since the 1995-96 school year. Since 1996-97, the WCPSS has contracted with a private firm to operate the Richard M. Milburn High School (RMHS), as an alternative learning center. This Executive Summary highlights the…

In 1996, North Carolina established its "ABC" plan for educational improvement, based on accountability (A), testing of basic subjects (B), and more local control (C). Each year student test results in reading, mathematics, writing, and selected middle school and high school courses are analyzed to determine whether or not schools have…

This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a social competence promotion program conducted in the sixth grade of a middle school. The need to increase social competence within the school arose from the results of enumerative and stakeholder data collected at the school. This paper outlines the steps of the needs assessment, program…

Large multi-site followup studies of treatment clients comprise a major source of evidence on the effectiveness of substance abuse treatment in the United States. This report considers challenges to the validity of results in treatment effectiveness studies due to four factors: (1) nonrandom entry to treatment from the population needing…

The juvenile justice system is exploring alternatives to the use of secure facilities as a means of juvenile crime control. Some of these alternatives are known as diversion programs. This bulletin offers an overview of the diversion programs and evaluation findings from the Detention Diversion Advocacy Project (DDAP), a disposition case advocacy…

This publication presents an annotated list of books, videotapes, magazines, journals, conferences, training opportunities, and organizations related to the topic of urban youth ministry. Resources specifically geared toward urban youth ministry are marked. For each listing, the publication provides the name, contact person, address and telephone…

This report contains summary information submitted by 44 states (plus one private nonprofit school bypass agent) for the evaluation of effectiveness of programs and activities funded under Title VI, Innovative Education Program Strategies. The purpose of this national summary is to provide critical information to decision-makers and other…

Immunization data are collected annually from Illinois public and nonpublic schools. This report is a compilation of the data on the immunization status of school-age children in Illinois for the school year 1998-99. The compliance level for all Illinois students is 97.25 percent. The data by specific disease category, based on the percent of…

This book presents strategies for planning and managing athletic programs. It helps college athletic administrators analyze their organization's environment, set objectives, decide on specific actions, and obtain feedback. Chapter 1, "Perspectives on Planning for Athletics Programs," discusses what planning is and why it is important.…

This paper describes the approaches taken at a middle school to improve student problem solving ability and test results for the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress (ISTEP) mathematics tests. The focus was on grade 6. In 1996, 35% of the 437 students in grade 6 did not master the mathematics problem solving skill. A committee of…