It is argued that, although thousands of evaluations have been conducted of social interventions, little has been done to cumulate those results to guide intervention architects. Building social intervention theory and meta analyses are suggested as ways to unify this knowledge and make it useful. (SLD)

The core roles involved in the evaluation of a community program called "Alternatives," aimed at safer use of medications by seniors, are described as community developer, research/evaluator, and community committee. The types of roles, the conflicts among them, and their positive interactions have implications for other field evaluations. (SLD)

Reports on how schools selected projects to propose to a competitive grant-awarding program for school-based management projects. The meta-evaluation of the evaluations by 17 schools explores criteria school evaluations should meet. (SLD)

The "clearness committee," a Quaker practice, might provide an avenue for educators grappling with crises and seeking clarity about their worries and concerns over time. A Lewis and Clark College seminar held in April 1998 dealt with an administrator's fears about carrying on following a former student's suicide. Steps for freeing one's…

The 1987 Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act and amendments provide considerable protection for the education of homeless children and youth. They also provide formula grants to state education agencies to carry out the Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program. This article reviews major program components and critiques these…

Presents a synthesis of what is known about Title I schoolwide programs, focusing on characteristics of schools and districts implementing schoolwide programs, programmatic and organizational characteristics of the programs, and evidence of program effectiveness. Cautions in interpreting the evaluation findings are presented, and educational…

Evaluation study showed the PASSKey (Planned Activity, Strategic Sampling, Keystone behavior) model of service delivery to be reliable in increasing accountability of parents and teachers in early-childhood interventions. Case study results (N=28) are included. (EMK)

Three central Minnesota school districts, the Chamber of Commerce, business representatives, and public service organizations decided to help teachers translate workplace expectations into school lessons. The result was the "Relevance Counts Institute," which shows teachers specific occupational skills one day and employee applications…

Tulane University and Xavier University (Louisiana) are both taking an active role in revitalizing the New Orleans public housing authority, the sixth-largest in the country. In partnership with the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and the city's housing authority, the two institutions are cooperating in a major renovation…

Argues how important it is that reading support continue in middle schools. Describes briefly the Young Hoosier Book Award Program for Indiana middle schools. Outlines conditions in schools that seem to affect participation in such programs. (SR)

When introduced a decade ago, development planning was regarded as a strategy to help (British) schools manage change. Recent evidence suggests that schools exhibiting "best practice" in development planning have transcended this usage and now employ development planning to enhance pupil achievement. This paper examines the latter,…

Vitality in planning, interest in individual students' concern about high school, and meaningful rituals explain the effectiveness of a Columbus, Ohio, transition program. The combined efforts of many professionals result in a stable entering class that feels welcome; has fewer first-day absences, lost students, and schedule changes; and is better…

Summarizes results of a nationwide survey to determine secondary principals' attitudes toward selected aspects of block scheduling. All 69 participants (from 10 states) expressed full support for block scheduling. Many principals expressed concerns about student maturity, sequential course offerings, and time spent on homework. Schedule…

Effective adventure programming is explained in terms of the "significant learning" experience, involving periods of tension, questioning, and transfer during personal and social learning. Adventure programming that is supportive, adaptive, and properly sequenced maximizes the potential of significant learning. Trust- and…

Presents data from evaluations of school voucher programs in four cities, analyzing the effects on academic performance of switching from public to private schools. Overall, vouchers have a moderately large, positive effect on the achievement of African American students, but no discernable effect on the performance of students of other…