An interdisciplinary undergraduate research program with international summer fieldwork at Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles trains undergraduates in research methodologies (cancer laboratory techniques, cross-cultural survey research, and policy analysis); collects fieldwork data in global settings and the United States; and compares,…

Our understanding of programs is enhanced when trained, skilled, and observant evaluators go "into the field"--the real world where programs are conducted--paying attention to what's going on, systematically documenting what they see, and reporting what they learn. The article opens by presenting and illustrating twelve reasons for…

Since its founding in 1947, ETS has conducted a significant and wide-ranging research program that has focused on, among other things, psychometric and statistical methodology; educational evaluation; performance assessment and scoring; large-scale assessment and evaluation; cognitive, developmental, personality, and social psychology; and…

We conducted a series of summer workshops on bioinformatics to increase educators' knowledge of this new field of inquiry with the assumption that their knowledge will, in turn, impact student achievement. The workshops incorporated experiential learning and self-reflection (Loucks-Horsley et al. 1998). Educators demonstrated significant increases…

Between 2004 and 2008, the Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy (CAAL) published four lengthy research reports on projects to examine the nature and effectiveness of Adult Education English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs at several community colleges. The research was conducted by field studies, interviews, and the review of a large…

Explores sequential assignment (SA) and treatment-as-usual (TAU) as two approaches to overcome many of the obstacles of random assignment in field studies of treatment efficacy. Substituting SA and TAU for the standard random assignment may introduce methodological impurities including certain limited biases. (SLD)

The 11 programs and sites participating in the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Intensive Supervision Demonstration Project are described. The demonstration was designed to assess the effects and costs of sentencing convicted felons to community-based programs. The evaluation by the Rand Corporation and data collection methods and random…

Asserts that integrating randomized field trials (RFTs) and nationally representative surveys can strengthen the evidence base for school reform, suggesting national surveys can help determine the focus of RFTs by identifying factors that place schools at risk of poor achievement or buffer schools from risk. Surveys can provide data on the…

A study was conducted to develop and field test a model which could be used to evaluate the effectiveness of vocational education received by handicapped students. The study included four components: (1) conceptualizing a cost effectiveness analysis appropriate for vocational education for the handicapped (VEH), (2) developing a cost effectiveness…

Discusses the limitations of laboratory research in evaluating second language instruction, arguing that field research, which fosters a concern for what works in the classroom first, is more desirable because it provides direct feedback to instructors. (Author/CB)

Intended as a supplement to the National Testing Service (NTS) project proposal of September 12, 1978, this report describes the status (as of November 15, 1978) of the evaluation design and the field implementation plan used for the national evaluation study of Head Start Educational Services and the Basic Educational Skills demonstration…

A California school district used the Hunter teaching model for a study to measure the effect of the model on teachers and students in two schools over a four-year period. Evaluation shows that student achievement and teacher behavior improved during the first three years then dropped during the fourth. (MD)

Examines a class project for the study of development across the life span that requires students to interview individuals from different phases of the life cycle and write a paper discussing their subjects' lives in terms of major developmental psychology concepts. Describes student preparation and project evaluation, discussing some potential…

A teacher education program evaluation model incorporates six features: program modification; field-based perspective; longitudinal approach; involvement of all related program personnel; reliable and comprehensive data; and examination of importance or values as well as effectiveness. Operation of the model, reaction of participants and…

The overall goal of this project was to examine the effectiveness of career education by identifying some of the best of the current career education programs and practices which were referred to in Public Law 93-380 and which have been objectively evaluated. The specific objectives were to: (1) gather and analyze reports of career education…