Program participants have been largely excluded as an evidence source in realist evaluations. We test whether and how lived experience as described through life history interviews with pilot program participants can be used as a valid and unique source of data for elucidating context (C)--mechanism (M)--outcome (O) configurations and informing…

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were adopted in an effort to create a consistent set of standards across schools, districts, and states in order to ensure equality of educational opportunities for all students in the country. Educational reform through standardization implies that across thousands of miles and millions of students,…

This study used ethnographic methods to understand factors influencing the implementation of an educational intervention combining short math content videos with teacher trainings and mentorship in high-poverty primary schools in Nicaragua with implications for rural school reform. Educators in rural schools in Latin American face serious…

Recent Ontario provincial and federal education policy developments propose to increase the academic success of an ever increasing number of First Nation children attending urban and First Nation schools. Key to achieving that goal is increasing the number of Aboriginal educators who are skilled in teaching that is grounded in culturally…

While "lasting effects" of outdoor experiences have been suggested, few empirical studies have traced influences more than one year after the experiences. This study examines the written responses of 67 Japanese expedition participants who took part in a British-organized overseas youth expedition 20-23 years ago, to investigate their…

Examining the economic status of Native women in Alaska, this report compares the economic well being of Native women to other women in the state and nation, looks at factors contributing to their economic status, and makes positive action recommendations. Based on 1970 and 1980 census data, chapter I analyzes the 50% increase of Alaska Native…

In remote Indigenous communities in Australia there are minimal labour market opportunities, with the majority of jobs under the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP), and limited education and training services. Yet Indigenous communities are under increasing pressure from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC)…

In 1992, Ticonderoga Central School District, an isolated rural district in New York, advertised for a single elementary education teacher and received over 400 applications. Given recent publicity about an impending teacher shortage, a project was undertaken to determine the true status of teacher supply and demand in New York. Surveys of 63 of…

This project examined children's academic performance and psychological well-being in rural communities affected by mass layoffs. In one study (Study A), school level data were compared from similar communities where worksite closing had or had not occurred. Study B explored risk and resiliency processes in a sample of 55 rural Asian Pacific…

This final report presents conclusions of a study of culturally appropriate employment goals in individual written rehabilitation plans (IWRPs) for American Indians with disabilities. It focuses on goals other than competitive employment and reviews national statistics on work status at closure from all state agencies and 18 tribal VR (vocational…

The following were examined: (1) the Department of Transportation's (DOT) efforts to evaluate the Job Access and Reverse Commute (Job Access) program; (2) transportation and related services provided by Job Access; (3) whether the program fosters collaboration between grantees and others in the design, financing, and delivery of those services;…