Approaches to the practical problems of finding former offenders and making them want to participate in a study are described for a study of desistance from crime. In the example, a success rate of 78% was achieved for a sample of 50 former offenders. Attention to individual circumstances is critical. (SLD)

This article discusses the literature on drug treatment counselor practices and effectiveness and discusses relevant issues in a multilevel framework by considering client outcome in relation to varying characteristics of clients, counselors, and programs. A conceptual model is presented for understanding counselor effects on client outcomes. (SLD)

Results of combining various measures of faculty productivity in a public research university with budgetary cost data using input-output analyses are reported. Application of this method provides mixed support for the notion that university administrators can use annual budget decisions to influence faculty productivity and costs. (SLD)

A methodology is developed for producing a well-designed problem in policy analysis. This evaluative context methodology is defined as an iterative process based on a series of checklist questions. Use of the methodology is demonstrated in a policy development project in New Zealand devoted to encouraging use of the Maori language. (SLD)

A pretest-posttest control group design was used to assess the leadership and problem-solving skills of 281 participants and 110 controls in a statewide community leadership development program. Quantitative and qualitative data demonstrate that the program has been a catalyst to influence leadership and problem-solving skills for community…

Assumptions and theories underlying grants peer review as a way to select research proposals for funding and its usefulness as an evaluation methodology are explored. Issues arising from the operation of peer-based systems at the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health are examined. (SLD)

This study evaluated several statistical models for estimating treatment effects in a randomized, longitudinal experiment comparing assertive community treatment (ACT) versus brokered case management (BCM). In addition, mediator and moderator analyses were conducted. The ACT clients had improved outcomes in terms of housing and psychiatric…

This study describes an empirical evaluation and comparison of two federally funded programs designed to foster Industry-University (I-U) cooperation. Results indicate that participants in I-U Projects perceive applied objectives like patent development as the most important goal of their collaboration, whereas I-U Centers promote a more basic…

Simple methods for detecting attrition (nonresponse) in longitudinal evaluations are reviewed, focusing on regression-based analyses of data from a longitudinal evaluation. The approaches are illustrated with data from the Fort Bragg Evaluation, an evaluation of a major demonstration in children's mental health services. (SLD)

Two studies of drug abuse prevention programs that rely at least in part on the "school-as-community" concept were conducted in urban high schools with high-risk students. Both studies support the feasibility of formalized groups of high-risk youths to promote drug-free events. (SLD)

Examines the role of politics in the Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement Program's effort to use evaluation research data to inform Florida's juvenile justice education policies and practices. Two examples illustrate that by maintaining an overriding commitment to its evaluation research purpose, the Juvenile Justice Educational Enhancement…

A meta-analysis of school-based substance abuse prevention studies revealed that the mean proportion of subjects retained dropped from 81.4 percent at the three-month followup to 67.5 percent at the three-year followup. Researchers should interpret their results in light of these normative data and adopt second-effort strategies to reduce…

The problem of the appropriate comparison group for bereavement studies is discussed. The use of the retrospective pretest design is illustrated through a longitudinal study of bereavement outcome following pregnancy loss, involving 138 bereaved women and a comparison group of 215 currently pregnant women. (SLD)

Naturalistic and traditional social science models were used to conduct a needs assessment in which 35 stakeholders were interviewed about their perceptions of the functioning of a crisis agency and the needs of the community and the agency. Concept mapping (multidimensional scaling and hierarchical analysis) was used to establish need categories…

A solution to the problem of specification error due to excluded variables in statistical models of treatment effects in nonrandomized (nonequivalent) control group designs is presented. It involves longitudinal observation with at least two pretests. A maximum likelihood estimation program such as LISREL may provide reasonable estimates of…