This article examines a school district's Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program using perceived self-efficacy in academic achievement and self-regulated learning, GPA and attendance as indicators of program effectiveness. Results suggest that AVID participation was positively and significantly correlated with attendance in the…

Author gives thourough treatment to alternatives evaluation purposes and problems. (Editor)

Offers practical suggestions for minimizing 14 problems that frequently occur when curriculum programs are evaluated. Timing evaluations, evaluating appropriate factors, making meaningful comparisons, meeting skepticism, selecting tests, selecting evaluators, assessing evaluation results, and maintaining credibility are among the concerns…

Too often school counselors are evaluated through a teacher-assessment process bearing little relevance to (poorly defined) counseling tasks or roles. Evaluation is hindered by lack of a developmental model and by administrative pressures to perform tasks outside counselors' training and experience. Improvement measures are outlined. (Contains 16…

The techniques of program evaluation parallel the historian's methods, which usually consist of mining both qualitative and quantitative sources. Test scores, questionnaires, and unobtrusive measures provide good quantitative data, whereas interviews supply important qualitative information. Researcher involvement in the project being assessed can…

Proposes questions that can be raised by principals evaluating the character and effectiveness of their high schools. Suggests studying the nature of daily school operations, the school program, the school's structure and schedule, student activities, staff quality, guidance services, off-campus learning opportunities, administration, and school…

Author Challenges the vociferous critics that he feels have grossly exaggerated the causes for concern in the American school system. (Editor)

Article explores several questions about the value of student evaluation of teachers, and describes one school's experience with student evaluation. (Editor)

Evaluation of secondary school music programs should not be based on performing groups' success. The Music Educators National Conference has suggested that a comprehensive evaluation should examine several aspects of a school music program, including goals and objectives, leadership, staffing, curriculum and scheduling, instructional materials,…

Convinced that most educators are shortsighted in planning curriculum design, these writers take the proverbial bull by the horns and present the criteria they feel are necessary for realistic program planning. (Editor)

The recommendations in this article, drawn from the evaluation of 52 New England secondary schools, were conducted by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges for accreditation purposes. Recommendations cover curriculum, philosophy and objectives, guidance, student activities, and other areas. (Author/DS)

Presents an evaluation form that library media specialists, teachers, and students can use to rate their school library media center. (WD)

Hall and Hord's (2005) concerns-based adoption model (CBAM) served as the framework to study a districtwide implementation of Rachel's Challenge in Rockwall, Texas. This article describes CBAM principles and strategies that were used to increase awareness of the change process during the first year of implementing the character education program.…

Takes a systems approach to designing classroom instruction, providing models for program and course syllabuses, as well as for instructional units. Included are checklists for designing the three levels of instruction: the program, the course, and the instructional unit. (JW)

Conventional methods of evaluating schools are inadequate, say these authors. In this article, they suggest a program for collecting data that would help diagnose and prescribe for the development of better school programs, rather than merely describe a school's present state. (Editor)