The purpose of this paper is to: (1) discuss the reasons for applying the experimental method to program evaluation; (2) review the basic elements of the experimental method; (3) illustrate refinements and variants of the experimental method with examples from program evaluation in the social sciences; (4) describe ways in which funding directives…

Notes that even with the problems identified in this paper, consistent, positive results are appearing in preliminary reports. Equally important, the data seem to support a number of reasonable notions about the impact of distinctive curricula on students. (Author/AM)

Studies examining the effectiveness of early intervention for infants and children with organic impairment and and developmental delay were reviewed using recently developed quantitative methods. Results suggest an accurate interpretation of the early intervention research literature cannot be made without consideration of specific design…

A systematic approach to statewide evaluation of career guidance, counseling and placement. (Editor)

Good educational practice relies increasingly on educational data, yet much of the present research findings are inconclusive or inapplicable. Difficulties in obtaining time, money, subjects, and appropriate designs have hindered experimental research studies. (FG)

An outreach and linkage program for the homeless mentally ill documented successful outcomes in terms of housing but not in terms of functioning for the 163 participants. Recruitment source, client functioning cluster type, and hours of service received were predictors of the four-month residential setting. (SLD)

Describes characteristics of second-generation research in early intervention, that is, greater specificity, the use of more rigorous scientific standards, and an increased understanding of biosocial relationships than in initial investigations. Examines studies conducted by Utah State University's Early Intervention Research Institute in the…

This study was designed to assess the impact of "Mathematics Pathways and Pitfalls" ("MPP") on the mathematics that second-, fourth-, and sixth-grade students learn. The specific research questions that were addressed are: (a) What is the impact of "MPP" on students' knowledge of the mathematics topics addressed,…

Background: Athletics programmes for secondary schools include a variety of skills, knowledge and cognitive abilities, which are currently assessed through written, practical, oral and/or video-based tests. Skills are traditionally taught in practice-based sessions, while the knowledge aspect is often reinforced in class-based sessions with…

This paper presents a paradigm for designing evaluation research studies that permits examination of the effects of curriculum, instruction, and instructional materials on the learning environment as the determinants function independently, as they relate to one another, and as they interact in complex ways in the naturalistic setting. The…

A survey of South Carolina participants in Small Business Innovative Research programs, conducted to evaluate previous assumptions about research success factors, found that success hinged on the principal investigator's background, the presence of university connections for the project, and the project's ability to respond to the agency's stated…

Robert Burns wrote: "The best laid schemes of Mice and Men oft go awry". This could be considered the motto of most educational innovation. The question that arises is not so much why some innovations fail (although this is very important question), but rather why other innovations succeed? This study investigated the success factors of…

Presents a new approach to the problem of improving relationships between youth and the police. (Author)

Issues pertaining to the documentation of positive outcomes for severely handicapped learners as a function of their educational programs are addressed, and the value of the general evaluative concept of educational validity is emphasized. Issues related to the current overreliance on the single-subject experimental model are also discussed. (SEW)

Critiquing the stakeholder idea, the author states: if government chooses to take account of competing views in social program evaluation, it can get a better result if it encourages the competing views to find a voice of their own, not to speak through the government's chosen instrument. (Author/PN)