This study was commissioned to investigate whether or not, and if so, how, use of different assessment methods makes a difference to learner achievement and progress in the learning and skills sector (LSS). This is the first comprehensive study of assessment procedures and practices employed across the full range of LSS contexts--school sixth…

In this commentary on a previous article that revealed modest and inconsistent results of the Parents as Teachers program, program evaluation work is urged to move beyond simply measuring intervention outcomes to examining the complex interactions between family and child characteristics, intervention goals addressed, processes employed by…

In this commentary on a previous article that revealed modest and inconsistent results of the Parents as Teachers program, issues are highlighted that those involved in real-world evaluation need to consider. Study attrition, defining meaningful primary outcomes, and need to use a participatory approach to develop outcome-based interventions are…

Criticizes the research design in "The Small ICF/MR program: Dimensions of Quality and Cost" (Conroy), that found small Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF) for individuals with mental retardation are inferior to other community programs. Discusses the problem in selecting a control group on the basis of pretest matching. (CR)

In August 1996 Jay P. Greene, Paul E. Peterson, and Jiangtao Du, with Leesa Boeger and Curtis L. Frazier, issued a report called "The Effectiveness of School Choice in Milwaukee." The report, referred to as GPDBF, presented data that indicated that low-income minority students in their third and fourth years of participation in the…

The suggestions offered in this paper are based on the experiences of two scientific researchers of how evaluations undertaken in a competitive arena, in which true experimental designs are not viable, can be designed in such a way that meaningful comparative data can be examined. Case studies of the Science and Engineering Research Semester and…

Proceedings are presented from a meeting designed to encourage and assist university-based researchers and public policy-makers in the formation of meaningful, long-term collaborations that would ultimately increase chances of competing successfully for research grants on the efficacy of services and systems of care for children and adolescents…

A two-stage procedure for the analysis of pretest-posttest data was developed and illustrated. Data were reanalyzed from a quasi-experimental evaluation that assessed the effects of an intervention program to teach elementary school children aged 10 to 12 years to watch violence on television more carefully/critically. The treatment group…

The purpose of this exploratory study was to measure the impact of a specific style of parent education on parental behavior with their children. Six families, chosen by invitation from among parents participating in the Carbon County, Utah parent education programs, participated in the study. A BAB-ABBA single case experimental design was…

Existing data are reviewed and synthesized that speak to the extent to which Consumer and Homemaking Education (C&HE) programs at secondary and postsecondary levels contribute to student knowledge, attitudes, and behavior. Differences in program design that were found in the research literature are described before findings about effectiveness…

The Youth Employment and Demonstration Projects Act of 1977 (YEDPA) authorized a range of research, evaluation, and demonstration activities to increase understanding of the employment problems of youth and to help determine the most effective policies and programs to address these problems. Although many programs, such as the War on Poverty and…

This paper presents a discussion of issues raised in the evaluation of Project Follow Through reported by Abt Associates. The paper suggests that many of the problems inherent in the design of both the program and the evaluation stem from the underlying assumption that one educational model could be found which would best alleviate the educational…

Presented is the final report of the South End Project of the Boston University Head Start Evaluation and Research Center. In a Head Start community a setting was created to study and service preschool children with emotional and social disturbances from low income homes. During the 3-year project, 112 children were seen, families interviewed,…

In a four-year longitudinal study of computer-assisted instruction, mathematics, reading, and language arts courseware developed by Computer Curriculum Corporation was evaluated in four elementary schools. Each curriculum raised students' scores on standardized and curriculum-specific tests. Program costs, participant attitudes, and implications…

Comments on "The Small ICF/MR Program: Dimensions of Quality and Cost" (Conroy), that found small Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF) for individuals with mental retardation are inferior to other community programs. Acknowledges that while some research problems exist, no important evidence against the findings has been provided. (CR)