This paper presents a discussion of evaluation methods which can be used in preschool programs and emphasizes the importance of considering both outcome and process variables. Emphasizing the limitations of research which utilizes only outcome measures, the paper focuses on the benefits of an analysis of ongoing processes and interactions within…

The School Board of Virginia Beach has conducted a two-year pilot program focusing on elementary school students who attend school 45 days and break 15 days year round. Four principal questions were proposed and researched by various independent agencies: (1) What effect does the 45-15 cycled-attendance year-round operation have on pupil…

This applied dissertation was designed to increase the academic achievement of 4th-grade students in science. The problem to be solved was that 4th-grade students in a rural elementary school exhibited low academic achievement in science. The researcher utilized the multiple intelligences (MI) theory and brain-based learning to develop the IMPACT…

Discusses how clinicians and researchers can critically evaluate information from efficacy studies of language intervention programs. It argues for combining both experimental and nonexperimental approaches and suggests that the use of matching in nonrandomized studies allows for comparison of groups of children participating in an intervention…

The research discussed in this manuscript was supported by a capacity building grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education as a "Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to use Technology Grant (PT3)". The problem was to determine the effect on teacher candidates of a field experience in which candidates used technology to support the teaching of a…

The regression-discontinuity approach to evaluating educational programs is reviewed, and regression-discontinuity post-program mean differences under various conditions are discussed. The regression-discontinuity design is used to determine whether post-program differences exist between an experimental program and a control group. The difference…

This report describes options for study designs to evaluate the effect of early intervention on infants and toddlers, birth to three, with disabilities or developmental delays and their families in Washington state. Information was gathered from extensive literature reviews, a survey of local assessment efforts in Washington, a technical data…

Guidance is provided for state Chapter 2 coordinators and evaluators in designing and implementing the congressionally mandated evaluation of the effectiveness of the Chapter 2 program. The first part of this paper reviews the congressional mandate and discusses the appropriate audience for evaluation reports. A schedule is outlined for conducting…

The Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984 mandates that the U.S. Department of Education conduct a National Assessment of Vocational Education. The National Assessment, designed following staff research and the input of experts who met in Washington, D.C. in September 1986, will focus on five broad areas: implementation of the Perkins…

A project was undertaken to explore the prospects of conducting employer followup surveys concerning the graduates of a selected vocational program and to devise a procedure that would categorize the small number of employers to be sampled in such a way that useful data for possible program change could be obtained and analyzed. During the…

As part of the National Institute of Education's Teaching and Instruction Program, the Research on Instruction Team has developed a program focusing on research on Instructionally Effective Schools. Such a school is defined as having a high mean level of student achievement and no educationally significant differences between different racial,…

The Youth Employment and Demonstration Projects Act of 1977 (YEDPA) provided the mandate and resources for experimental and demonstration activity to determine the most effective means to alleviate the employment problems of economically disadvantaged youth. An immediate need was to establish plans and priorities for research, evaluation, and…

Clarifies details of research design and procedures in response to critiques of six longitudinal comparative studies from the Early Intervention Research Institute. The institute's investigations examined the effects and costs of early intervention for children with disabilities. (BB)

Universities have recognized student attrition as a problem for some years, and measures to improve this critical issue are being sought. One such effort used at Lamar University is the Monitored Probation (MP) program. The MP program is a comprehensive early intervention academic retention program intended to assist with the academic success of…

This study was designed, in part, to clarify some of the issues that surround including English language learners in states' large-scale assessment programs. More specifically, the authors gathered practical information at the local school level to understand these students' large-scale assessment experiences from a variety of perspectives, to…