An innovative system-building initiative known as the STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice (SLECoP) is transforming U.S. STEM education through cross-sector partnerships between schools, afterschool and summer programs, libraries, museums, and businesses, among others. Although logic models exist to describe how SLEs can make positive…

The Midwest Expansion of the Child-Parent Center Education Program (MCPC) is a pre-K to 3rd grade intervention program aimed at improving economically disadvantaged children's school success by enhancing continuity in instruction and increasing parental involvement. Opened in Chicago in the 1960s, this school reform model has undergone significant…

Making Connections was the Annie E. Casey Foundation's signature place-based, community-change initiative of the 2000s. It sought to build on previous work and launch an effort focused firmly on the framework of family strengthening. The Foundation started Making Connections in 22 places, focusing eventually on first 10, then seven sites. It…

The low representation of culturally, linguistically, and ethnically diverse (CLED) and high-poverty students in gifted and talented programs has long been an area of concern. This qualitative study investigated methods to increase successful participation of CLED students in gifted programs across the nation. Twenty-five programs were selected…

Response to intervention (RTI) can be both a system for providing early interventions to struggling students and a special education diagnostic tool for evaluating and identifying students with specific learning disabilities. Contributing to the very limited literature on state-level approaches, this report describes how nine states define and…

This guide is designed as a resource for leaders and evaluators of K-12 online learning programs. In this guide, the term "online learning" is used to refer to a range of education programs and resources in the K-12 arena, including distance learning courses offered by universities, private providers, or teachers at other schools;…

A study examining the evaluation components of merit pay programs in Illinois suggests that such components significantly influence a program's success or failure. Merit pay programs should incorporate evaluation systems tht emphasize their formal purpose, target variables related to effective teaching, and utilize sound data collection…

This collection of essays explores various arts education-specific evaluation tools, as well as considers Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the inclusion of people with disabilities in the design of evaluation instruments and strategies. Prominent evaluators Donna M. Mertens, Robert Horowitz, Dennie Palmer Wolf, and Gail Burnaford are…

The article cites data collection instruments and summarizes findings reported by IBEX, Inc., a firm under contract with Illinois' Office of Education, vocational division, to evaluate secondary consumer and homemaking education programs in Illinois in 1975. Found to be generally successful, each program's strengths, weaknesses, and most effective…

The concept of self study method in community development is discussed as it relates to anthropology, and a program conducted in Cairo, Illinois in 1956-57 is examined to determine if the self study goals were met. The ecological, historical, and geographical setting is given, along with attitudes and concerns of residents, ascertained from…

The Illinois project entitled Measurement and Evaluation of Public Library Services is being conducted by the Library Research Center (LRC) at the University of Illinois. The long range goal of the project is to make available meaningful information for the evaluation and improvement of local public libraries. Two immediate objectives are to test…

Covered in the assessment are 128 school systems having contracts for Consumer and Homemaking Education with the Division of Vocational and Technical Education (Illinois) and meeting at least one of four criteria for qualifying as disadvantaged. The evaluation followed the guidelines of the Information Based Evaluation Model (IBE) which addresses…

This double issue of "The Evaluation Exchange" focuses on one of the central components of complementary learning: family involvement. As outlined in the Theory & Practice article, investments in family involvement are important across ages and settings and through the co-constructed efforts and shared responsibilities of many…

Results of a study concerning the relationships between state policies and private college enrollments, enrollment demographics, and finance are presented. After considering national enrollment trends in the independent sector, attention is directed to the impacts on private colleges of state fiscal policies, including aid to private colleges and…

The Statewide study assesses the impact of career education in Illinois since 1970 and presents an analysis of information gathered about various career education programs and activities supported by the Illinois Divison of Vocational and Technical Education (DVTE). The initial chapter provides background information and describes the…