States, programs, and schools have long focused on the inputs of teacher preparation--the rules for candidates and the preparation programs they attend--because inputs were thought to predict teacher effectiveness, and because they were often the best option available. But in the early 2000s, policymakers began trying to evaluate preparation…

This article presents an interview with Katrina Bledsoe, a senior research associate with Planning, Research & Evaluation Services (PRES) Associates in Washington, D.C. Dr. Bledsoe was a faculty member in the Psychology Department at The College of New Jersey. She was trained under Stewart Donaldson at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) and…

The authors present the findings of an evaluation of the residential environmental education program offered by the New Jersey School of Conservation (NJSOC). Sixth-grade students (n = 419) from a large, central New Jersey school district participated in a 4-day/3-night experience. The Children's Attitudes Toward the Environment Scale (L. M.…

Rigorous research provides information that will allow other schools and districts to select interventions that have a scientifically based track record of effectiveness. All Striving Reader grants include the mandate to evaluate literacy intervention(s) targeted to adolescents who are reading significantly below grade level. Although all studies…

The Evaluation of Worker Profiling and Reemployment Services (WPRS) systems was designed to provide the U.S. Department of Labor information on how states are designing, implementing, and operating their worker profiling and reemployment services systems for dislocated workers and to compare the effectiveness of different state approaches to…

To expand and improve after-school opportunities for children, New Jersey After 3 (NJ After 3) has sought to develop and implement a comprehensive system of high-quality after-school programs throughout the state. Specifically, NJ After 3 seeks to increase the number of after-school programs in New Jersey that provide a safe environment for…

In February, 1976, the Education Policy Research Institute sponsored this conference on the use of tests in educational policy formation; these six papers were presented at that conference. In the first paper, Jenne K. Britell discusses four points that have historically characterized debates about testing; psychometric and technical issues;…

Discussion of the need for management training for librarians focuses on the New Jersey Library Leadership Institute, which was developed to provide such training for early career professional librarians working in New Jersey. Skills training, a mentoring component, and a practicum are described; and evaluation results are discussed. (LRW)

This report examines five models of school-based integrated human service programs to evaluate the effects of the programs in light of the growing support for and implementation of these programs. The study examined the following programs: (1) school-based health clinics in Baltimore (Maryland); (2) Success for All (an elementary school-level…

This handbook provides guidelines for the evaluation of compensatory and bilingual education programs in New Jersey. Each local education agency (LEA) is required to complete an annual evaluation of previous year program information for basic skills programs funded totally or in part by state and federal resources. Bilingual and…

A model for planning and evaluating community education programs--Stufflebeam's context, input, process, product (CIPP) evaluation model--was described and field-tested with the community education programs in Lakewood, New Jersey. Community education was defined as a concern for everything that affects the well-being of all citizens within a…

This survey evaluated the reading programs and reading instructors of 13 New Jersey community colleges and reviewed the research literature. Results of the survey indicate that the reading instructors, for the most part, are highly qualified. The survey found a disparity, however, between the remedial needs of typical community college students,…

Examines the national status of community college program approval procedures as revealed by a survey of community college coordinators in 42 states, and presents an analysis of attitudes of chief academic officers in New Jersey where the question of program approval and regionalization is being investigated. (AYC)

This year the Center on Education Policy analyzed data on the achievement of different groups of students in two distinct ways. First, it looked at grade 4 test results to determine whether the performance of various groups improved at three achievement levels--basic and above, proficient and above, and advanced. Second, it looked at gaps between…

The National Association for Public Continuing and Adult Education (NAPCAE) evaluated the 1971 New Jersey English as a Second Language (ESL) Institute. The 100 participants were to receive practical teaching experience in adult basic education classes composed of ESL students and emphasizing the audiolingual teaching method. The document briefly…