Purpose: The purposes of this paper are to provide a description of AI and to document and compare two applications of AI, one in program evaluation and another in an applied research study. Design/methodology/approach: Focus groups, interviews and observations were used to gather rich qualitative data which was used to detail Appreciative…

Since its inception in 2002, the National Center for Education Research (NCER) in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has funded over 700 education research grants and over 60 education training grants. The research grants have supported exploratory research to build theory or generate hypotheses on factors that may affect educational…

Latent growth modeling (LGM) has emerged as a flexible analytic technique for modeling change over time because it can describe individual variability in terms of initial status and in growth. LGM methodology can also provide a means for testing the contribution of other variables in order to explain variability in those initial levels and growth…

Illustrates the use of latent growth modeling (LGM) as an analytical tool in program evaluation using the hypothetical example of a high school drug prevention program. Demonstrates the use of LGM in assessing longitudinal impact and in incorporating predictors of status and growth into a model. Highlights advantages and limitations of LGM. (SLD)

The School Attendance Demonstration Project (SADP) was designed to improve school attendance among teenagers receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) benefits in San Diego County, California. An impact study was conducted from March 10, 1996 to March 10, 1998, to evaluate the effects of providing social services and imposing…

This manual, developed in an effort to take the mysticism out of program evaluation, discusses six phases of the program evaluation process. The introduction discusses reasons for evaluation, process and outcome evaluation, the purpose of the handbook, the evaluation process, and the Sequoia United School District Dropout Prevention Program. Phase…

The concept of "preevaluative research" is examined in the context of a museum exhibition evaluation. It is viewed as distinct from an evaluability assessment. The exhibit preevaluative study indicates that instrumentation and implementation issues are likely to benefit from such activities, but that design and analysis may suffer.…

Practical methods for implementing true experimental designs in evaluation settings in which such designs are rarely used are presented. Particular attention is paid to educational settings. (Author/JKS)

Arguing that photo-interviewing yields richer data than that usually obtained from verbal interviewing procedures alone, it is proposed that this method of data collection be added to "standard" methodologies in instructional development research and evaluation. The process, as described in this paper, consists of using photographs of…

This research proposal is designed for the Montgomery County, Maryland, Public School System with the aim of documenting and analyzing changes that occur when 14 of the 22 high schools in the system switch from a six- to a seven-period schedule. The seven-period time table is being adopted in order to (1) allow students taking full academic loads…

This guide is designed to assist Missouri school district personnel in conducting follow-up studies of special education graduates. The guide outlines the questions that need to be addressed prior to conducting a follow-up study as well as the procedures to complete such a project. Sample follow-up questionnaires are included for districts to…

The Boeing Company is involved in partnerships with Washington state schools in the area of applied academics. Over the past 3 years, Boeing offered grants to 57 high schools to implement applied mathematics, applied communication, and principles of technology courses. Part 1 of this paper gives an overview of applied academics by examining what…

This paper contributes to the knowledge about the effects that magnet schools have on improving educational quality. The history of magnet schools in American education is examined, linking it with several recent movements to reform and reorganize schooling. A synthesis of research findings from 12 district studies of magnet schools and various…

The Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act (Perkins III) directs state and local education providers to improve vocational and technical education programs. Most of these improvements are aimed directly at changing what teachers do and what and how students learn. The National Assessment of Vocational Education (NAVE) is charged…

The outcome evaluation of a Drug-Free Schools and Community Program using a case-study design and pattern-matching logic in elementary schools and high schools is described, including the use of a panel survey and qualitative interviews. The elementary school case matched predicted outcome, but the high school case did not. (SLD)