Is it ethical to select clients at random for a beneficial social service, then deny the benefits to a control group for the sake of science? Participation of control groups in planning, implementation and evaluation of social programs may resolve ethical issues. (Author/CP)

A framework is described for economic evaluation of substance abuse interventions, describing addiction and treatment dynamics and highlighting therapeutic and economic endpoints. Cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses are discussed. In conjunction with a decision-tree model, economic evaluation is presented as a tool for informed resource…

Anecdotal evidence from interviews with some program managers gives evidence that unintended negative consequences of evaluations are more than a theoretical concern; they are a real problem deserving an evaluator's attention and energy. Negative consequences usually include: (1) wasted resources; (2) demotivation; and (3) program destruction and…

Describes a methodology for course development based on instructional systems design that is geared toward organizational training, including assessment, course design, research, resource allocation, instructional design, training program development, implementation, training program description, and program evaluation. (LRW)

Examination of how (and whether) particular types of institutional performance measures can be beneficially used in making resource allocation decisions finds that only easily verifiable "hard" statistics should be used in classic performance funding approaches, although surveys and the use of good practices by institutions may…

This report addresses the Florida Community College System's (FCCS) performance based on measures established by the General Appropriations Act. Discussed are: (1) FCCS' performance on the measures used in the performance-based budgeting (PBB) incentive fund; (2) improvements that can be made to the PBB incentive fund; and (3) changes to community…

A brief overview of how computer assisted instruction came into wide use and its present cost effectiveness as an instructional tool. (HB)

This resource book, designed as a planning tool for demonstration project directors, discusses the following six key elements which have application at all three stages of a demonstration project: (1) Objectives, (2) resources, (3) endorsement, (4) communications, (5) evaluation, and (6) outreach. Each of these elements is discussed within the…

This study examines the potential role of systematic analysis in administering resources within the university. Following problem identification and review of the methodology, Chapter II examines the various roles and characteristics of some of the primary decisionmakers in the university. Chapter III describes the typical characteristics of the…

Legislation requires that the Comptroller General of the U.S. develop and recommend to the Congress methods for review and evaluation of government programs carried on under existing law. This document is a first step in collecting and disseminating general concepts on these activities and how they are related to other activities in the continuum…

An industrial training cost-effectiveness model developed at Bowling Green State University and used in several practical situations is evaluated with definitions of terms, structured training program costs, training returns, and data collection and analysis procedures. The authors emphasize that money spent for structured training is an…

Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) of 1981 consolidated 29 federally funded categorical programs into an education block grant available to all state education agencies and, through them, to school districts. Chapter 2's legislative purpose was to transfer authority and responsibility to state and local education…

The Rural Initiative Program funds projects addressing specific rural education problems. Sample projects, chosen both by matching programs to selection criteria and by competition, include: staff development improvement, tele-teaching, expanded rural course offerings, and school-based entrepreneurship. This paper discusses cost analysis…

Study goals were to identify and evaluate the impact of fellowships awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts to visual artists and to provide information to help the Endowment in planning, policy development, and resource allocation for the fellowship category. Information was collected in three ways. Questionnaires were sent to 50% of all…

This monograph defines program evaluation as the process of placing a value on a program, with the two major benefits of evaluation being those of expanding the base for decisionmaking, and the providing of information to motivate the individual, or unit, to improve performance. Most importantly, program evaluation is needed to determine if a…