The results of a major study on the topic of evaluation and decision making which was conducted at the Center for the Study of Evaluation are presented. The purpose of this paper is to explain what we know about independent educational accomplishment audits and the manner in which they have been carried out. As part of the larger study cited…

A series of workshops to help British nurses learn to appraise research and use it in practice was evaluated through questionnaires and study of three workshop sites. The programs effectively reduced fear and increased understanding of research, overcoming the problem of jargon. Critical appraisal skills were improved. (SK)

This study investigated the experiences of colleges and universities in implementing the 1971 Guidelines for Teacher Certification. The study was designed to identify the strengths, weaknesses, and major concerns that have resulted from the experiences of the colleges and universities; to collate the experiences into general statements, thus…

Traces some of the important changes in Extension in the past 35 years. Examines and compares four long-range evaluations of Extension: (1) Joint Committee Report on Extension Programs, Policies, and Goals (1948), (2) A Statement of Scope and Responsibility (1958), (3) A People and a Spirit (1968), and (4) Extension in the 80s (1983). (JOW)

An existing research framework for alternative inservice teacher education was examined for applicability to career and technical education. Interviews with 27 students, administrators, and staff validated 5 framework elements (ability to explain program goals, attitudes, program structure, application of current research, and arrangements for…

This report summarizes the major activities and findings to date of the Career Ladders Research and Evaluation Project with respect to the five-year pilot-test currently underway in Arizona. Summary descriptions are given of each year's activities from 1985 to 1989: (1) development and planning for program evaluation; (2) application of research…

One means of ensuring the desired impact of educational research is continuity. This factor has several dimensions: continuity of effort, goals, funding, results, evaluation, and impact specifications. (SK)

Data on people with disabilities can be used to confirm service needs and to evaluate the resulting impact of services. Disability statistics from surveys and administrative records can play a meaningful role in such efforts. In this article, the authors describe the array of available data and statistics and their potential uses in rehabilitation…

This paper examines the effect of a formal evaluation process upon educational change--specifically, the adoption of innovative reading programs and practices--at different organizational levels of implementation. Because of the size of the project (62 school systems, 142 designated schools, three sets of categorical funded projects), the…

Managerial style has implications for program evaluators who wish teir work to be utilized in the decision-making process. This article characterizes managerial behavior in general, and draws some inferences as to how utilization would proceed and how it might be increased. (Author/CTM)

Concludes that program evaluators have to be advocates of their results, active in bringing them to the attention of others, and willing to identify publicly any policy and practical implications. Such dedication to communication and dissemination cannot help but promote utilization. (Author/AM)

This article explores the utilization of qualitative methodologies in program evaluation, the rationale for using these approaches, and the potential qualitative applications within evaluation. It also describes the "scientific" and "artistic" qualitative methodologies, suggests practical qualitative application, and calls for…

Briefly describes the content, organization, and multiple influences on the 4-H program in relation to a national program evaluation. Discusses influences of the sponsors and evaluators on the evaluation and problems encountered because of competing values and perceptions. Reviews evaluation findings and speculates on the utilization of the…

Using the Cognitive Research Trust (CoRT) Thinking Project as an illustration, two problems are discussed: the difficulty of deciding just what to investigate, and how to control the continual development that is necessary throughout the duration of a project. (BW)

Twelve specific suggestions for evaluators concerning development, presentation, and followup of improved evaluation recommendations are discussed. Offering effective recommendations requires special skills that need to be recognized, studied carefully, and passed along to practitioners and students. (TJH)