Practical Research-based Information from the Nation's Leading Universities
General Information about Tools and Measures
Number of unique resources found: 28
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– Evaluation –
Assessment Database from the National Institute for Early Education Research 
Author: Holmes-Lonergan, Heather A. ; Elena Bodrova; Deborah J. Leong; Jessica Thomas
Description: The Assessment Database was developed to help policy makers, early childhood education professionals, and program administrators learn more about assessments used with pre-K children. It includes standardized tests, as well as other assessment methods.
Buros Institute of Mental Measurements
Description: This is the website for the Buros Institute for Mental Measurement. Buros provides information to users of commercially published standardized tests, including the Mental Measurement Yearbook which provides reviews of these tests.
Choosing an Appropriate Assessment System
Author: Shillady, Amy
Description: This concise article compares seven different assessment tools for children ages 3-5 years. It also describes important elements such as the adaptability of the assessment system and what preparation is required.
CLAS Institute's Evaluation Tools Special Collection
Description: The Evaluation Tools Special Collection provides a listing of a variety of screening and diagnostic tools, and books about recommended practices in assessing the development of young children with and without disabilities from culturally and linguistically diverse groups.
Compendium of Assessment and Research Tools (CART)
Description: This database provides information on instruments that measure attributes associated with youth development programs. CART includes descriptions of research instruments, tools, rubrics, and guides and is intended to assist those who have an interest in studying the effectiveness of service-learning, safe and drug-free schools and communities, and other school-based youth development activities.
Database of Literature Related to Standards and Accountability Systems
Description: The SPARC project's searchable database includes documents and materials related to Standards Based Accountability Systems for the preschool population.
Early Childhood Education and School Readiness: Conceptual Models, Constructs, and Measures
Description: This document reflects the individual and collective opinions of the symposium participants from the Early Childhood Education and School Readiness Workshop, June 17-18, 2002. It contains descriptions of and recommendations for numerous assessment tools.
Evaluating the National Outcomes - Youth
Description: Includes literature reviews, abstracts describing standardized instruments and measures, program outcomes for children, youth, parent/family, adults.
Author: Chinman, Matthew; Pamela Imm; Abraham Wandersman
Description: This document contains the tools for Getting To Outcomes, including examples for needs assessments, focus groups, process evaluations, data collection and analysis, satisfaction surveys, etc.
How Can I Assess the Quality of My Program? Tools for Out-of-School Time Program Practitioners
Author: Kahn, Jordan ; Christina Theokas, Ph.D.; Jacinta Bronte-Tinkew, Ph.D.
Description: This brief identifies some of the advantages of using program quality assessment tools that have been developed for self-assessment and program improvement, and suggests a number of quality assessment tools currently available to assess program quality.
Involvement and Interaction Rating Scale: A Tool for Assessing Youth-Adult Partnerships
Author: Jones, Kenneth
Description: This interactive workshop introduces the Involvement and Interaction Rating Scale, a measurement tool that assesses perceptions and relationship experiences of youth and adult partners engaged in community affairs. Topics include demonstrating how the rating scale can help identify strengths and weaknesses of youth-adult groups, evaluate levels of youth-adult involvement and interaction and recognize characteristics of positive youth-adult relationships.
- More about "Involvement and Interaction Rating Scale: A Tool for Assessing Youth-Adult Partnerships"
Description: This report contains comprehensive information on measuring family functioning and lists the plusses and minuses of several family functioning measurement tools, including FACES. It also provides information on how to obtain the measurement tools.
Measuring Youth Program Quality: A Guide to Assessment Tools
Author: Yohalem, Nicole; Marybeth Shinn; Sean Fischer; Alicia Wilson-Ahlstrom
Description: This guide examines nine youth program quality assessment tools. For each tool, the guide provides the purpose and history, content, structure and methodology, technical properties, user considerations, and a brief description of how it are currently being used in the field. It offers guidance to practitioners, policymakers, researchers and evaluators in the after-school and youth development fields as to what options are available and what issues to consider when selecting and using a quality assessment tool.
National Network for Child Care: Child Care Evaluation and Assessment Tools
Description: This website includes examples of child care needs assessments, youth assessments, program evaluation, training, and workshop evaluation. The non-standardized instruments provided through this site were contributed by Extension educators across the country as a way to share evaluation and assessment instruments related to child care and development.
Skills-Based Instrument for Evaluating Computer Knowledge
Author: Dunn, Elizabeth; Tammy Gillespie; Rob Wilkerson; J. Gordon Arbuckle
Description: This site includes a skill-based instrument for evaluating computer knowledge, instructions for administering the evaluation, files used during the evaluation and other documentation.
The Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI-2)
Author: Bavolek, Stephen; Keene, Richard G.
Description: Used to assess the parenting attitudes and child rearing practices of adolescents and adults. Describes the five sub-scales measures: Inappropriate parental expectations; inability to demonstrate empathy towards children's needs; strong belief in the use of corporal punishment; reversing parent-child family roles; and oppressing children's will and independence. Provides online access to ordering the instrument. Available in English and Spanish.
Description: The site contains information on the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory by Stephen J. Bavolek, Ph. D. and Richard Keene, Ph. D. A valid and reliable inventory designed to assess high-risk parenting and child rearing attitudes among parent and adolescent populations. Available in Spanish.
The Test Collection at Educational Testing Service
Description: The Test Collection is a library of more than 25,000 tests and other measurement devices. This resource makes information on standardized tests and research instruments available to researchers, graduate students, and teachers.
The Words We Use: A Glossary of Terms for Early Childhood Education Standards and Assessments
Description: This glossary was developed by the Council of Chief State School Officers as a tool to help stakeholders use a common language when discussing issues related to early childhood education standards and assessment.
Wisconsin-Extension Cooperative Extension Evaluation Instruments
Description: This website contains evaluation instruments designed and/or used by the University of Wisconsin-Extension Cooperative Extension Program Development and Evaluation Unit.
– General Information –
What is Program Evaluation? Module 2: The Evaluation Question
Author: Shackman, Gene
Description: Explains the helpfulness of using a program’s logic model ,or program theory, to develop evaluation questions.
What is Program Evaluation? Module 3: Methods
Author: Shackman, Gene
Description: Advantages and disadvantages to qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods.
What is Program Evaluation? Module 4: Surveys
Author: Shackman, Gene
Description: How and when to use surveys in a program evaluation
What is Program Evaluation? Module 5: Focus Groups
Author: Shackman, Gene
Description: How focus groups, key informant interviews, and observations may be used in a program evaluation.
What is Program Evaluation? Module 6: Did the program have an effect?
Author: Shackman, Gene
Description: Determining if a program caused an outcome
– Other Resources –
Resource Spotlight: CYFAR Evaluation Community of Practice
Author: Nordby, Ann
Description: A new online community of practice brings the CYFERnet evaluation team and program staff involved in evaluation. Discussions expand on webinars and other resources from Extension and within CYFERnet.
– Professional Development –
Articulating Program Results: Using Logic Models to Identify Success
Author: Marek, Lydia
Description: Of primary importance in developing logic models is establishing and maintaining a focus on results rather than on activities. Logic models allow program professionals to clearly articulate what needs to be accomplished in their program. Understanding how a program achieves results is critical to determine if program elements should be modified and provide stakeholders with evidence that the program is effective. Logic models help program professionals, evaluators and stakeholders reach consensus about which elements are essential to the program and consequently program professionals and researchers are more able to identify faulty or implausible links early on.
Involvement and Interaction Rating Scale: A Tool for Assessing Youth-Adult Partnerships
Author: Jones, Kenneth
Description: This interactive workshop introduces the Involvement and Interaction Rating Scale, a measurement tool that assesses perceptions and relationship experiences of youth and adult partners engaged in community affairs. Topics include demonstrating how the rating scale can help identify strengths and weaknesses of youth-adult groups, evaluate levels of youth-adult involvement and interaction and recognize characteristics of positive youth-adult relationships.
- More about "Involvement and Interaction Rating Scale: A Tool for Assessing Youth-Adult Partnerships"
The Tools of the Trade: How to Find or Create the Evaluation Tools You Need
Author: McDonald, Daniel; Peterson, Donna J.
Description: In evaluation, selecting the best tools for the job is often the biggest hurdle. This workshop, presented at the CYFAR 2008 Conference, introduced strategies to locate and critique evaluation instruments on CYFERnet and elsewhere and discussed the creation and distribution of electronic surveys. The powerpoint presentation and a resource handout are available to be downloaded.
– Research –
Description: The site contains information on the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory by Stephen J. Bavolek, Ph. D. and Richard Keene, Ph. D. A valid and reliable inventory designed to assess high-risk parenting and child rearing attitudes among parent and adolescent populations. Available in Spanish.