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This paper introduces a variation on the post-test only cohort control design and addresses questions concerning both the methodological credibility and the practical utility of employing this design variation in evaluations of large-scale complex professional development programmes in mathematics education. The original design and design variation, which adds a pre-test measure and gain scores for both pre-treatment and post-treatment conditions, are compared theoretically for their respective controls on threats to internal validity, and practically for their comparative ease of implementation in field settings. We conclude that the design variation adds important controls to selection bias that the original design cannot. From a utility perspective, however, there are trade-offs, because this design variation requires more data collection observations, more complex data management and certain psychometric characteristics for the outcome measure.

The academic content of graduate preparation programs and the competencies they instill in their graduates is central to the quality and competence of student affairs practitioners within colleges and universities. The focus of this study was to gain additional understanding of what professional competencies were considered important for entry level practitioners by student affairs administrators and preparation program faculty, and whether these competencies were expected to be attained in either preparation programs or on the job. Significant differences were found between the three surveyed groups related to both importance and where the competencies were expected to be attained. These findings have implications for both preparation programs and the mentoring role of supervising administrators.

The authors compared the achievement of children who were enrolled in full-day kindergarten (FDK) to a matched sample of students who were enrolled in half-day kindergarten (HDK) on mathematics and reading achievement in Grades 2, 3, and 4, several years after they left kindergarten. Results showed that FDK students demonstrated significantly higher achievement at the end of kindergarten than did their HDK counterparts, but that advantage disappeared quickly by the end of first grade. Interpretations and implications are given for that finding.

Under the Educator Licensing Act passed by the Colorado General Assembly in 1991, the professional standards that must be acquired by Colorado teachers, administrators, and support personnel were redefined. Accompanying those standards was a change in the assessment process used to certify the educators—from the California Achievement Test (1998) to the PLACE (Program for Licensing Assessments for Colorado Educators; National Evaluation Systems, Inc., 1998) tests. Findings are reported from a validity analysis of 7 iterations of those tests, which occurred 3 times each year (October 1994–October 1996, inclusive), from 5 of the 17 Colorado teacher training institutions that prepare teachers. Results are generally favorable and are reported in terms of policy decisions on a variety of issues.