Training of managers in program planning and evaluation: Comparison of two approaches.

Two programmatic approaches to the training of public school managers in program planning and evaluation were compared. An Active learning Pmgram (ALP), that emphasized discussion, behavioral rehearsal, 'and social reinforcement and feedback, was implemented in a public school district with five curriculum supervisors. It was compared with an Instructions Oriented Program (IOP), that emphasized lectures and discussions and was implemented in another school district with five curriculum supervisors. Both programs consisted of four, two-hour training sessions held during four consecutive weeks. Results indicated that the ALP was more effective than the IOP. Moreover, the usefulness of evaluable programs for classroom-level educational programming was socially validated by a sample of classroom teachers. Lastly, participants in the ALP expressed a greater degree of satisfaction with the training than those in the IOP.