Includes materials from both presentations. Case study method has enormous potential to inform evaluations of school- and district-based educational programs specifically, as the institution of public schools in the United States represents a unique and diverse structure that compels careful consideration of contextual limitations and opportunities. This session will draw on implementation studies of two school-based initiatives to illustrate how the choice and execution of case study method can enhance the rigor of education research, particularly in a climate of increasing accountability and pressure to produce improved academic outcomes. In this era of high stakes assessments and outcomes-focused research and policy, it is important not to lose sight of the contributions that in-depth implementation research can provide. Case study research is an important approach to capturing the contextual factors specific to implementation of educational programs, and thereby enhancing the applicability of findings from outcome evaluations. #2011Conference #QualitativeMethods #Prek-12EducationalEvaluation #CaseStudyMethods