The Chicago (Illinois) public school system has been undergoing a major restructuring that has shifted responsibility for running the schools to local school councils. The nine articles of this issue bring together opinions and research of a diverse group of authors with multiple perspectives on the effort. (SLD)

The six chapters of this theme issue attempt to define conceptual and methodological issues in the evaluation of integrated services systems and to begin to synthesize some of these issues. An introduction to these evaluation issues is followed by case studies and a discussion of implications for program and policy development. (SLD)

This document is comprised of the 1997 issues of a quarterly newsletter of the Harvard Family Research Project, designed to share new ideas and experiences in evaluating systems reform and comprehensive child and family services. The first issue focuses on evaluation methodology and includes articles on the following topics: (1) mixing evaluation…

This newsletter feature issue focuses on quality assurance and innovative efforts to enhance service quality for persons with developmental disabilities. Individual articles include: "Redesigning Quality Assurance" (Clarence J. Sundram); "Quality Assurance, Quality Enhancement" (Charlie Lakin et al.); "Challenging…

When a college conducts an accreditation self-study, it is best to begin by addressing basic philosophical questions about the college's mission and goals. American River College in Sacramento, California, began its process by responding to the following questions: (1) Can we be all things to all people? (2) Does open door mean open curriculum?…

The articles in this issue of Learning Quarterly, published by the Centre for Curriculum, Transfer, and Technology (British Columbia), discuss the relationship between assessment and learning. Assessment can be used for three purposes in education: (1) to evaluate and credential (grade); (2) to determine institutional effectiveness; and (3) to…

Five articles by faculty members from the Community College of Philadelphia are presented in this journal issue. "Reconstructing the Academic Environment: A Proposal for the Revision of the General Studies Curriculum," by Martin B. Spear and Dennis McGrath, offers a conceptual foundation for decision making in curriculum development for general…

A faculty opportunities audit consisting of two parallel sets of questions is presented. One set is designed to help individual faculty members assess their own professional situation and relationship to their institution; the second set is designed to help faculty leaders and administrators analyze how and to what extent their institution…

Perspectives are provided to help evaluators of health promotion programs. Eight papers present critical issues in such evaluations, including: (1) conceptual themes of program theory and context; (2) topics related to measurement, data analysis, and research design; and (3) reports of evaluation studies. (SLD)

Members of the Council of Universities and Colleges present recommendations and practical strategies in the area of curriculum development in this monograph. Louis Bender discusses strategies for curriculum revision. James Wattenbarger and Sandra Scaggs relate organization theory to the process of curriculum change. Raymond Schultz and Carl Webb…

Dealing with issues related to the assessment of community college accountability, effectiveness, efficiency, productivity, student outcomes, and quality improvement, this volume examines the practical considerations of assessment from the perspectives of state-level coordinating boards, accreditation agencies, college presidents, and…

The articles in this collection focus on processes for evaluating community college faculty and staff and highlight successful and unsuccessful evaluation practices. The collection includes: (1) "A Conceptual Framework for Staff Evaluation," by Al Smith; (2) "Evaluation of Full-Time Faculty," by Lawrence H. Poole and Donald A. Dellow; (3)…

Work-based learning (WBL) differs from work experiences gained in regular youth jobs because WBL is intentionally structured to promote learning by linking work with school. Five main purposes of WBL have been identified: enhancing students' motivation and academic achievement; increasing personal and social competence related to work in general;…

The theme of this serial issue is helping individuals involved in community health programs at the local level to devise and apply a protocol for the evaluation of a community health program. In the opening sections of the issue evaluation is defined, the difference between a direct quantifying measure and an indicator is clarified, obstacles to…

Studies suggest that the traditional technique of one-way lectures used most often by teachers results in about 42% retention after class, and 17% a week later. To improve both student learning and institutional effectiveness, colleges should support faculty development programs that expose teachers to two-way teaching and learning processes.…