We present findings from an analysis of the Calculus Concept Inventory. Analysis of data from over 1500 students across four institutions indicates that there are deficiencies in the instrument. The analysis showed the data is consistent with a unidimensional model and does not have strong enough reliability for its intended use. This finding…

Social skills function as a vehicle by which we negotiate important relationships and navigate the transition from childhood into the educational and professional experiences of early adulthood. Yet, for individuals who are deaf, access to these opportunities may vary depending on their preferred language modality, family language use, and…

The purpose of this investigation is to tell the story of how six states are developing Programs of Study (POS) as mandated by the Perkins IV federal legislation. The authors' effort focuses on how states' technical assistance systems evolved and what successes and challenges existed for states developing POS. There was no intent to compare one…

This brief presents the results of a national study designed to inventory state agency approval policies and procedures for postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs (Merkley & Johnston, forthcoming). The study was limited to the states' approval of CTE programs implemented by public, two-year degree-granting institutions and did…

A project was conducted to validate program standards and performance standards for four postsecondary occupational areas--fashion merchandising, fashion design, apparel, and window treatment services. Returns from 117 questionnaires from postsecondary institutions in fifty states were used to develop program standards statements and to provide…

Although there are many reasons to evaluate training and development (T & D) programs, it is often time-consuming and expensive to do so. However, evaluations can be conducted by an auditing approach. The auditing approach to evaluating T & D offers three advantages. Auditing is quicker and less expensive than traditional methods, and it uses a…

A job analysis to determine the technical functions of the job of mechanic in a utility company resulted in a Technical Competence Specification (TCS). The TCS identified the significant knowledge and skills organized into content domains. A content-related validation procedure determined the relevance of the mechanic training program content and…

A study investigated the relationship between existing machine shop engineering programs in technical colleges and the requirements of industry in Zimbabwe. Data were collected from the principals, department headmasters, and a sample of lecturers and students at two colleges, and from personnel managers and workshop managers at nine companies…

This article outlines the development and trial of peer assessment procedures for implementation within a music performance context in the Australian tertiary environment. An overview of the literature on peer assessment is presented, followed by reference to specific trials of peer assessment within a tertiary music student context. The paper…

The University of Kentucky Engaging Differences (UK-ED) project focused on developing, evaluating, and disseminating a web-based performance support system (WPSS) to enhance accommodations provided by personnel at the University of Kentucky (UK), the Lexington Community College (LCC), and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System…

Results of a national project to examine programs designed to aid college and university students not adequately prepared for postsecondary education are reported. Ten associate institutions were selected to form a consortium on the basis of evidence of success from relatively small, special programs for underprepared students. The programs…

A study evaluated the approach used for validation of job profiles for curriculum development in three health care programs in the Netherlands: dietetics, podotherapy, and activity therapy. It also evaluated the quality of these job profiles and the relation between process and product quality. The validation approach used was a practical…

A comparative followup study had two major purposes: (1) to determine how successful the mainstreamed special needs graduate is in the world of work in comparison with the regular vocational school graduate and (2) to determine the validity of the mainstreaming program at the Ocean County Vocational-Technical School. Two components of the study…

Designed for use by area vocational-technical schools and other vocational programs, this project developed courses of study in eight occupational areas: commercial art, appliance repair, automotive mechanics, graphic arts, building trades maintenance, building construction trades, diesel mechanics, and welding. Course-of-study development…

A three-year career education project involving grades 1-14 in twenty schools was undertaken to continue and expand the development and implementation of new and proven career education and guidance concepts, to demonstrate the process used in developing and implementing these concepts, and to provide a visible and transportable model of career…