This report from the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Research Network Lead team provides final results from an evaluability assessment of CTE programs that feasibly could be evaluated using a rigorous experimental design. Evaluability assessments (also called feasibility studies) are used in education and other fields, such as international…

We present a case study of the process through which a methodology was developed and applied to a quasi-experimental research study that employed propensity score matching. Methodological decisions are discussed and summarized, including an explanation of the approaches selected for each step in the study as well as rationales for these…

A study which compared two groups of college students--transfers and natives--and attributed the lower academic achievement of the transfer students to their community college experience is critiqued. The study results are not valid because the groups compared are not equivalent. An alternative approach for studying transfer students is suggested.…

Describes a method of evaluation which ensures maximum yield. Mentions common pitfalls in evaluation procedures and proposes Reality-Based Evaluation (RBE) as a safeguard against them. Outlines RBE and concludes that evaluation results must play an active role in bringing about change. (JG)

Describes the uses of focus groups (i.e., a form of qualitative research involving a small group of respondents and moderator in an unstructured group discussion) in community college research. Discusses what can be learned from focus groups, focus group projects conducted in several community colleges, and problems researchers may encounter.…

Provides an annotated bibliography of 14 recent ERIC documents on focus group applications in higher education. Includes documents describing colleges that have used focus groups to assess employer and public attitudes toward the college, assess institutional effectiveness, develop programs and curricula, and learn about student experiences. Lists…

Makes a distinction between developmental and remedial programs and suggests reasons for the difficulty in evaluating these programs. Identifies basic limitations in educational research, factors found in successful programs, questions to be considered in selecting and formulating the evaluation design, and five useful educational research…

Seven problem areas where research is needed critically at the two-year institution level are identified: (1) establish reliability and stability of MIS/data base; (2) find reliable predictive instruments and/or formulae; (3) analyze support services and academic assistance objectives; (4) develop research methods to evaluate curricula; (5)…

In an effort to review the effectiveness and the impact of the Office of Institutional Research (OIR) at El Paso Community College (EPCC) and to identify and report any significant problems with the quality of service being provided to the college president and other key policy and decision makers, an evaluation plan and survey test instrument…

Over the past 25 years, five large-scale research studies of community college students have been conducted in North Carolina, involving cooperation between Duke University, North Carolina State University, and the North Carolina Department of Community Colleges. The different research strategies employed in these studies can be seen as taking one…

In 1989, the Center for the Study of Community Colleges received a grant from the Ford Foundation to assist community colleges in defining their transfer rates and collecting data to support those definitions. The Center invited 240 community colleges with at least a 20% minority enrollment to participate in a Transfer Assembly. Interested…