The Education Amendments of 1976, Public Law 94-482, which revised the Vocational Education Act (VEA) of 1963, introduced major new requirements for the evaluation of federally funded vocational education programs. This paper describes the activities stimulated by these evaluation requirements and shows how evaluation results are used to revise…

To increase the possibility for successful programs and to determine the validity of the concept of bilingual education for limited English-speaking children, this discussion centers on issues which militate against full-scale implementation of bilingual education programs in some school districts. The narrative defines innovation as an "entity…

The purpose of this monograph is to assist project personnel in improving and measuring the effectiveness of vocational education demonstration projects. The first of four chapters discusses how the monograph is organized and why and how it was developed. Chapter 2 presents an evaluation model containing criteria, standards, and documentation…

The Technical Assistance Unit (TAU) is one of six work components in the Field Relations and Dissemination Work Unit (FRDWU) of the Improving Teaching Competencies Program (ITCP) of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL). TAU established the following objectives: (1) to provide technical assistance for any interested users of ITCP…

An evaluation research capability was used to document the design and implementation of two programs in a large urban school district. This paper describes the research context, the origins of the role of resident evaluator, the broad functions of this role, and factors contributing to the usefulness of this approach. (BW)

After two years of unsuccessful pilot programs for e-portfolio development within the Teacher Education Department at the University of Indianapolis, implementation of an INTASC (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium) standards-based assessment system including digital portfolio building using TaskStream (TS) seems to hold…

"Zero to Three" is a single-focus bulletin of the National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families providing insight from multiple disciplines on the development of infants, toddlers, and their families. Compiling articles from participants of the Leadership Development Initiative Class of 2001-2002, this issue focuses on evaluation…

The Academic Libraries Survey (ALS) was established in 1966 to collect concise information on library resources, services, and expenditures for the entire population of academic libraries in the United States. The ALS is conducted every 2 years as a cooperative venture of the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Commerce, Bureau of…

This article reviews barriers to the recognition of and assistance for gifted and talented Black students, focusing on inadequate definitions, theories, and identification procedures. Rationales are presented for reexamining current definitions and broadening the theories of giftedness to include more Blacks. Recommendations are provided for…

An overview is presented on action research and practical inquiry, with attention to the initial phase of starting this approach, gathering data, analyzing the results, sharing findings, and judging the quality of action research and practical inquiry. Gifted education practitioners are encouraged to share action research findings. (SW)

In its effort to simplify the accreditation process, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education has limited the amount of documentation that a program can use to support its efforts for accreditation. With this "no frills" approach, the rubrics or scoring guides that accompany assessments provide critical information about the…

Higher education is influenced significantly by regional and disciplinary accrediting organizations. Regional accrediting organizations accredit entire institutions, while disciplinary accreditors approve programs within those institutions. All accrediting organizations require institutions and programs to examine their educational effectiveness…

Extensive practice and research in program evaluation have led to this eight-step process that a professional developer can use to determine a program's effectiveness and strengthen the program as it evolves. An unbiased, systematic process of evaluation can help justify putting resources into professional learning and make it easier to determine…

When a one-class-at-a-time approach can't address a pervasive discipline problem, you need this book to implement a schoolwide solution. In this follow-up to "The Educator's Guide to Preventing and Solving Discipline Problems", the authors provide you with a research-based model to help your school: (1) Build positive relationships with students;…

This product checklist can be used to determine whether a particular workplace literacy product (such as a series of instructional workbooks, curriculum guides, or computerized instructional systems), follows best practice and will meet the needs of a particular business firm and build the productive capacity of its employees. The checklist was…