Discusses a normative strategy toward pricing human services, which will allow providers to develop pricing strategies within the context of organizational missions, goals, and values. Pricing is an effective tool for distributing resources and improving efficiency, and can be used as a tool for encouraging desired patterns of service utilization.…

Applies data envelopment analysis to measure value added in Master of Business Administration education in the United States. Highlights the MBA program as an example of a value-adding process in education, and demonstrates how such programs' efficiency in providing value to students may be evaluated. The top 20 MBA programs resemble the second 20…

The need to support users of the Internet with the selection of information is becoming more important. Learners in complex, self-organising Learning Networks have similar problems and need guidance to find and select most suitable learning activities, in order to attain their lifelong learning goals in the most efficient way. Several research…

One of a series of papers on critical issues in vocational-technical education, this paper identifies and explores four issues in evaluation of vocational education: (1) Time and Performance, (2) Evaluation of Outputs and/or Outcomes, (3) Evaluation of Efficiency and Effectiveness, and (4) Policy Evaluation. (HD)

Proposes the use of the multiple criteria utility theory, a means of measuring satisfaction of predetermined evaluative criteria, quantifying their relative importance, and identifying and determining the best trade-offs among them to evaluate information systems. This method is demonstrated via the evaluation of a hypothetical selective…

Discusses four approaches to assessing training effectiveness and efficiency: resource requirement models, life cycle models, benefits models, and productivity models. Examines different ways of addressing the cost/benefits issue which could be useful in a particular training situation. Each model is analyzed in detail. (CT)

Compares three models for satellite systems in terms of design and costs in relation to other communications systems to show the most efficient and economical forms. (JMF)

This paper examines a prolonged speech treatment model for stuttering, the Camperdown Program. Sixteen participants showed minimal or no stuttering in everyday speaking situations for up to 12 months after entering the program's maintenance phase, with speech rates in the normal range. Results were achieved in a mean of 20 hours of clinic…

Encouraging continuous improvement in the quality, scale and breadth of online education, the Sloan Consortium invites practitioners to share effective practices. This report synthesizes effective practices submitted by Sloan-C members to the online collection at http://www.sloanconsortium.org/effective as of November 2010. The synthesis includes…

This paper presented preliminary findings of a 4-year study to test alternatives to the annual application and daily meal-counting procedures in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). It presents preliminary findings for school years 1990-91 and 1991-92. Data were collected from 12 pilot-site schools and school-food authorities (SFAs) to…

The Rural Initiative Program funds projects addressing specific rural education problems. Sample projects, chosen both by matching programs to selection criteria and by competition, include: staff development improvement, tele-teaching, expanded rural course offerings, and school-based entrepreneurship. This paper discusses cost analysis…

A survey of 214 county officials in 8 Washington counties examined the extent of county public service funding changes from 1978-1984. Most county officials saw state and federal requirements pre-empting local decisions about budget allocations. Over half thought that their adjustments to reduced funding increased the quality of county services.…

The focus in this book is on steering a course between rigorous definitions and theory and applied attempts to measure costs and benefits in the real world. As an introduction to the concepts underlying cost-benefit analysis, this volume is well-written and comprehensive for a book of its length. (SLD)

Discusses a postal survey of British primary headteachers showing that most principals have senior management teams (SMTs). Makes comparisons with secondary-school SMTs; summarizes heads' accounts of their teams' origin, structure and role; and presents tentative models of team decision making. Describes heads' criteria for judging team…

The article reports preliminary observations on data from six colleges on application of a regression model to help explain observed differences in instructional efficiencies of specific curricula. A major finding was that the most efficient distribution of students is in the humanities and social sciences. Tentative explanations for this finding…