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…

Study goals were to identify and evaluate the impact of fellowships awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts to visual artists and to provide information to help the Endowment in planning, policy development, and resource allocation for the fellowship category. Information was collected in three ways. Questionnaires were sent to 50% of all…

This monograph defines program evaluation as the process of placing a value on a program, with the two major benefits of evaluation being those of expanding the base for decisionmaking, and the providing of information to motivate the individual, or unit, to improve performance. Most importantly, program evaluation is needed to determine if a…

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive study of postdoctoral education at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). The purpose of the study was to determine the basic facts about postdoctoral education at UCSD, so that those entrusted with academic, administrative, and legislative responsibilities regarding postdoctoral…

If properly handled, reallocation can provide a rich opportunity for enhancing quality, but there is no easy way to reallocate resources. Planning will remain the key to resolving the thorniest issues of reduction. (Author/MLW)

Not all data for a program evaluation may be equally valuable, and costs of collection may vary when using several methods to obtain data from several sources. An approach to maximize information yield for a fixed, limited budget using a mathematical technique known as linear programming is described and generalized. (Author/CM)

Describes a study conducted in Indiana to determine the effectiveness of the Division of Instructional Media in administering ESEA Title IV-B in the public schools. Results showing the characteristics of respondents and their degrees of satisfaction are discussed, and recommendations for some minor improvements are presented. References are…

Surveys carried out by Boston University focusing on alumni relations are discussed. The goal of the survey was to create an information base of attitudinal and marketing data on which to base program recommendations. The findings of the survey and program implementations are explained. (Author/SF)

The 1988 Chicago reforms require the school system to raise its student achievement levels to national norms in five years, reallocate resources away from the administration and toward schools, and establish local school councils as the basis for school-based management. So far, this reform implementation has not significantly affected student…

For most academic institutions, selecting and/or designing a Program Assessment methodology for Assurance of Learning is a challenging task. This paper describes the steps taken to establish goals, values and criteria driving this process for a College of Business. In this case analysis, we document the options we explored in finding the right…

This fact sheet summarizes data gathered in the 2009 survey of National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant recipients. Conducted by The Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University, this was the tenth annual survey of ATE projects and centers. Included here are statistics about the program's grantees and…

Assessment strategies that colleges and universities design to evaluate the effectiveness of their academic programs should be compatible with other institutional improvement strategies. This paper stems from work done by the Outcomes Assessment Project in International Education, a project that attempts to assist institutions in measuring the…

Implementation of a systematic approach to allocation of limited resources for the accomplishment of priority objectives for the St. Louis Park Public Schools (St. Louis Park, Minnesota) was established in 1986, in an effort to provide enhanced, understandable financial reporting and to demonstrate that school district resources are being used to…

In response to a provision of the Education Amendments of 1978 concerning evaluation practices and procedures, this report examines four aspects of evaluation in education which focus on how funds allocated to evaluation can be spent more effectively and yield more useful results. On this basis, groups of recommendations are made to both Congress…