Ten major types of evaluation used at Britain's Open University are outlined, including assessment of access, needs, courses, student progress, tutors and counselors, instructional media, computer assisted instruction, other new technologies, and academic staff. References for further reading are provided. (MSE)

Every year, thousands of new teachers pass through hundreds of different teacher preparation programs and are hired to teach in the nation's schools. In recent years, alternative programs have expanded rapidly. Despite the expansion of these new routes into teaching, little research exists to provide guidance on the effectiveness of different…

Austin Community College contracted with MGT of America, Inc. in spring 1999 to develop a peer and benchmark (best) practices analysis on key indicators. These indicators were updated in spring 2002 using data from eight Texas community colleges and four non-Texas institutions that represent large, comprehensive, urban community colleges, similar…

This book examines approaches, techniques, and instruments that relate to the evaluation of training and development in the context of higher education in the United Kingdom (UK), focusing on the importance of identifying the purpose of the evaluation as an initial step. Some financial evaluation methods are also considered. It is suggested that…

This review of the literature discusses contemporary theories and models of action research that are being used by university faculty who are working with administrators and teachers to plan and conduct school-and classroom-based action research projects. The books that are reviewed provide educators with a variety of models for planning and…

This report assesses implementation, knowledge, understanding, and use of the National Record of Achievement (NRA) in all sectors in Scotland in 1995. The report also seeks to identify problem areas and examples of good practice and make recommendations for the future development and promotion of the NRA in Scotland. The NRA is a United…

This handbook offers extensive guidance in evaluating programs under the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, particularly bilingual education programs under Title VII. It is divided into five sections. The first provides an overview of the handbook and some useful definitions. The second section provides background information about and…

This book posits that "plain talk" is needed on the subject of evaluation in vocational education and training. In the first chapter, conceptual issues are discussed. Chapter 2 focuses on the reasons for, and methods of, evaluation. Chapter 3 presents and assesses the value of a broad range of evaluation techniques, including outcome measures,…

This book describes an effort by Jobs for the Future (JFF) to help communities keep their school-to-career reform efforts on track through a process of goal setting and measurement that sets realistic and achievable reforms while still building toward fundamental educational change. The process is called "benchmarking," and those involved must:…

This document presents practical guidelines for evaluating community-based adult leaning projects in the United Kingdom to document their impacts. The guide provides frameworks, terms of reference, examples of methods used by community-based projects, ways of demonstrating project impact, and a range of evaluation tools. Sections 1 through 10…

This monograph reports on a qualitative evaluation of the Together We're Better (TWB) program, an effort in Minnesota to develop an inclusive, positive, supportive educational system. The TWB project focused on: (1) general education/special education collaboration within the state department of education; (2) district partnerships; (3) personnel…

This report describes the genesis, definition and use of the Personal Outcomes database, a database designed to assess whether programs and services are being effective in helping individuals with disabilities. The database is based on 25 outcome measures in seven domains, including: (1) identity, which is designed to provide a sense of how people…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the nation's only ongoing survey of what students know and can do in various academic subject areas. This report summarizes the results of the 1998 NAEP civics assessment for the nation. The results are based on an assessment of students at grade 4, grade 8, and grade 12. Students'…

The 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) civics assessment contained a combination of multiple-choice and open-ended questions. Each student participating in the assessment received two 25-minute sections of questions. Most civics questions measured both knowledge and intellectual skills. In addition, some questions measured…

Three staff development evaluation techniques are presented as alternatives to satisfaction questionnaires. The techniques--stages of concern, levels of use, and component assessment-- underscore the ideas that: (1) New teaching skills will be used in the classroom; (2) Finding out about classroom practices requires individual interaction with…