Modern computing technology makes it possible for governments at all levels to use the data they already collect to improve service coordination and delivery, and to conduct research and evaluation to inform policymaking. California is well behind other states in taking advantage of this opportunity, in education and in other fields. The state has…

Many states and school districts are rethinking how they do educational assessment. A few are going further: attempting to build "balanced," "comprehensive," or "next-generation" assessment systems. At the same time, practitioners and researchers have long mulled the purposes and parts such systems should have. But…

Systematic evaluation is an essential tool for understanding program effectiveness. This article describes the pilot test of a statewide evaluation tool for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed). A computer algorithm helped Community Nutrition Educators (CNEs) build surveys specific to their varied educational settings…

This fall, the nine states that finished as runners up in last year's groundbreaking Race to the Top competition will have an opportunity to reapply for a grant. The winners will receive a combined $200 million to help implement the bold education reform plans they developed last year. Many of the eligible states already have clear roadmaps toward…

Student achievement depends upon successful passage through a series of transitions: elementary to middle school, middle school to high school, high school to college. Increasing the efficiency of successful transitions requires the collection and analysis of student data across these transition points. Yet long-standing separations between…

In 2001, Indiana officials at the Department of Education were taking stock. The schools had an excellent network infrastructure and had installed significant numbers of computers for 1 million public school enrollees. Yet students were spending less than an hour a week on the computer. It was then that state officials knew each student needed a…

Outlines implications of educational reform initiatives for psychologists and discusses the roles they can play in the process of educational reform. The experience of Kentucky with its Kentucky Educational Reform Act serves as an example of the systemic education reform efforts many states are undertaking and illustrates the importance of…

Stung by a critical industry report, Oklahoma vocational educators decided that a complete overhaul of their adult program was the quickest way to strengthen their total vocational program. (Editor)

Description of the history of a statewide interlibrary loan and electronic mail telecommunications network highlights difficulties and reinforces the idea that off-the-shelf systems are preferable to in-house system development. Recommendations include: solicit expert technical advice (including review by an independent programmer); choose…

Almost every state has in place a state assessment and accountability system. These systems vary greatly in their characteristics but share a common global purpose of improving teaching and learning. Some of the variations in the state systems are discussed and illustrated with examples from selected states. Issues that are critical to the value…

Of the twenty-three vocational education projects funded during fiscal year 1975 under the U.S. Office of Education priority "Management Information Systems," the sixteen project reports available for review are analyzed in this report. Focus is on management information system development efforts as described in the reports, the intent…

A SEVEN MAN EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION COMMISSION WAS RESPONSIBLE TO THE LEGISLATURE FOR THE OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM. THE COMMISSION'S POLICY INCLUDED EMPLOYMENT OF THE FINEST TEACHERS AVAILABLE FOR THE ESSENTIAL BASIC SUBJECTS, ENCOURAGEMENT OF TV TEACHERS TO EXTEND THEIR SCOPE OF INSTRUCTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNIQUES, ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CLOSEST…

STATE- AND FEDERAL-LEVEL DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS WERE DEVELOPED FOR A SYSTEM CAPABLE OF COLLECTING AND REDUCING NATIONWIDE STATISTICAL DATA ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION. THESE SPECIFICATIONS WERE EXPECTED TO PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR THE ADOPTION BY ALL STATES OF AN INFORMATION REPORTING SYSTEM THAT WOULD MEET BOTH PRESENT AND FUTURE FEDERAL REPORTING…

Planning methodology should concentrate first on outcomes before emphasizing inputs and processes. In developing a plan for planning for a State community college system, such questions as these must be answered: why plan? who plans? what is to be included in the planning? what is the time frame for planning? Five general processes, each a…

By comparing supply and demand data for each of 142 occupational categories, Pennsylvania program planners can spot critical shortages in any of the Commonwealth's major labor markets. (Editor)