This document gathers together nine papers prepared in conjunction with a series of four seminars, held from January through May 1982, on the Role of Technical Assistance in the Long Range Plan for School Improvement. The seminars included participants from higher education, intermediate units, and public school superintendents. The following…

The development and validation of the Home Learning Environment Profile (HLEP) are outlined. The HLEP instrument was designed to assess successful preschool home educational programs for Hawaiian families. The instrument covers sociodemographic, cultural, and environmental factors of Hawaiian families. After an extensive review of published…

A summary is provided of the content and outcomes of a workshop on institutional effectiveness conducted by five major California community college associations. Introductory comments by Robert D. Jensen and Julie Slark explain the reasons for the increased interest in educational quality, including the decreasing dollars in the public purse and…

Five essays selected from 70 papers and books spanning 30 years in the publishing life of W. Bryan Dockrell are presented. The essays concentrate on three themes within the field of educational evaluation--attainment, assessment, and reporting. Perspectives and practices in different countries are provided. The essays include: (1) "The…

The report evaluates the impact of present education laws on deaf and hard-of-hearing children in Washington State and clarifies issues that require action. Recommendations are cited for improvements in placement decisions (in the context of least restrictive environment), support services, early intervention, and referral and assessment. Standard…

As part of an annual statewide evaluation process, quantitative information on community college education is reviewed by the Maryland State Board for Community Colleges. Subsequently, in particular cases, a qualitative assessment is conducted by individual colleges in response to specific questions raised by the Board. This report provides the…

Designed as the first in a proposed set of three documents to be used to review elementary school programs in California, this guide describes the quality criteria used to judge program effectiveness for students. Criteria for a quality school program are provided in 13 areas: reading; written language; school effectiveness; special needs; oral…

This booklet describes the test development process used to upgrade New Jersey's basic skills competency test, the High School Proficiency Test (HSPT). Ninth-grade students in New Jersey public schools must pass this test of reading, writing, and mathematics skills in order to receive a state endorsed high school diploma. Test development…

After explaining why more choice among schools is a good idea, this paper provides details and evaluations of state plans for increasing choice in schools, delineates the characteristics of a desirable school choice plan, and advises parents on choosing schools. Current school choice policies in the following states are briefly summarized: Alaska,…

A compilation of six committee reports and preliminary recommendations based on a statewide study of the status of Japanese language and culture in Wisconsin, these reports identify plans that are in various stages of development for inclusion in public school secondary school programs. The first report contains recommendations for: (1) the…

In the spring of 1985, the Oregon Department of Education conducted an assessment of eighth grade students' skills in writing, reading, and mathematics. This report provides results for the mathematics portion of the assessment under these headings: (1) arithmetic skills; (2) estimation; (3) geometry and measurement; (4) application; (5)…

A dilemma arises in the attempt to establish procedures for valid assessment of academic learning. Measures of learning with high pedagogical validity often have poor psychometric properties. Conversely, tests that are well-constructed by psychometric standards may succeed in sorting and ordering students or schools, but have little pedagogical…

Because not all approaches to evaluating pupil achievement evaluate in the same facets of development, many methods are necessary to assess learner achievement in the different curriculum areas of the elementary school. This paper examines methods of evaluating pupil achievement, including: work samples, checklists, rating scales, sociometric…

The Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) Exit Level Reading Test is based on ten behavioral objectives that fall under six skill areas. Satisfactory performance on this test is required for high school graduation in Texas. This document, intended for teachers and test developers, presents general testing instructions and…

These proceedings consist of the following presentations and discussion papers: "Extension Research Needs in Evalaution" (Michael Patton); "Needed Research in Program Development" (Roger Lawrence); "The Cooperative Extension Service: A National Assessment" (Paul Warner); "National Study of Extension's Research…