In the first stage of a project to improve the general education offerings at Wayne State University (Michigan), the ad hoc committee on general education defined those basic academic skills that a general education program should promote. The process of defining and evaluating the basic skill of communication typified the process of defining and…

A follow-up study was conducted to investigate the long-term impact of using nearly $8 million of vocational education special-project funds in California community colleges. The study did not evaluate the projects themselves but assessed what had occurred afterward as a result of the funding. That is, the project identified and described program…

Evaluation, as currently practiced in vocational education, may not contribute to program improvement; in fact, it may be counterproductive. Rather than asking how evaluations can be improved, it might be better to ask if a relationship does, in fact, exist between evaluation and program improvement and, if such a relationship exists, what new…

Federal law (PL 94-142) has charged schools with the task of constructing for handicapped students individual educational programs that specify curriculum-based goals with procedures for measuring progress toward these goals. To demonstrate substantive and procedural compliance with this law, measurement and evaluation procedures must be…

In the last two decades, increasing concern has been expressed about the ability (or inability) of various governmental agencies, service organizations, and manufacturing organizations to effectively perform their tasks. Psychologists have only recently become involved in researching issues concerning the adoption, implementation, and…

This special edition contains the background material prepared for the Indian Health Service (IHS) Mental Health Program Review session of January 17-19, 1984 which reviewed the background of the Mental Health Program, assessed the major current management and programmatic issues, and developed recommendations for improving the program. The Review…

Currently, there is concern about the quality of Navy training. This concern is best exemplified by the present debate over the adequacy of "self-pacing" in Navy training courses. This paper illuminates some perceptions surrounding self-pacing in Navy training, explores some realities of Navy training, and presents a recommendation about…

Action Research on Change in Schools (ARCS) was a two-year collaborative action research project involving two groups of middle/junior high school teachers, one in Michigan and one in New Hampshire. While the purpose of the project for the university researchers was to examine individual change within the framework of collaborative action…

Written as a reference for teachers of shorthand and transcription, this instructional guide is organized into three sections. The first section discusses the administration of the stenographic program and focuses on the needs, objectives, and organization of the program. Characteristics of occupational preparation programs are also noted. Section…

A statewide census of all Colorado's handicapped citizens led to a research project which was designed to assess the vocational education and service needs of Colorado's handicapped youth and develop guidelines to modify and improve the existing secondary vocational programs to meet these needs. After collecting the data (primarily by survey), a…

This handbook provides step-by-step procedures through which a task force can examine a school's reading program and can define goals and objectives for the future. Charts are provided to aid in the following processes: gathering data about the population served; assessing the current reading program and assigning priorities for improvement;…

Although progress has been made in the past decade in dealing with social and economic problems, there are still problems that need to be addressed. These include the need to revitalize decayed urban areas, and to develop human resources in these areas. This paper suggests that a comprehensive community education approach may be part of the…

The author, Executive Director of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, examines the state of physical education in secondary school programs and presents twelve commonalities of quality physical education programs. Those common characteristics are identified as: (1) high student and staff morale; (2) frequent methods…

A sample of 4,502 airmen assigned to the security police career field were administered a test battery consisting of biographical, attitudinal, and interest measures. Using a criterion of in/out of service after a minimum period of one year on the job, regression analyses were accomplished to determine the effectiveness of the predictor…

Content summaries are presented for two national conferences (one in Washington, D.C., the other in San Francisco) designed to bring together prime sponsors, vocational educators, and representatives from industry to take a reading of how CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act) programs were progressing and to explore ways of utilizing…