There is a continuing need in evaluation research for the establishment of a relationship between evaluation findings and decision making. A method is proposed for a particular situation: annual funding decisions for projects in a large grant program in vocational education. Outcome and predictive impact variables were ranked by three groups of…

An evaluation strategy is suggested which is designed to determine the effects of continuing education programs on the health care delivery system and to augment that effect. Topics dealt with include the distinctive aspects of continuing education; evaluation criteria; relationships among evaluation criteria; results of a review of literature on…

Because linkages between dissemination and the impact assessment systems are necessary to the effective implementation of research and development activities in the area of vocational education, the Department of Adult, Vocational, and Technical Education of the Illinois State Board of Education and staff from the University of Illinois will…

This annotated bibliography provides references of practical use to those concerned with infant/toddler caregiving. While many of the works cited concern quality group care for infants and toddlers, some works cited deal specifically with parenting, the parent/child relationship, and activities parents may share with their very young children. In…

The results of a survey on the characteristics of effective inservice education practices are described and presented. Conducted by the Task Force on Quality Practices in Inservice Education of the National Inservice Network (NIN), the survey is intended to provide planners with illustrations of development, implementation, and evaluation…

This packet is the last of five developed as a set of self-appraisal instruments with which teachers (and others) can systematically examine their instruction methods in communication skills. The packet contains forms for teachers, students, administrators, and parents, addressing two levels of specificity: responses to the overall communication…

Intended to help Arkansas schools implement its 1980 State Basic Skills Improvement Plan, this booklet identifies basic skills to be measured by the state and makes suggestions for incorporating these skills into the curriculum. The first section explains the Educational Assessment Act of 1979 establishing a statewide basic skills assessment…

Representatives from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas discuss the issues surrounding teacher and student competency and accountability. For each state, they review legislative policies and actions and the programs of the state education department regarding the use of competency and accountability standards. The…

A 1976-78 Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development, Centre of Educational Research and Innovation, Sparsely-Populated Areas project produced 14 case studies from 11 member countries. Fifteen basic conclusions of international relevance were identified. Conclusions were as follows: there is no single definition of rural or sparsely…

Presented is an overview of the 1979 Illinois Inventory of Educational Progress (IIEP) for eleventh-grade mathematics. The IIEP is a systematic effort by the Illinois State Board of Education to collect information on the educational achievement of Illinois students in certain areas and to make that information available to educational…

This handbook describes the procedures used to develop, administer, and analyze the results of the 1978-79 art assessment of 9-year-olds, and 17-year-olds by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The primary purpose of the handbook is to provide detailed procedural information for people interested in replicating the assessment…

To examine the durability of educational changes, researchers studied the school-related factors that promote or hinder the maintenance of classroom instructional changes beyond the initial period of change implementation. A brief review of the literature on change durability also reveals a paucity of research on the subject. The researchers…

The ways that historical factors, public policies, and changes in higher education have influenced quality evaluation, accreditation, and ethical practices in higher education are considered. It is suggested that during the last two decades relationships between government and voluntary accrediting agencies have become alienated. Regulatory and…

The functions and structure of postsecondary education at the state level, and goals and problems confronting statewide agencies are considered. Among the state-level functions are the following: short-range and long-range planning, establishing statewide management and information systems, review and approval of programs/centers of all state…

This study explored the range of future policies preferred by a selected sample of Australian educators and identified the grounds on which the preferences were based. Seventy-eight policy options for teacher education in Australia were identified through workshop participants and examination of reports of inquiries and investigations in…