This study describes the state of postsecondary assessment in Maryland, identifies cognitive or noncognitive areas assessed, investigates perceptions about the role of the institutional researcher in assessment activities, and analyzes information to guide the formation of an assessment consortium. The paper serves as a case study of the types of…

Excerpts are taken from published works, college curricula and handbooks, and other sources to examine the aim of colleges in terms of student outcomes. Written in outline style, the document begins by setting a context. Subsequent sections have the following headings: (1) What Outcomes or Characteristics Do We Think Our Students Will Need To Be…

The implementation of research design in studies on substance abuse education is discussed in this meta-analysis. Findings indicate that the quality of research design is constrained by negative feedback from evaluation stakeholders. This finding is applied to an evaluation of the Here's Looking at You, 2000 drug education program currently…

The book deals with the concept of quality of life for persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Part I, "Quality of Life: Personal Perspectives," contains "A Dream for Myself" (Connie Martinez); "Reflections on My Quality of Life: Then and Now" (Nancy Ward); "Quality of Life versus Quality…

The English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) Teacher Institute, created in 1980, is a staff development program for preparing instructors to use ESL techniques and materials. The Institute is for beginning and inexperienced ESL teachers. An evaluation of the 1986-87 institute was undertaken to determine the institute's impact on instructors' abilities…

Methods for predicting specific college course grades, based on small numbers of observations, were investigated. These methods use collateral information across potentially diverse institutions to obtain refined within-group parameter estimates. One method, referred to as pooled least squares with adjusted intercepts, assumes that slopes and…

This issue of a quarterly newsletter focuses on alternative assessment methods in adult basic education. It is occasioned, as explained in the opening editorial, by the announcement of the requirement for use of the 1987 edition of the Tests of Adult Basic Education for pre- and posttesting of basic education students in New York City, beginning…

The intention of this report is to build a strong case for a portfolio approach to assessment of reading and writing during the middle school years. A portfolio is both a collection of the artifacts of students' reading and writing and a disposition toward assessment. This disposition is characterized by the belief that assessment must be…

The role of survey data in assessing teacher supply, demand, and shortage is illustrated through a description of the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) of the National Center for Education Statistics. This survey exemplifies a method that involves: (1) a sample survey; (2) representative surveys; (3) cross-sectional surveys; and (4) comprehensive…

This guide provides a framework for planning the triennial evaluation of students in the state of New York who receive special education services to determine whether there is a continuing need for those services. Following an introductory section which explains the rationale and basic requirements for such an evaluation, recommendations are made…

A model for evaluating agricultural teacher education programs was developed and tested. The quality of the program was indicated by members of the profession, who were asked to list, in rank order, the top 10 college programs and to give reasons for their rankings. Program rankings were also compared with the faculty rank of the respondents,…

A study investigated the presentation of values in children's books, using a scale that was developed specifically for the study. The values categories of the scale were (1) positive behavior, (2) positive feelings, (3) negative behavior, (4) negative feelings, (5) Judeo-Christian religious values, (6) other religious values, (7) traditional…

Results of a campus-wide assessment of the writing skills of students at Ferris State College (Michigan) are presented. In fall 1985 and spring 1986, incoming freshmen produced writing samples in English classes. Upper-division students in the following programs also produced writing samples: allied health, arts and sciences, business, education,…

This study was designed to obtain descriptive data on the classroom evaluation practices of secondary teachers in two different public school systems. A self-report survey instrument was employed to collect data from 217 teachers in York, England, and 217 teachers in Minnesota. Respondents were asked to indicate which specific techniques they…

Applications of the qualitative approach in the evaluation of special education and second language programs are addressed in this paper. Qualitative data are recommended for providing detailed descriptions of specific program elements, and can be obtained through interviews, observations, case studies, and ethnographic studies. Six evaluation…