This paper approaches the concept of curriculum design from a philosophical perspective, arguing that the concept of "design" in curriculum is fundamentally misleading. The paper begins with a series of comments questioning the assumption that curriculum design involves a set of discrete skills or procedures in which one may attain expertise, like…

This handbook is part of a series prepared by the Center for the Study of Evaluation (CSE) for evaluation workshop participants. Activities are suggested for teams of trainees to practice the use of the five stage evaluation model. The five stages are needs assessment, program planning, implementation evaluation, progress and outcome evaluation.…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is an ongoing effort to obtain comprehensive and dependable data on national educational achievement. Reports and related assessment materials, such as assessment objectives and items used to measure achievement, have been developed to meet the needs and interests of educators. Several…

As the Illinois public community college system approaches its 20th anniversary and in the face of a changing economy and shifting public priorities, the establishment of a systematic, collegewide program review and evaluation process that can improve the colleges' overall effectiveness and efficiency in relation to student, community, and state…

This review of attempts at educational reform, both overseas and in Australian schools, addresses itself to two fundamental questions regarding alternative schools: Is there a real choice and who enjoys it? And in what ways are the new approaches different from the old? The trends discussed and evaluated include the use of open space teaching…

The analytic model is intended to assist educators in systematically designing, describing, and assessing the high school learning environment. It focuses on the relationships among the items in the schools rather than deals with each item separately. The model should be of use to those desiring to assess the effectiveness of new learning…

Among nearly 40 States attempting to apply the accountability principle to school operation by legislative fiat, Michigan is clearly a leader. This exhaustive study reveals disturbing defects in Michigan's plan, particularly in the assessment component. (Editor)

The objectives of this national survey were: (1) to order the priorities for educational programing, (2) to identify themes for the parent education television series, (3) to identify any demographic differences in perceived needs, and (4) to identify television programing preferences. Data were collected from three sources: (1) five focus group…

A model for evaluating the effectiveness of graduate programs is proposed. It is emphasized that the primary purpose of this model is to provide graduate program administrators with data that will aid program assessment and curricular improvement. Examples of five forms useful in gathering data are appended. (MM)

Evaluation is a process of systematically gathering information on a regular, continuing basis to make informed judgments about the merits of a program or an activity. This discussion of evaluation issues and procedures represents an attempt to place the role of evaluation in perspective and to provide guidelines and suggest approaches,…

Presents suggestions for alternatives to standardized testing. The means for alternative methods of evaluation are easily accessible if educational resources are organized for that purpose. (Author/IRT)

Sixteen beginning analytic geometry and calculus classes (442 students) followed eight testing regimes for one academic quarter. Three aptitude subgroups were identified in each class. Classes to which daily quizzes were given achieved significantly higher on a specially constructed test than those which had only a single midterm examination.…

A guide to the assessment of a few social education curriculum projects in Canada is provided. Criteria include descriptive characteristics, guiding concepts, objectives, structure, instructional strategy, teacher training, evaluation, utilization, and reviewer opinion of quality. (DE)

The use of fieldwork in evaluation presents the fieldworker and agencies connected with educational evaluation with a number of critical problems. Four of these problems are identified and discussed: 1) definition of the "problem"; 2) multiplicity of signals, expectations, and responses; 3) dispensation of fieldwork data; and 4) collection of data…

A needs assessment was conducted to determine the degree to which Pittsburgh Public Schools were meeting the educational needs of their students. Different groups were surveyed to determine their perceptions of conditions in the district. Data collection and analysis established the status of children's educational needs. The district's most…