In March 1989, the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory entered into a contract with the Nevada Department of Education to develop this evaluation design for the Nevada Proficiency Examination (NPE) Program. The NPE program, mandated by state legislation, requires each school district to administer examinations in all public schools to…

The report describes first year activities of a National Scope Supported Employment Demonstration Project which included a survey of supported employment providers (N=605) to define approaches used, impediments, and best practices. Among findings were the following: vocational rehabilitation facilities and developmental centers together provided…

This executive summary provides an overview of the current status of the following aspects of statewide planning for telecommunications in education: (1) governance structures; (2) the role of public broadcasting organizations; (3) state telecommunications administration divisions; (4) the role of higher education institutions in coordinating…

The Measurement and Costing Model (MCM) described in this book was developed and tested at Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC), Wisconsin, to enhance the college's quality improvement process and to serve as a guide to other institutions interested in improving their quality. The book presents a description of the model and outlines seven steps…

This document reports on a three-phase research study undertaken in October 1988 for the California Association of Regional Occupational Centers and Programs (ROC/P). Phase 1 was a comprehensive review of the legal and fiscal development of ROC/Ps since their inception in 1963. Phase 2 was a cost-effects study of ROC/P courses, relating such…

The cost-effectiveness and impact on response rate of variations in mailing procedures involved in a mail survey of teacher education graduates were assessed. Variables studied were use of a preliminary or advance letter, postcard versus letter reminders as the first follow-up mailing, timing of the reminder (1 versus 2 weeks after the first…

Based on material prepared for the California Assessment Program, an argument in favor of authentic assessment is presented, and authentic assessment is contrasted with traditional standardized tests. An assessment is authentic when student performance on intellectual tasks is directly examined. Comparatively, traditional assessment relies on…

Less than 2 years after the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA) of 1981 mandated the reorganization of long-established maternal and child health services and substantially reduced funding of programs, a rise in the incidence of unfavorable maternal and child outcomes was detected in national health data. Data suggest at least an inferential…

This paper examines the literature on the impact of school closures on students and communities in the context of four policy issues: school size, cost savings, educational equity, and public support for education. In closure decisions, a major hypothesis affecting school board members is that larger schools can offer a broader curriculum at lower…

The 1986 scores from the Statewide Student Assessment Test-II, a minimum-competency test required for high school graduation in Florida, were placed on the scale of the 1984 scores from that test using five different equating procedures: (1) linear method; (2) Rasch model; (3) three-parameter item response theory (IRT)--concurrent method; (4)…

The paper addresses issues in counseling the retarded in the context of the research literature, identifies promising trends, and proposes a counseling model. Three issues are identified: the necessity for counseling to meet measurable objectives; the need for cost effectiveness; and the need for an integrated model. After proposing a definition…

In spring 1983, a pilot project was implemented at Cuyahoga Community College (CCC) to conduct a section of a low enrollment course, "The Psychology of Aging," in the main campus's television studio, with two-way communication between the main campus and the two suburban campuses. The project's success was assisted by insuring job…

To assist managers of complex training systems in making decisions that result in changes in the existing training syllabus, this study provides a model for estimating and comparing the costs of training system components and of potential changes to the components. In the first part of the study, this assessment model is broken down into five…

This paper makes a distinction between the formative evaluation that can be carried out in the early stages of the development of educational television programs, i.e., from the emergence of the idea through the development of a script, and those that have to be executed in the later stages of development, i.e., during the production process. The…

These California state guidelines are intended as a resource for parents, staff, and administrators in assessing, identifying, planning, providing, evaluating, and improving the quality and cost effectiveness of programs serving visually impaired students. Chapters have the following titles and sample subtopics: (1) "Introduction"…