Head Start has long focused on assessing and improving program quality to ensure that the children served receive the best possible preparation for school and life. Most research has been focused inside the classroom--the classroom environment, teacher qualifications, and teacher interactions. Of course, the classroom is important because that is…

This document contains an impact assessment system for vocational education research and development personnel to determine whether resources spent for funded projects improved the programs. It is divided into four sections. Section 1 presents an introduction to the concept of impact, dissemination, and the impact assessment design. In section 2…

This document is the fourth volume in a set of five Career Education Measurement Handbooks intended to help local education personnel in measurement and evaluation. Divided into thirteen units, this handbook is designed to show how evaluation can help improve the accountability of career education programs. Each unit is written to stand alone, and…

Evaluability assessment is a descriptive and analytic process intended to produce a reasoned basis for proceeding with an evaluation of use to both management and policymakers. It was jointly developed by the members of the program evaluation group of the Urban Institute between 1968 and 1978. The approach begins by obtaining management's…

The increased complexity of the work place and the technology for use in storing and dispensing career and labor market information led to the development of this monograph. Based on the problems and solutions identified through a current literature search and national symposium, this monograph contains (1) a framework for the establishment or…

Research findings point up the need by vocational educators for better ways to apply labor market information in doing program planning and evaluation. This report describes a procedure that state and local education agencies can use to develop a long-range program plan for vocational education, and special emphasis is given to the many ways in…

A report described the current context, realities, and research and development needs of local level vocational education planning to provide a foundation for improving local level planning technology. Examination of the legislative context for vocational education planning revealed that interagency coordination and consultation, use of data about…

This monograph is comprised of 12 essays related to the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), each of which serves as a generic primer on a topic relevant to work force development staff and researchers nationwide. The essays are "Learning the Language of LMI (Labor Market Information): Basic Labor Market Information Terms and…

This guide for improving the quality of National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) data through improved data collection and training is intended for local providers and state administrators. Chapter 1 explains the guide's purpose, contents, and use and defines the following components of data quality: objectivity; integrity;…

This handbook on locally directed evaluation (LDE) is designed as a practical guide for vocational and other school administrators to use in initiating or improving evaluation activities carried out at the local level. It is divided into seven sections. Each section includes an evaluation instrument, the purpose of the evaluation activity, and…