This study demonstrates the importance of Rasch Measurement Theory (RMT) in program evaluation when outcome measures need to be constructed from scratch. The paper introduces typical measure validation methods presented in program evaluation texts and discusses room for improvement. The study then illustrates how the seamless transitions from…

Institution-Wide Language Programme (IWLP) modules are a popular option for international students at the University of Reading. Student feedback and module results show that some of these students face particular challenges in relation to their peers. In this paper, we describe how a team teaching Beginners French -- Common European Framework of…

We present a strategy for the acquisition and assessment of autonomous learning conducted as part of the Graphic Expression in Engineering (GE) degree course during the first quarter at the Escola Universitària d'Enginyeria Tècnica Industrial de Barcelona (EUETIB). The strategy employed is the puzzle technique in the classroom and multiple-choice…

Project SUCCESS sought to recruit, train, and support paraprofessionals and mid-career adults in high-need teaching fields (math, science, special education, bilingual) in transitioning to teach in high-need schools. A 27-minute video was produced to supplement reporting of project evaluation outcomes. This paper highlights procedures and…

The advertising program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) has at least 12 measures of program assessment, which serve as a basis for discussion rather than as a prescription for an effective assessment program. The program assessment methods are accrediting, internal program review, teaching evaluations, a university survey of…

The Keystone Oaks school district uses an administrative salary plan based on merit. First implemented in the 1975-76 school year, the plan has been revised and refined each year since and has produced measureable improvement in performance. Each administrative position in the district has a job description that was developed cooperatively by the…

Described is a procedure (Audit Dress Rehearsal) used in a special education program audit consultation service which included a practice audit designed to lower anxiety and raise awareness of concern for program success. The introduction includes sections dealing with evaluation and audit personnel, planning and implementing an audit, and stages…

Based on the premise that there is a difference between intelligence and trained ability, the paper deals with developing a prevocational program for the mentally retarded in which specific skill training is provided so the client can eventually have gainful employment in a work activity center, sheltered workshop or industry. Four major factors…

This paper attempts to summarize briefly the history of the Denison University project for learning through simulation, detailing the range of research, development, education and training, and evaluational efforts which resulted in the establishment of the Denison Simulation Center. The paper includes an explanation of the services currently…

Program portrayal is one way of addressing the need for increased descriptive capability in evaluation research. Portrayal supplements traditional reporting by utilizing subjective, anecdotal, or impressionistic information, in an appropriately communicable form, to enrich the description of program transactions, settings, and outcomes. It is…

Portfolios have been employed for years as evidence of many abilities (e.g., one's best drawings, one's teaching ability). The portfolio allows the individual the opportunity to demonstrate not only his/her best work, but improvement in his/her work. The chair of the Psychology Department at Shenandoah College initiated a portfolio program as a…

A description is provided of the self-study program review process developed by Genesee Community College (GCC) as an alternative to the traditional Middle States evaluation process. First, the paper examines the history of self-study at GCC from 1980, when a committee was created to coordinate a study of the college which would fulfill…

The speech communication unit of the Department of Communications at the University of South Carolina at Aiken uses an exit interview to obtain students' evaluations of their educational experiences, to assess students' understanding of core concepts, and to evaluate the quality of students' communication skills. The three-member speech…

This paper describes and discusses a number of conceptual approaches and models for determining the cost-effectiveness of educational programs. Section 1 first discusses a number of conceptual models and designs related to cost-effectiveness analysis in education and then describes several specific cost-effectiveness models that have been recently…

Peer tutoring has a long historical precedent in western civilization. Since its reemergence in the United States during the 1960s, it has been used for every age group, subject matter, and level of intelligence. Numerous research studies have shown the benefits of peer tutoring, its efficacy in the college writing center has caught the attention…