State-level departments of education vary in their mechanisms for monitoring online courses and programs. This study reviewed various state models for initial and ongoing evaluation of online courses. Five constructs were identified through this review, and examples from Georgia, Maryland, California, Washington, and Colorado were detailed. The…

The purpose of this study was to describe how states in the REL Central Region (Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming) evaluate teacher preparation programs and planned changes for evaluation. Publicly available documents were reviewed and interviews were conducted with state education agency representatives…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the relationship of pre-service teachers with action research. Faculty researchers wanted to find out if pre-service teachers could learn and apply the principles of action research in their teaching and to investigate how action research could be used to promote or encourage reflective teaching…

The National Science Foundation's (NSF) National Science Digital Library/Distributed Learning (NSDL) program turned 10 years old in 2010. This report presents results of a preliminary program evaluation carried out by RAND and is organized around three principal goals: (1) Provide an initial evaluation of NSDL based on existing information…

During the spring of 2004, the State of Colorado enacted legislation that fundamentally changed the mechanisms through which it financed its public higher education system, beginning with the 2005-06 academic year. Rather than appropriating funds directly to institutions, the legislation created the College Opportunity Fund (COF), the principal…

Father involvement enhances children's well-being. A growing body of research supports this conclusion, showing that children with involved fathers exhibit greater school readiness, increased cognitive development, higher levels of empathy, and other positive characteristics (Administration for Children and Families 2004a). Research also indicates…

This report highlights the structure and analyses of states' initiatives in attaining the purposes of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. The intent of the study was to take "snapshots" from key perspectives during 1988 of what states are doing to meet the intents of the act as spelled out in 14 purposes. Examples, or…

To ascertain whether libraries are providing materials, services, and programs to their Spanish-speaking communities, a 26-item questionnaire was mailed to 37 public library directors in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Thirty-one completed questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 81%. The majority of libraries were found…

The final report describes a Colorado project to evaluate the effectiveness of special education programming based on student outcomes and program quality indicators in 14 secondary schools. Major findings included: special education students, especially students with emotional/behavioral disabilities, had higher absence and out-of-school…

This report summarizes the findings of the pilot administration of the Colorado Survey of first- and third-year teachers and their administrators. These surveys reflect the opinions of the teachers and administrators regarding the effectiveness of Colorado teacher preparation institutions in preparing teachers to meet performance-based standards.…

A survey was conducted of 687 teachers and 768 administrators on the implementation and perceptions of Colorado's mandated certificated personnel performance evaluation system, which requires that all school districts adopt performance standards for certificated personnel and that all administrators receive training in personnel evaluation skills.…

The Indicators of Quality Schools is a series of checklists of schoolwide practices or conditions found in schools known to have an effective instructional program. The instrument is designed to help schools identify areas of strength and areas where improvement is needed. The instrument consists of three parts: (1) the environment for learning,…

One of four programs funded nationally to test the notion that increased efficiency in the use of student and teacher time would result in higher student achievement, the Cotopaxi/Westcliffe Project was unique in that the two Colorado districts involved were small, rural, and operated on a four-day school week. The 4-year intervention consisted of…

This set of quality standards for Colorado's early child care and education programs is intended to help these programs move toward quality services for all young children. It includes self-evaluation checklists designed to help programs document the state standards they have achieved, the standards they are seeking to meet, and the resources…

This report presents the 1992 results of a survey of Colorado first- and third-year teachers and their supervisors. The survey, conducted every 2 years, provides Colorado institutions of higher education and the Colorado State Board of Education with information for the continued improvement of teacher education programs. Teachers (n=830) rated…