Integrating institutional research, outcomes assessment, program review, strategic planning, and accreditation can be a powerful means of creating a culture of evidence-based decision making and continuous improvement. This study examined how this "integrated" model is organized in practice, how such offices began, why this approach was chosen,…

"Building Institutional Capacity for Data-Informed Decision Making" is the third installment of the Cutting Edge series, which aims to help colleges engage faculty, scale successful interventions, and create a strong culture of evidence through use of data to strengthen their institutional change and student success efforts. Though the…

The traditional "test and measurement" approach to educational evaluation is contrasted with the "use of information for decision-making" developed in the industrial sector. Evaluation strategy should be determined by an analysis of the problem and the decisions to be made. (Author/LBH)

Examined is the utility of evaluation research as a framework for converting raw data into a form that is useful to the decisionmaker. The origins and purposes of evaluation research and the relationship between the evaluator and decisionmaker are examined, and some of the major issues in evaluation research methodology are reviewed. The role of…

Issues in the evaluation of the college planning process are examined, and 13 questions to be addressed in assessing both strategic and operational planning functions are presented, including criteria for evaluating (1) the decisional aspect of planning, (2) planning data, and (3) the process. Evaluation methods are also discussed. (MSE)

Information use can be defined in many ways depending on a variety of organizational, personal, and presentational factors. The experience of evaluation researchers provides some guides for practice. (Author/MSE)

Because community college administrators are under increasing pressure to curtail or eliminate programs due to reduced resources, the need for institutional research in the area of evaluation of educational and support programs arises. There are three basic approaches to program evaluation which are used in most public educational institutions:…

The degree of participation in decision making by direct care staff aides, and its effect on the quality of care for mentally handicapped persons, was assessed among 125 staff of 3 state institutions averaging 1080 patients. (BB)

The contemporary context and some recent trends affecting college program reviews or evaluations, current options in purposes and practices, and impacts on programs and institutions are discussed. It is recommended that the process be viewed as a contribution to the general knowledge base for campus constituencies rather than as "right answers"…

The planning, management, and evaluation system is discussed as an effective aid for academic decision makers during a period of retrenchment for higher education institutions. (Author/SF)

Correlational methods are compared to an alternative method based on decision theory and logistic regression for providing validity evidence for college admissions and course placement criteria. The advantages and limitations of both methods are examined. The correlation coefficient measures the strength of the linear statistical relationship…

This document defines a wide range of measures of the outcomes (results or impacts) of postsecondary education institutions and their programs and suggests procedures for acquiring the data needed for each measure. The outcome measures described are ones identified by a survey of institutional and state-level decision makers as providing the…

The process of developing program evaluation models for Florida International University's college of education is described. One lesson learned was that a combination of macro- and microlevel planning is necessary for purposeful evaluation. A grid to aid decision making is also presented. (Author/MSE)

Several approaches to determining a new formula for the allocation of faculty positions (and associated salary and operating funds) are discussed. These approaches are: weighting schemes used at peer institutions, faculty workload measures, and use of a state funding formula. A survey was used to solicit data concerning weighting schemes used at…

The responsibility of the college president is to hear all voices, solicit opinion broadly, and help formulate policies that benefit the entire campus. A comprehensive review should be undertaken to help the board decide on campus priorities. (MSE)