This article describes four measurement tools that are of potential value for institutional researchers as greater demands are being placed upon their work. The author describes scale development, select methods for setting passing scores, validating passing scores and the topic of equating--both equipercentile and linear. Not only should…

This study examines two community college instructional support programs to explore the effectiveness of an evaluation model--responsive evaluation theory--that may ease the tensions between a concern over programs' processes and reporting requirements for program outcomes. The study uses a comparative qualitative case study design and applies…

Accountability in performance is a subject of increasing attention and concern for community colleges. In California, much attention has been focused on student transfers from the community colleges to four-year institutions as a primary facet of institutional performance. This focus often leads to comparisons of transfer rates between colleges…

The effectiveness of community colleges is increasingly dependent on their understanding of the external environment and their capacity to forecast and respond to the changing external landscape. As a result, they need to establish a system to continuously monitor changes in that environment and to identify and weigh the implications of changes on…

Describes the uses of focus groups (i.e., a form of qualitative research involving a small group of respondents and moderator in an unstructured group discussion) in community college research. Discusses what can be learned from focus groups, focus group projects conducted in several community colleges, and problems researchers may encounter.…

Over the decade of the 1990s, the student body of Prince George's Community College underwent dramatic shifts in its demographic makeup, as did the school's service area. This paper illustrates the importance, especially in these circumstances, of systematically comparing college enrollment trends with the demographic vectors of the surrounding…

Provides an annotated bibliography of 14 recent ERIC documents on focus group applications in higher education. Includes documents describing colleges that have used focus groups to assess employer and public attitudes toward the college, assess institutional effectiveness, develop programs and curricula, and learn about student experiences. Lists…

Examines perspectives of faculty leaders regarding current evaluation practices for tenured faculty in the nation's community colleges. Notes that results closely resemble findings from research in the early nineties, wherein faculty reported that policies existed in all of the 930 institutions surveyed, but that their effectiveness was suspect.…

Describes the organizational culture at Shoreline Community College (Washington) and how it supports data collection and assessment throughout the institution. Traces the development of the culture and identifies key organizational practices and characteristics underlying the college's commitment to assessment theory and practice. (Contains 12…

Asserts that, as institutional assessment becomes a more prominent feature of the higher education landscape, community colleges are looking for better ways to evaluate their quality. Provides examples of and tools for faculty evaluation and includes research regarding the practices of evaluation at two-year colleges in the United States. Cites 15…

This paper identifies a need to study the success of students taking college course offerings using distance education. Measurement issues are discussed, including a proposal for definition of some key variables involved in studying distance delivery by institutional researchers. Concerns about student outcomes are identified using data from two…

Examines the validity of the faculty evaluation instrument used at Tulsa Community College (Oklahoma). Compares student evaluations of adjunct instructors and full-time faculty members. Finds that (1) a single dimension construct existed; (2) item-level comparisons yielded no meaningful differences between evaluations of teachers; and (3) overall…

Argues that student evaluations of teacher performance are too often based on subjective viewpoints of little value in helping faculty improve instruction. Describes Illinois Valley Community College's development, at the departmental level, of an evaluation instrument that focuses on observable teacher behaviors and is tailored to specific…

Focuses on the Kentucky higher education accountability model, designed to provide a systematic evaluation of the quality and effectiveness of Kentucky's 14 community colleges. Offers coordinator perceptions of model's effectiveness. (YKH)

Lists the latest ERIC documents that describe institutional and state studies of community college remedial programs. Provides bibliographical information and a brief abstract of relevant documents. (YKH)