The limits, function and procedures of operational evaluation are described. Operational evaluation can only begin once a project activity is underway. Its function is diagnostic but not prescriptive. Basic tasks include specifying objectives, defining criteria, establishing priorities, identifying cost factors, obtaining or developing measurement…

Discusses and responds to criticisms of ten indices proposed for monitoring the operations of a training development group as a means of detecting problems and evaluating the impact of management decisions: productivity, timeliness, effectiveness, project efficiency, curriculum efficiency, cost, value, developmental process, personnel development,…

The major aim of this paper is to try to develop a cost analysis system model appropriate to the projects of the Center for Urban Education. Cost analysis can be viewed as an application of the economic concept of system analysis. The analysis always moves from a base that represents the existing capability and resources. The problem is to…

The gap between learning and assessment is apparent both in the beliefs of children, who often see no connection between the two, and in the practices of teachers, who do not choose to use the most recently developed means of assessment. This gap stems from management theory and from learning theory. Traditional management in the United States has…

This digest discusses the use of benchmarking as a strategy for assessing and improving efficiency and productivity of administrative processes and instructional models in colleges and universities. Benchmarking, developed by the Xerox Corporation in the 1980s, is defined as an ongoing, systematic process for measuring and comparing the work…

This report concerns the use of benchmarking as a strategy for assessing and improving efficiency and productivity of administrative processes and instructional models in colleges and universities. The introductory chapter addresses the need for new tools and strategies to meet the increased competition and the higher demand for accountability…

Action research in the Cobb County (Georgia) school district is described. This research is being conducted in the district under three main approaches: (1) co-researcher projects addressing central level issues; (2) district-wide projects; and (3) school-focused action research, including minigrants to teachers. The first three…

Research was conducted to develop and gather evidence of validity for a normative process model to be used by community adult education councils in establishing priority among community-level needs. The study design was based on a five-stage problem solving, systems model involving exploration, model building, design and development, validation,…

The report for the 8-county West Virginia Multi-Purpose Center for Curriculum Improvement, funded under Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, represents a comprehensive evaluation of the numerous activities with which the center was involved. The first section of the document presents general characteristics of the project area,…

This presentation outlines, in operational terms, the components and products of a longitudinal evaluation model for teacher education programs, and discusses an approach to program evaluation that embodies activities within three taxonomical phases referred to as formative, summative, and confirmative evaluation. When applied to competency-based…

This guide is intended to serve as a systematic checklist for evaluators of vocational training institutions and for directors of schools or skills centers who want to identify areas in need of improvement. Discussed first are steps in defining the purpose of the evaluation (nature and objectives of the project, point of view, and the initial…