A summary of pre-test data collected for the Arkansas needs assessment project is presented. This report reflects the results of a two-year study. The project includes assessment in all three learning domains: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. The State of Arkansas was divided into three geographic areas, and participating districts were…

The SWRL Instructional Concepts Program has been developed to help kindergarten children quickly learn conceptual skills which are fundamental to academic achievement. Formative evaluation procedures employed in the 1968-69 tryout were primarily responsible for the changes incorporated into the present program. These procedures included teacher…

When the task of evaluating student learning is carefully considered, two major problems emerge. One is the gathering of the most appropriate and precise evidence possible about the learning. The other is the setting of performance standards against which this evidence may be weighed and the adequacy of each student's learning judged. This paper…

Response to change in educational institutions requires information about influential factors. The conceptual framework which guided this study views the process of change in three basic phases. First, there is an antecedent phase which necessitates the coming together of an advocate with an innovation designed for some set of consumers. Once…

A packet of ten evaluation instruments was developed that emphasizes decision-oriented evaluation of inservice teacher preparation programs in secondary school science. It is hoped that these instruments are generalizable enough to be shared, modified, used, and/or validated by participants in workshops similar to the one in which these…

Within this document, and presented in their entirety, are five reports which depict differing views of Delaware County Community College (DCCC) from 1974 through 1980. The reports consist of both historical and predictive data, evolved from staff work related to long and short range planning. The general framework for this activity revolved about…

Discusses the relationship between effective organizational communication and specific library contexts and reviews the historical development of communication audits as a means of studying communication effectiveness. The generic structure of such audits is described and two models are presented in detail, including techniques for gathering and…

This technical report presents issues related to defining and applying accountability systems for young children, including those with disabilities. It notes that reaching shared perspectives on definitions of accountability systems and their constituents remains complicated by the number of levels to which such systems can apply (e.g., child-,…

The Quality Education Checklist focuses on key inputs, processes, and outputs of schools needed to ensure continuous improvement. Intended as a self-auditing aid for schools, the checklist may also be used as a method to define the priority of areas for improvement, as a way to gather information from customers, as a professional development…

This paper summarizes the process of instituting a standardized mental health assessment protocol in a community health treatment program serving maltreated youth. The assessment program was intended to: (1) provide descriptive data regarding the populating utilizing the service; (2) examine the efficacy of therapeutic interventions and monitor…

In January 1998, seven school boards amalgamated to form the Toronto District School Board, a board responsible for 600 schools. To deal with the complexities of the new entity, researchers have been using geographical information systems (GIS). GIS are computer-based tools for mapping. They store information as a collection of thematic layers or…

The various costs of Type I and Type II errors of inference from data are discussed. Six methods for minimizing each error type are presented, which may be employed even after data collection for Type I and which minimizes Type II errors by a study design and analytical means combination. (Author/CM)

The Center for Educational Administrator Development (CEAD) utilizes a multifaceted, ongoing evaluation design to measure the impact of administrator inservice on personal growth and school climate. The Center's use of evaluative data for needs assessment, program monitoring, and summative evaluation is described. (SJL)

This article provides a brief overview of general outcome measurement and its potential for assessment of continuous progress in early childhood education. It describes an eight-step research and development process for the generating and evaluating of individual growth and development indicators. These indicators are adaptable across children,…

A consideration of ethics is necessary in the development of guidelines for conducting and reporting research. A brief description of the history of ethical guidelines in research is presented followed by suggestions for development of ethical guidelines, both those that can be legislated and those that cannot. (SI)