This study reports the preliminary results from a field test of the College-readiness Performance Assessment System (C-PAS), a large-scale, 6th-12th grade criterion-referenced assessment system that utilizes classroom-embedded performance tasks to measure student progress toward the development of key cognitive skills associated with success in…

The 2004/06 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/06), conducted for the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), collected information about the education and employment experiences of students in the two years following their first enrollment in postsecondary education. The primary…

This report describes the methodology and findings of the NSOPF:04 field test that took place during the 2002?03 academic year. The NSOPF:04 field test was used to plan, implement, and evaluate methodological procedures, instruments, and systems proposed for use in the full-scale study scheduled for the 2003-04 academic year. The field test was…

The goal of this project was to develop an inexpensive, self-contained system of hardware and software to support the development, administration, and evaluation of computerized adaptive tests. Toward that goal, commercial hardware was selected and a comprehensive software called the MicroCAT Testing System was developed. The MicroCAT system was…

Modules for training curriculum specialists to develop vocational education programs that respond to current needs and priorities were developed. They cover history and philosophy of vocational education as well as curriculum development, management, and evaluation. Field test results revealed that the modules increased knowledge of topics…

This report describes the planning, operation, and outcomes of a questionnaire-and-site-visit survey of language teaching facilities and activities at Peace Corps in-country training centers on a worldwide basis, conducted from March to September 1981. The report is divided into three sections: an overview, an analysis of aspects of current…

This report describes the methods and procedures used for the field test of the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study First Followup 1996-98 (BPS:96/98). Students in this survey were first interviewed during 1995 as part of the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study 1996 field test. The BPS:96/98 full-scale student sample includes…

This report describes four projects designed to expand the use of volunteers to improve vocational education in urban areas. Following an introduction, four sections look at the 12-month projects in Albuquerque, Philadelphia, Dade County (Florida), and Chicago that field tested a handbook for the design, implementation, and evaluation of…

A project developed and published a handbook for coordinators of nontraditional occupations (NTO) programs for adult women in postsecondary vocational-technical institutions and a guide for women considering NTO career options. Information about successful elements of postsecondary programs for adult women in NTOs was collected both from a…

Describes a project at Bell Laboratories which sought a compromise between ideal formative evaluation procedures and more feasible procedures necessitated by restrictions on time and resources. Local-trial and field-trial stages of a phased approach are discussed, as well as the benefits of field-tests. (EAO)

The Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy developed and field-tested a curriculum and instructional materials for teaching occupationally specific vocabulary in the health care field. The materials, which are in the form of a narrative about a woman who learns medical terminology from a friend, were designed to serve as a vehicle for training…

The premise of this document is that trade instructors and incumbent workers can work together as a writing team to develop test items for vocational education. The development process used by the Vocational-Technical Education Consortium of States (V-TECS) is described as follows: (1) identify and validate a task list; (2) conduct task analysis;…

This document is a summary and evaluation of methodological procedures and results for the field test of the Beginning Postsecondary Student Longitudinal Study Second Followup, 1990-94 (BPS:90/94). The BPS study is a departure from previous studies in that it starts with a cohort of individuals as they enter their postsecondary studies regardless…

The Electronic Telecommunications System project was conceived to assist in the integration of telecommunications technologies such as electronic mail into adult and vocational education programs. After identifying and evaluating over 20 vendors and electronic mail systems, the researchers selected the ITT Dialcom system as the subject of a three…

The results of a field test which evaluated the training effectiveness of a new curriculum in the Naval Apprentice Training Program are detailed. The new mathematics curriculum was designed by Memphis State University to teach fundamental mathematical skills to low-aptitude sailors. The goal was to bring such sailors to at least eighth-grade…