In this account of the drafting of the Evaluation Research Society (ERS) Standards, the author notes that the committee was concerned not only with a broad range of evaluation applications, but also with different forms of evaluation. The absence of specificity in the standards reflects the committee's steering between opposing views. (Author/LC)

The Perkins Act greatly expands the tasks of state councils on vocational education. Their duties encompass three policy objectives: achieving public involvement in vocational education, providing independent assessment of vocational programs, and improving vocational education policies and the policymaking process. (SK)

The Perkins Act charges the National Council on Vocational Education with advising the president, Congress, and the secretary of education on the implementation of the Perkins and the Job Training Partnership Acts, strategies for business cooperation with vocational education, effective ways of providing labor market information, special needs…

Three citizen advisory boards, designed to advise elected officials on how federal money should be spent locally, were examined. The Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) Planning Council, the Citizen's Task Force on Community Development Block Grants (two groups mandated by federal legislation), and the Human Services Commission (a…

The "Standards for Evaluations of Educational Programs Projects Materials," formulated by the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation raise certain questions which should be regarded as indicating a further complementary perspective rather than as a criticism of their formulation. The possibility of conflict between the…

A case study of the process of policy revision at a state university is used to explore the relationship between content and context of curriculum. Basic concepts and approaches from the field of organization theory were applied to the analysis of curriculum revision. (DF)

The report of the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation (COPA) self-study advisory panel is presented in three parts. Following a historical review of the formation of COPA, part 1 looks at the first 5 years (1975-1980), and explains 1982-1986 activities as they related to priorities adopted in 1982. Information is offered on: COPA objectives and…

This paper offers examples of the ways in which research influences national policies related to assessment and program evaluation. It describes an ongoing evaluation being conducted by the National Academy of Education (NAE) of the "Trial State Assessment," a piece of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). At this interim stage,…

A questionnaire was developed and administered to 200 present and past Chicano Advisory Committee (CAC) members, including Chicano and non-Chicano faculty, college administrators, and Chicano students, staff, and community members. Information was gathered on the role the CAC plays in policy-making at Pasadena City College (California).…

This handbook was written to demonstrate the procedure for setting up and running a citizen advisory council for vocational education programs. Organized into seven sections, the handbook provides information on the background and purposes of an advisory council, procedures for establishing a council, council operations, the council role, public…

This paper reports on the implementation of an Integrated Assessment and Strategic Planning (IASP) process to comply with accountability requirements at the community college of New Mexico State University at Alamogordo. The IASP model adapted an existing compliance matrix and applied it to the business college program in 1995 to assess and…

In career and technical education (CTE), advisory committees are groups of employers and community representatives who advise educators on the design, development, operation, evaluation, and revision of CTE programs. These committees may oversee an entire program or institution, provide input to a specific department or technical area, or advise…

While states have developed the infrastructure to support effective education programs on Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS), inadequacies exist in the content of curricula, guidelines, and program design. Many state programs fail to provide children with all the information they need in order to avoid and…

Blue ribbon commissions in the United States from 1965-1983 are discussed with attention to what makes a commission effective, the history of blue ribbon commissions, features of a commission, whether these commissions are useful on campus, and criticisms of blue ribbon commissions. Factors that contribute to the effectiveness of a blue ribbon…

Eight recommendations for the Alabama Commission on Higher Education are offered based on an evaluation of both the commission's effectiveness and on economic, social, and political conditions in Alabama during 1981-1985. The evaluation, which was conducted by the Fourth Quadrennial Evaluation Committee, begins with an assessment of findings…