A comprehensive school planning tool is available from General Learning Corporation and the Center for the Advanced Study of Educational Administration at the University of Oregon. This School Planning, Evaluation and Communication System (SPECS) provides a deliverable system of training, implementation strategies and materials and technical…

The three position papers on reading disability and illiteracy offer a description of the present position and boundaries of the problem which the current state of knowledge, research, and experience affords us. The first, "The Costs of Illiteracy" by A. Dale Tussing and Laurence B. DeWitt, attempts to describe these "costs" as the quickest way to…

Under the present practices, the objectives and activities of socially oriented projects have rarely been specified with enough clarity and concreteness. Alternatives have been insufficiently presented for consideration by top management. In a number of cases, the future costs of present decisions have not been laid out systematically enough and…

The primary purpose of the project was to develop cost-effectiveness materials to be used in conducting locally directed secondary school vocational education program investigations. Based on a literature review, eight key elements in the cost-effectiveness system were identified and a conceptual model and data instruments for cost-effectiveness…

Describes study of rural or small town community development programs funded by the Small Town Emphasis Program. Outlines program factors including competition, innovation, needs assessment, low income involvement, networks, technical assistance, efficiency, strategy, and timing. Provides examples of six programs and recommends future development…

Retirement options available to institutions are outlined, including early retirement incentives, phased retirement, facilitating consulting opportunities, travel and outplacement services, maintaining community involvement, annuities, and pensions. Suggestions are made for increasing cost-effectiveness and fitting the options to local…

Two related problems are discussed: developing a methodology which (1) will not require full commitment of a local education agency to new techniques which may be ineffective in local settings and (2) will allow graceful abandonment of a new technology that may be proved ineffective. An example is discussed. (CTM)

Discusses some methodology for and problems inherent in analyzing economic costs of educational institutions and presents findings from cost studies of higher education institutions of two types: (1) a regional open university with central management offices, and state organizations through which students can enroll in televised credit courses,…

Describes the development of an interactive videodisc in a graduate course at the University of Iowa. Procedures in an instructional development model are explained, time and cost factors in the design and development of interactive video are discussed, and guidelines are presented for interactive video production. (Author/LRW)

Explains how the Arlington Independent School District (Texas) complied with the mandates of the Local Government Records Act. Topics include evaluation and needs, software selection, inventory and retention schedules, managing forms and records, standardized identification systems, finding specific records, costs and destroying obsolete records.…

Ideas are provided for postsecondary institutions with limited resources wishing to increase their services to learning-disabled students. Practical suggestions are offered on how to define service eligibility, provide reasonable accommodations, establish diagnostic testing procedures, maximize existing ancillary equipment and services, market…

Strengths and weaknesses of three types of semiquantitative methods used by the federal government in research impact assessment are presented, and examples of their use are reviewed. These include the classic retrospective method, another retrospective approach, and accomplishments books used by selected research-sponsoring organizations. (SLD)

This paper describes cost models designed to aid schools in effective cost planning through analysis of the relative costs and benefits of individualized, computer-based instruction. The models are then applied to the Individualized Study by Technology (IST) program of the Alaska Department of Education (DOE) using data obtained in a pilot study…

This paper focuses on the common features of Guided Discovery Architecture (GDA) online programs. It is also about developing a descriptive cost-benefit analysis of online program of GDA. It discusses how the features of GDA instruction differ from those of conventional distance education (DE) courses in terms of not only cost categories…

This guide is a product of a study conducted as part of a broader effort by the Department of Education to identify the causes of rising college costs and find and disseminate ways to contain these costs. In institutions of higher education most costs are manageable and can be contained without jeopardizing key services. This can be achieved by…