A mixed-method program evaluation, concurrently using both qualitative interview data and quantitative questionnaire data, was conducted. It illustrated significant design and analysis issues related to integrating quantitative and qualitative methods, specifically between-method and cross-paradigm triangulation. (Author/GDC)

Presents a model based on person-environment fit that is designed to increase retention of students with unique educational needs in postsecondary vocational education programs. The specific details that surround the development of this model are examined and are related to the nature and extent of the problem. (CT)

Describes the development of a program designed for preparing skilled and informed workers for construction jobs in the mountainous areas of northwestern North Carolina. (Author/RK)

The author argues that behavioral research within an institutional setting should be limited to investigations that can influence program development and decision making. (GW)

The roles of incentives in academic decision making are examined, potential uses of incentives in academic decision making are suggested, and research projects that promise to increase the understanding of desirable uses of incentives in academic planning are proposed. (Author/MLW)

Discusses the problem of recognizing adult social and educational needs in developing curriculums for adult education and the necessity to involve the target population in the identification of these needs. Presents methods of accomplishing this involvement, such as community advisory committees and the use of census and other data bases.…

Focus groups with 62 Alberta adults identified health learning needs; results were used by a community-university partnership to develop health education sessions in local settings. The initiative focused on community needs and participation rather than the dominant revenue-generation model, which has questionable ethical standing in…

Presents a cyclical proactive model of school administration involving data collection, collaborative definition of student needs, use of student-oriented strategies in development of interventions, and outcome evaluation in terms of intrinsic student changes. Discusses drawbacks to the referral model of problem identification and special…

A more businesslike approach to job development, which stresses meeting employer needs, is encouraged for growth in supported employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Seven job development guidelines are offered, including research businesses to identify personnel needs and problems, and define services so employers understand…

This report describes the efforts conducted by the Administration on Aging in response to the congressional mandate to develop and implement a national policy for the field of aging in accordance with the requirements set forth in the Older Americans Act Amendments of 1978 (PL 95-478). The current status of education, training, and employment of…

This report, prepared in response to a requirement in the Academic Research Facilities Modernization Act, proposes a plan for the modernization of general research facilities in which academic research is conducted, including research buildings, research laboratories, support rooms, and other institutional or departmental facilities in scientific…

The concept of needs and educational assessment is a blending of community participation and evaluation. There are four primary steps in this concept: goal definition, program assessment, needs identification, and decision making. This document offers a guideline model aimed at a simple, economical method of needs and educational assessment. It…

This survey of the occupational status, future needs, and educational interests of volunteers and professional personnel serving senior citizens who live in communities or institutional settings in Hartford, Connecticut, is based on the assumption that new careers will open up in fields related to gerontology to meet the needs of a rapidly…

This paper reports on a needs assessment study designed to identify critical needs in Virginia's English as a Second Language (ESL) education in order to design an appropriate ESL endorsement program at James Madison University. The study involved a statewide sample of K-12 schools with ESL programs. A total of 330 questionnaires were sent to 24…

This document, one of 12 guides that have been developed to facilitate evaluation by and for local education agency (LEA) personnel in Illinois, covers vocational needs assessment to identify discrepancies between the needs of the community and the school programs available to meet those needs. The guide has been designed to aid the person who has…