The researchers explored whether implementation of a systematic outcomes-based assessment process is necessary for demonstrating quality in service learning programs at a two-year and a four-year institution. The findings revealed that Western Community College and the University of the Coast maintained quality service-learning programs, which met…

The purpose of this quantitative comparative methods research was to compare the perceptions relative to 12 Master of Business Administration (MBA) skill sets of respondents situated in non-member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with the findings of a prior study of United States situated respondents.…

This study compared the effectiveness of three teacher education programs in terms of their impact on teacher competencies. The programs include a traditional 4-year teacher certification program, an alternative certification-based master of arts in teaching program, and an alternative certification program without the master degree option. The…

Tennessee Code Annotated 49-5-108 requires the state to develop a report card or assessment on the effectiveness of teacher training programs. This report includes data on the performance of each institution's graduates in the following areas required by state statute: placement and retention rates, Praxis results, and teacher effect data based on…

The purpose of this qualitative, comparative case study was to determine the extent to which learning and improvement cultures were perceived to be linked to the traditional and non-traditional accreditation and Program Outcomes Assessment paradigms in use in two university hospitality programs. The findings of this study revealed that the…

Colleges of education have come under scrutiny in their preparation of principals. Even professors of education have joined in the criticism characterizing these programs as bankrupt, fragmented, and going down a road to nowhere (Norton, 2002). This article is part of a collaborative research effort of the University Council for Educational…

The new Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) identify assessment as "an integral component of competency-based education." It is not new, however, that programs must demonstrate plans to assess attainment of competencies or expected program outcomes and show how data collection and analysis inform curriculum decisions. Previous…

Recent years have seen increasing interest in assessing the prestige and productivity of programs in communication. An NCA doctoral reputational study was published in 2004, and a new National Research Council assessment is underway that will for the first time include the communication field. Two systems relying on objective appraisal of faculty…

Tennessee Code Annotated 49-5-108 specifies that the State Board of Education "with the assistance of the department of education and the Tennessee higher education commission, shall develop a report card or assessment on the effectiveness of teacher training programs." The State Board is directed to "annually evaluate performance…

Dual enrollment programs enable students to take college courses and earn college credit while in high school. Once limited to high-achieving students, these programs are now seen as a means to support the postsecondary preparation of average-achieving students. Moreover, though dual enrollment programs typically have been reserved for…

This project--funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts--is an effort to address the performance of state higher education systems, and the public sectors within them, relative to their levels of funding. The measure used for funding and those used for performance are described. The data used throughout this study were compiled and analyzed to answer…

This study was part of a program evaluation that examined academic performance and retention differences between first-term students who completed a subject-based first-year experience (FYE) course (n = 381) and comparable first-term students (n = 332) who did not enroll in an FYE course. Actual grade point averages and re-enrollment rates across…

As a result of research indicating that the dual enrollment (DE) students at Florida's community colleges experience problems upon transferring to state universities, Pensacola Junior College (PJC) and Tallahassee Community College (TCC) conducted follow-up studies of DE students. PJC examined outcomes for students who successfully completed DE…

In 1997, Florida's St. Petersburg Junior College (SPJC) conducted a study to determine whether students who needed remediation completed their degree programs and, if so, the time that they took to complete their program. The academic records of students who graduated in summer 1995, fall 1995, and spring 1996 were analyzed, with findings compared…

Presents a study comparing two measures of general education outcomes, focusing on the validity of these instruments as measures of program effectiveness. Challenges the perceived advantages of standardized testing as measures of general education outcomes, recommending qualitative, institution-specific approaches relying on student and faculty…