In March of 1999, the Professional Development Laboratory (PDL) of the New York University School of Education conducted an Evaluation Forum to address the issue of evaluating professional development. The Forum engaged PDL stakeholders, educational leaders, and community supporters in generating and responding to critical questions related to…

This paper presents the case study of an attempt to bridge the gap between teacher and administrator preparation programs at Auburn University, Alabama, while engaging students in authentic learning situations at the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lee County. The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Lee County serves 600 youth during the school year and…

This report from the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) (Maryland) provides information on the following topics: accessibility and affordability, student success, diversity, support of regional economic and workforce development, effective use of public funding, and community outreach. The report notes that CCBC experienced a 6% increase…

This paper, which focuses on remediation at community colleges, is part of a series published by the Center for Community College Policy, designed to support state and local policymakers, as well as educational leaders who are interested in policy issues related to the two-year postsecondary sector. Providing academic support for remediation has…

This congressional hearing continues the House's oversight of the Department of Labor's (DOL's) Job Corps program, focusing on the fourth element of successful job training, maintaining a vocational curriculum that reflects current and future job opportunities. It reviews findings of a General Accounting Office (GAO) study that found the program…

Increasingly, public officials in California and across the nation want to know, or at least be reassured, that public investments in what had traditionally been called university outreach programs are having desired effects on student achievement and college preparedness among targeted student groups. For the most part, such programs are now…

The purpose of this topical review is to examine the current state of accountability policies that impact students with disabilities who are educated in special schools and settings. For the purpose of this review, special schools and settings are defined as public or private settings outside of comprehensive K-12 school buildings. This review…

Teachers are responsible for pupil progress-when they do make progress. Author asks who is responsible when they do not progress and offers some suggestions. (Author/RK)

A vacuum exists in the systematic collection of data on Continuing Education for Women (CEW). CEW programs must become accountable by maintaining records to demonstrate user patterns and program effectiveness. The author outlines specific suggestions for assessment, evaluation, and research; three areas which are integral to the mission of CEW…

Discusses the Roundtable on Higher Education, which brought together stakeholders of the North Dakota University System (NDUS) to establish a common vision, a clear set of expectations, and the results for which the system would be held accountable. Reports that the Roundtable reached a level of accomplishment beyond any expectations, and that the…

More public institutions are now required to assess student learning outcomes. A look at Virginia and New Jersey shows these requirements vary, but mandated assessment may not produce needed improvements. Inadequate assessment methodologies, faculty resistance, and a lack of clarity about the use of results make this movement uncertain.…

Budget-conscious Americans are increasingly asking that staff developers provide hard data about program effectiveness. The concept of return on investment (ROI) is useful in documenting the effectiveness of staff development programs. To calculate ROI, baseline data must be compared with results realized by the organization. (SM)

Activities of Project OATS (Outcomes of Assistive Technology in the Schools) are described, including identification and piloting of existing assessment instruments for use as an outcome measure, examining the validity of the School Function Assessment, and field testing the School Function Assessment-Assistive Technology Version, an adaptation of…

Reports on an ongoing evaluation of the Vermont portfolio assessment program. Indicates that the positive news about the instructional effects of the assessment program are in contrast with the empirical findings about the quality of the data the program has yielded. (SLD)

This paper outlines the preponderant approaches to external quality evaluation, including the purpose, focus, object, rationale, and methods of external evaluations. Accountability, compliance and, in some countries, control are much more frequent rationales for external monitoring than improvement. Research on the impact of quality monitoring is…