Describes methods for assessing graduate students: precourse, incourse, postcourse, and long-term assessment as well as the educational process that students experience. Addresses comprehensive program evaluation via peer review. Lists eight suggested readings and 12 related Web sites. (SK)

Qualitative methods can do much to describe context and illuminate the why behind patterns encountered in institutional assessment. Alone, or in combination with quantitative methods, they should be the approach of choice for many of the most important assessment questions. (Contains 1 table.)

Four dozen departments at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, are using faculty-developed exit examinations for majors as one component of a comprehensive program evaluation process. The experience of 11 program faculties in developing and using such examinations are summarized. (Author/MLW)

A three-year (1979-82) training program funded by the National Institute of Education (NIE) at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville is designed to increase participation by women and minorities in educational research. An objective of the project is the provision of practical experience for doctoral students in project design and data…

This functional model for managing large-scale program evaluations was developed and validated in connection with the assessment of Tennessee's Nutrition Education and Training Program. Management of such a large-scale assessment requires the development of a structure for the organization; distribution and recovery of large quantities of…

Evaluation of Lenoir City, Tennessee pilot program using 14 retirees to tutor fourth and seventh graders one-to-one in reading using Laubach Reading Method indicated that fourth graders were more positive about the program; Laubach materials were too easy; and pre- and posttutoring California Achievement Test scores did not support reading…

In September 1978, the Lenoir City (Tennessee) school system initiated in two elementary schools a volunteer tutoring program called the Retirement Power in Education Project (RPIE). Fourteen volunteers, including twelve retirees, were trained to use Laubach reading materials in tutoring fourth and seventh graders. In evaluating the project one…

The paper examines varieties of program assessment in institutions of higher education and proposes a procedure to implement systematic assessment of program outcomes. Presented in a question-and-answer format, the paper first addresses common faculty concerns about formal assessment in sections titled, "Why Not Use GPA (Grade Point Average)?" and…

The paper addresses issues concerned with increasing state interest in encouraging public institutions of higher education to demonstrate educational quality through outcomes assessment and reports on the development and implementation of Tennessee's program of performance funding. Emphasis is on guidelines contained within a 5-year performance…

Undergraduate study programs in the United States, Great Britain, and Europe are compared. Assessment strategies are offered for use in addressing demands for evidence of accountability and concerns about quality facing Western universities. These countries should jointly study the peer review process as an assessment tool. (TJH)

The Child Health and Development Project (CHDP), a home-based early intervention program operated in six East Tennessee counties, provides well-child clinics, developmental evaluation, individualized early childhood education for disadvantaged children, and training in parenting skills for their parents. The University of Tennessee's Bureau of…

A voluntary quinmester plan for extending the school year was tried in five Knox County Tennessee schools. Ten University of Tennesse faculty members teamed to evaluate the program's K-12 curriculum revision, administration, public opinion, costs, student and staff morale, and student achievement. Achievement was not significantly influenced, but…

This paper describes an evaluation of the Child Health and Development Project (CHDP), a home-based early intervention program designed to promote parenting skills and to foster the physical, social, and intellectual development of children from birth through 6 years. The project served families from six counties in East Tennessee through funding…

Three techniques for surveying alumni and alumni's employers were utilized over the space of 3 academic years, for the purpose of comparing these methodologies. In the first study, alumni of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville were asked to complete a mailed questionnaire, then were encouraged through a follow-up mailing to grant permission for…

The Bureau of Educational Research and Service at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) conducted the 1981-82 evaluation of the Tennessee Nutrition Education and Training Program. Instruments developed, field tested, and revised by the UTK team were used to assess the nutrition knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceptions of students…