In February 2009, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) commissioned RAND Europe to review approaches to evaluating the impact of research as part of their wider work programme to develop new arrangements for the assessment and funding of research--referred to as the Research Excellence Framework (REF). The objectives were 1) to…

This report is a product of an European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) Workshop "Assessing educational quality: Knowledge production and the role of experts" hosted by the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) in Oslo in February, 2008. The workshop gathered representatives from higher…

An existing research framework for alternative inservice teacher education was examined for applicability to career and technical education. Interviews with 27 students, administrators, and staff validated 5 framework elements (ability to explain program goals, attitudes, program structure, application of current research, and arrangements for…

A critical review of the Preservice Teacher Education Improvement Project observes both the project as a whole and the efforts of the various institutions involved. An alternative view for improving teacher education programs is suggested. (DF)

A 3-dimensional model was developed to assess impact of institutional research studies. Elements are short, intermediate, and long-range time components; acceptance, non response, and rejection actions; and primary, secondary, and tertiary audiences. A variety of criterion measures and instruments have been identified to assist in model…

A retrospective look at the Preservice Teacher Education Project shows both the benefits and shortcomings of the program. Involvement of institutions in this program indicates interest and need for support systems to help facilitate change in teacher education programs. (DF)

Describes a polling procedure developed to ascertain student needs. Variations in carrying out the procedure are also described. Categories for research include needs assessment, program evaluation, market research, and opinion survey. The effective use of research results is discussed. (RC)

Developed an evaluation based on R. Stake's Countenance Model of Program Evaluation (1967) to evaluate the Senior Block Field Experience Program at Mississippi State University, a teacher education program. Results identify strengths and weaknesses in all components of the program. (SLD)

The judges usefulness and objectivity of a simulated evaluation report and client agreement with the report's recommendations were examined as functions of the evaluator's simulated professional background and the client's status, Apparently, source and audience characteristics influence client ratings of the evaluator but do not effect changes in…

Review of literature concerning the use of program review in higher education lists sources discussing the review process, focusing on the links between program review and other institutional processes, and addressing application of program review principles and practices to different higher education settings. Critical factors for successful use…

The overall goal of the Master of Arts-Classroom Teaching (MA-CT) degree program at Michigan State University is to enable classroom teachers to demonstrate the knowledge, commitment, and ability to improve teaching effectiveness through self-sustained professional growth throughout their careers. An individualized plan of study is developed for…

A report is given on the Extended Elementary Teacher Education Program (EETEP), a five-year alternative to the regular four-year elementary program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The purpose is to prepare elementary teachers who exhibit higher levels of teaching performance than coteachers prepared in the regular program. Primary…

A survey undertaken to assess the effectiveness of 26 follow-up studies of teacher education graduates identified the : (1) extent to which the studies' respondents were representative of the target population; (2) types of recommendations resulting from the studies; and (3) extent to which information from the studies directed program planning…

Winthrop University (South Carolina) has linked classroom research with program accountability in its Learning Research Project, which focuses on general education. The pilot and implementation phases of the project are described, noting problems, frustrations, and rewards in each. The experiment has convinced administration and faculty that…

The Collaboration for the Improvement of Teacher Education (CITE) project brought teachers and administrators from four public school districts together with Eastern Michigan University professors to design and implement a research-based pre-student teaching program. The major goal of the program was to develop reflective pedagogical thinking in…