Effective teaching has long been an issue of national concern, but in recent years focus on the effectiveness of programs to produce high-quality teachers has sharpened. Long-standing achievement gaps persist despite large-scale legislative changes at the federal and state levels, and American students continue to show poorer performance on…

A survey examined secondary school teachers' perceptions of the effects of program, student, and teacher evaluations on instructional improvement. Results indicated that student evaluation was most effective in influencing teachers to revise their instruction. Teacher and program evaluations appeared to be ineffective as change agents. (MH)

Elementary school principals rated attitudes and behaviors concerning the utilization of student achievement data: (1) commitment to influencing student achievement; (2) control in utilizing student achievement data; (3) use of data to evaluate programs and teachers; (4) effectiveness and accountability in use of data; and (5) principals' own…

The article proposes that the key to tracking and evaluating the academic progress of college students, particularly at complex institutions, is development of a longitudinal tracking system with flexibility to support a diverse community of users and applications. Considerations for efficient maintenance and effective use of such a system are…

A prototype manual Instructional Support System for Occupational Education (ISSOE) student reporting system (SRS) developed in 1977-78 (see note) was field tested to determine the feasibility of collecting data on student progress from teachers, processing it at a central location, and returning student informational forms to teachers and…

Michigan's Macomb Community College's institutional assessment model involves using technology to collect and disseminate data on student learning in order to facilitate continuous improvement and adaptation. The first element of this five-part model is the mandatory testing, orientation, and placement of incoming students. Using placement test…

Ways to define the outcomes of college experiences are discussed, along with the use of assessment information to improve curricula, instruction, and management. The analysis is based on the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems/Kellogg Student Outcomes Project. It is proposed that institutions achieve educational excellence by…

The Tribal American Consulting Corporation designed a preschool program for American Indians in Los Angeles, California, which had two major goals: (1) to develop competence and attendant self esteem in both children and parents; and (2) to enable children to succeed in public school. Three curriculum models were used, based upon Indian culture,…

The Delaware Educational Assessment Program publishes annual results from the California Test of Basic Skills by district, school, and grade (1 through 8 and 11). A statewide computer information system was developed to manage the testing program, the massive 10-year longitudinal database, and the information requests received. The Delaware…

This handbook on locally directed evaluation (LDE) is designed as a practical guide for vocational and other school administrators to use in initiating or improving evaluation activities carried out at the local level. It is divided into seven sections. Each section includes an evaluation instrument, the purpose of the evaluation activity, and…