The community college environment is complex and dynamic, requiring constant monitoring. To ensure that workforce education, a core component of community colleges' missions, remains aligned with colleges' environments, responsive to employers' needs, suited to students' interests and abilities, and current in content and technology, it is…

Although most school districts and schools are routinely involved in data collection, they do not typically use the data they collect in a systematic fashion to identify strengths and weaknesses and develop improvement strategies. One reason for the lack of data use is the perception that the data are being collected for someone else's purposes.…

Project Priority: Occupational Emphasis was designed to assist New York State two-year colleges in the application of cognitive style information to vocational programs. The project consisted of four phases: (1) a workshop on cognitive style assessment, case studies, and information application; (2) campus visitations by project consultants in…

A study examined the types of outcomes that are currently measured in postsecondary vocational education and the uses to which data on institutional, program, and student outcomes are being put. Personnel from 54 of the 63 two-year institutions in 25 states that were originally contacted were interviewed. The respondents represented institutions…

Sixteen vocational education evaluation problems which indicate the present situation in the states are discussed, and alternative solutions to them are suggested in this report. Each problem represents a situation that should be remedied or a need that must be met and was found to be common to a number of states attempting to develop or improve…

The East Central Curriculum Management Center (ECCMC) was evaluated by the Illinois State Advisory Council on Adult, Vocational and Technical Education. The council reviewed the internal operations of the center, including (1) an assessment of how various units within the Illinois Office of Education (IOE) related to the Center; (2) a survey of…

The report describes a three-day training program to improve the competencies of vocational educators in utilizing manpower information in planning vocational education programs. The program summary presents the goals and objectives, topics covered, procedures followed in participant selection and instruction, activities and accomplishments of the…

This manual is a resource of ideas and suggestions for comprehensive statewide planning of vocational education. It is directed toward both experienced and inexperienced vocational education planners. The data analysis and display techniques presented are useful for producing information for developing state plans and for communicating data-based…

This report considers the role of manpower information in vocational education planning. Following a review of the manpower and educational contexts of vocational education planning, the report examines the concepts of manpower supply and demand and the sources of relevant information and methodologies for their estimation, considers criteria for…

State and local education agencies increasingly have to spend a larger percentage of their time collecting, aggregating, and reporting information to federal agencies. This report suggests that the federal evaluation strategy to describe program implementation as well as impact is usually ill considered, inappropriate and of questionable utility.…

A proposed evaluation model for measuring the impact of demonstration projects in vocational education defines sets of criteria, standards, and documentation for both interim and final acceptable evidence of project impact. Interim acceptable evidence is that evidence of project success which should be expected during the demonstration grant…

A procedure to relate funding decisions and project evaluations in an annual grant program for vocational education administered by a state education department (SED) is described. Objectives of the study included developing a set of predictor variables for funding decisions, and outcome variables for evaluating decisions; determining consensus…

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…

The 1990 Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act established an accountability system for vocational education based on "outcomes" such as academic skill gains, job placement, and program completion. Current congressional proposals for workforce training differ in the emphasis they place on individuals,…

This handbook is designed to help state and local vocational education evaluators and persons using evaluation results by presenting strategies and procedures for improved use of vocational education evaluation results. It is divided into five sections, followed by a glossary and annotated bibliographies. Chapter 1 contains an overview of the…