In November 1989, the College of the Canyons (CC) in Valencia, California, conducted a community survey of Santa Clarita Valley to determine residents' satisfaction with CC; use of CC services and facilities; perceptions of the value and performance of CC in six functional areas; perceptions of the quality of education; attitudes about fees, the…

This book examines the issue of school readiness, focusing on children's readiness for entrance into kindergarten and promotion to first grade. Chapter 1 reviews the literature on school readiness, exploring trends in policy related to readiness and readiness as a child-centered characteristic. Chapter 2 examines various theoretical frameworks for…

In a previous paper the authors presented a model of assessing portfolios, the Cognitive Model for Assessing Portfolios (CMAP), as a lens to view, think about, and make decisions about portfolio projects. Two projects in which the CMAP has been used are described. One is an authentic assessment project in mathematics and science by the Educational…

For a number of years it has been suggested that distance education is a natural extension of existing teaching methods that includes learners who are separated from the instructor by time or distance. This paper takes an alternative look at distance-education research and evaluation and proposes an evaluation model built on that view. That…

This guide describes a quality process for external and internal evaluation of the elementary school education department. The term "pathway" is used to define routes through the quality process that describe any school administrative activity in terms of the indicators and examples of good practice. There are five pathways: process…

To increase the role and the participation of parents and to strengthen parent involvement in their children's education, the Board of Education of New York City provided funding for a district/or superintendency-level parent liaison pilot program for the 1992-93 school year. The project consisted of the creation of a parent liaison position for a…

A study was conducted to evaluate student and student employer satisfaction with the services provided by the South Seattle Community College (SSCC) Cosmetology Department. Specifically, the study gathered data related to four outcomes: that students receive an educational experience allowing them to meet their goals; that former and current…

This survey of 25 day care centers in 5 regions of Italy was designed to determine the characteristics of competent centers and the effects of differing local regulations on the quality of care provided. The Infant and Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS) and a questionnaire were utilized to assess the quality of the day care centers in the…

This document presents the text of a speech given by the President of Ramapo College (New Jersey) on campus responses to the imperatives for global education. A section laying out the principles for internationalizing institutions describes the strategies used at Ramapo College which includes multicultural and international themes pervasive…

In its third year of funding, Project VITAL (Volunteers In Training Act and Learn) was designed to provide literacy training to 500 librarians, coordinators, and volunteers working in literacy programs. Through the techniques of improvisational theater, structured scenarios were enacted dealing with illiteracy, women's concerns of domestic…

The NASA-Industry Education Initiative (NIEI) is the response of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its private-sector contractors to the education crisis. Findings from the initial survey show that support for NIEI appears to be strong among the organizations surveyed and there is a significant level of cooperation…

Pioneering Partners for Educational Technology was created to enhance learning in kindergarten through grade 12 by accelerating the use of educational technology. The program spotlights 24 project teams from Great Lakes states that are already using technology in creative ways in the following states: (1) Illinois; (2) Indiana; (3) Michigan; (4)…

As a preliminary step in identifying changes occurring in vocational education after the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Act, a study gathered information on the status of vocational schools in school year (SY) 1991 and changes reported in SY 1992. Surveys assessed the status of program quality, collected information on estimated…

This instrument was developed to assist individuals or teams to review best practice indicators regarding the development of inclusive school communities and to establish priority targets for improvement. The instrument covers three areas: (1) school community issues, (2) team issues, and (3) classroom issues. For each area, there is a review…

This report was prepared to provide information on school evaluation practices to the education community and the general public. It is intended to assist individuals in selecting school evaluation models that assess the dimensions and components of a school that are considered most relevant and most related to school improvement. Work on the…