Evaluation of Tanzanian experiences in developing nationwide public library system under conditions of limited resources and unlimited user demands discusses six principles as basis for alternative strategy: liquidating irrelevant librarianship theories; establishing valid performance measures; adopting cost-effectiveness; giving primacy to…

Describes a video monitoring technique for detailed analysis of student use of computer-based learning programs which produces a synchronized record of computer output and student use; a study concerned with developing computer-based learning programs in chemistry which utilizes the technique; and advantages and disadvantages of the technique.…

Reports findings of a nationwide survey to determine how select number of libraries (38 respondents) have conducted projects to convert retrospective holdings to machine-readable form. Analysis of the data in areas of planning, budget, effects on user services and cataloging/output, staff, training, and evaluation is discussed. Two sources are…

"Harvard Education Letter" is published bimonthly at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This issue of "Harvard Education Letter" contains the following articles: (1) (In)formative Assessments: New Tests and Activities Can Help Teachers Guide Student Learning (Robert Rothman); (2) Recent Research on the Achievement Gap: How Lifestyle…

This note series is intended to summarize lessons learned and key policy findings on the World Bank's work in education. Over the past 20 years China's education sector has provided many lessons for countries that are approaching Universal Primary Education (UPE). The most important lesson may be that the need for educational reform does not…

Hugh Burkett, director of The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement, recently was asked to give the keynote speech at On the Right Track 4, an annual school improvement symposium for California school practitioners. In this month's newsletter, Dr. Burkett shares highlights from his remarks. He sets forth six things that should…

Post-secondary classes are usually followed by mandatory summative evaluations, yet changes in teaching and course structure cannot be made with summative evaluations. Formative evaluations in online education can result in candid responses from students if a third-party facilitator is involved in the process. This paper presents a method for…

Spain is currently a hot spot for English language teaching due not only to the legal educational changes and publisher's efforts to improve the Spanish students' competence but also because of the increasing interest of educational authorities and general teachers in action research and optimizing the teaching standards. To achieve these…

In 1993-1996, the Grocers Research and Educational Foundation of the National Grocers Association developed entry-level skill standards for the food marketing industry. A coalition formed early in the project directed the skill standard development process and solicited input from major organizations involved in the industry. The validity of the…

The "Student Evaluation of Teaching and Teaching Techniques" (SE3T) instrument, designed for this study of student evaluation of teacher performance, was administered twice to students in seven high schools in north Florida. Each time, results were tabulated and feedback provided to each teacher within one week; each teacher received…

This report presents the testimony of the Associate Director of Education and Employment Issues of the Health, Education, and Human Services Division of the General Accounting Office (GAO) concerning the participation of postsecondary institutions in the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), which makes direct student loans to students.…

Three summaries of papers presented in a symposium examine issues in the wraparound model of providing case management and mental health services to children and adolescents with emotional/behavioral disorders. The papers describe 30 months of participatory program evaluation and simultaneous program development between the University of South…

This document offers reports on the Maricopa Community College District (Arizona) Governing Board's Goal on Post-Secondary Student Competencies. The report includes detailed information for ten MCCD schools. For example, the 1999-2000 academic year assessment for Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC), analyzed the writing and mathematics…

This report by the Department of Education examines the progress made by the Student Financial Assistance (SFA) program in reaching its objectives. The report notes that for objective 1, customer satisfaction, more than 4 million direct loan records have been processed and over 1 million updates applied since winter 1999; that 84 percent of school…

The New York Collaborative for Excellence in Teacher Preparation (NYCETP) is a multicampus project designed to produce well-qualified teachers of science and mathematics. As part of the formative evaluation of the NYCETP, evaluators have designed activities that support faculty development and intercampus faculty collaboration. The pilot study of…