The three position papers on reading disability and illiteracy offer a description of the present position and boundaries of the problem which the current state of knowledge, research, and experience affords us. The first, "The Costs of Illiteracy" by A. Dale Tussing and Laurence B. DeWitt, attempts to describe these "costs" as the quickest way to…

A picture of the American prison situation in the past and in its present changing form is presented. The object of the correctional community is becoming more and more that of successfully reintegrating the ex-offender into the social community from which he has been separated. It is predicted that within the next five years: (1) Every state will…

This report provides additional detail on the problems of test and measurement and cost analysis associated with performance contracting programs. The guide, addressed to school board members, administrators, and other educational decisionmakers who may be contemplating a performance contracting program, delineates the questions, issues, and…

This document presents the papers and seminar discussions of the Forum. Thirty-eight papers were presented covering (1) the relationship of institutional research to general issues of policy formulation, (2) academic policy formulation, (3) administrative policy formulation, (4) enrollment policy formulation, and (5) special interest groups. The…

Under the present practices, the objectives and activities of socially oriented projects have rarely been specified with enough clarity and concreteness. Alternatives have been insufficiently presented for consideration by top management. In a number of cases, the future costs of present decisions have not been laid out systematically enough and…

Numerous facets of curriculum evaluation are discussed. Recent developments in evaluation, characteristics of evaluation and evaluators, and specific characteristics of curriculum evaluation are examined. Several curriculum evaluation models are studied. (DG)

A number of issues related to the development of evaluation methodology are discussed. These issues are as follows: the definition of the purpose, general strategies for the development of methodology, and methodological research. The evaluation methodology developed is for the purpose of providing data for decision making. Some specific…

A team of students, faculty members, division chairpersons and administrators at Mendocino College developed a set of knowledge, skill and attitude goals for an interdisciplinary program around the theme of the "World Food Crisis." Once the broad goals had been set, a team representing the social sciences, natural sciences, and…

The Western Washington State College Teacher Corps Project (WWSC/TC) has developed a teacher designed inservice model as part of its Ninth Cycle program. The model is based on a collaborative approach to inservice education, in which the teacher is able to draw on the resources of an institution of higher learning, a local education association,…

The primary purpose of the project was to develop cost-effectiveness materials to be used in conducting locally directed secondary school vocational education program investigations. Based on a literature review, eight key elements in the cost-effectiveness system were identified and a conceptual model and data instruments for cost-effectiveness…

Analyses preparatory to construction of a suitable file for generating a system of future performance trend indicators are described. Such a system falls into the category of a current value approach to human resources accounting. It requires that there be a substantial body of data which: (1) uses the work group or unit, not the individual, as…

A reply is offered to Joseph Pechman and Ira Sharkansky, who have refuted the contentions of the authors in their book, "Benefits, Costs, and Finance of Public Higher Education," which deals with the size and distribution of costs and benefits. Pechman and Sharkansky's critique, "The Distributional Effects of Public Higher Education…

Presented is an analysis of cost benefit factors in special education showing that special education for persons with handicaps of varying severity leads to decreased dependency, increased economic self sufficiency, and longterm cost effectiveness. Considered are the following aspects: education as human capital investment, the economic benefits…

Construction management has been developed as an alternative to the traditional public building process and seeks to save an owner time and cost primarily through better activity coordination and project management. This report was developed to guide public agencies in their evaluation of construction management for their particular needs. It…

This essay is a call for effective planning in postsecondary education. The thesis is that unless we know why to plan we cannot plan effectively. Emphasis is on some fundamental aspects of planning: the need for courage, for purpose and choice in decision, and for direction and leadership. A definitional inquiry into planning is presented along…