This report first outlines the status of early childhood care and education in Minnesota, including the effects of an inadequate child care system on families and society. Issues of quality, cost, and availability of care are then addressed and are the basis of the recommendations for a coordinated child care system. Recommendation 1…

In September 1991 an invitational roundtable met to discuss issues in mass deacidification of books. The meeting was prompted by the significant increase in mass deacidification activities in recent years and libraries' interest in applying these processes. Contributions included: (1) "Opening Statement" (Duane Webster); (2) "The…

In 1993 the Western Illinois University and Illinois State Board of Education Satellite Education Network broadcast a series of 10 half-hour instructional programs focused on mathematics inservice training for Illinois school teachers in grades 5-8 and 9-12. Project funding came from the Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Education Program through…

The New Jersey State government could reduce pupil transportation aid payments to local school districts by between $35 million and $50 million by eliminating support for questionable expenditures and by using the funding formula adopted in the Quality Education Act of 1990. This report describes how these dollar savings can be achieved. The major…

Assembly Bill (AB) 1725 mandates that the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges (CCC) shall develop and implement a comprehensive Community College educational and fiscal accountability system in order to improve student and institutional performance. The system is to be implemented over a 3-year period beginning not later than…

Teachers agree that utilizing a laboratory method of teaching is both expensive and time consuming. In addition to the cost of materials, one must consider the provision of laboratory facilities and the amount of teacher and laboratory assistant time needed for preparation, facilitation, and clean-up. The need to maximize learning while minimizing…

After fleximode was introduced into the Western Australian TAFE system, its cost and effectiveness compared with traditional delivery systems were evaluated. Fleximode, as practiced in Australia, was adapted from a mode of study pioneered in England. It offered students the independence of off-campus study in combination with access to college…

An evaluation of the effectiveness of the English language training for Navy recruits at the English Technical Language School (ETLS) in Puerto Rico is reported. The study covers the period of December 7, 1981, to September 30, 1983. It tracked Puerto Rican Army National Guard (PRANG) personnel from completion of English language training through…

The Center for the Study of Evaluation Systems Project focuses on assessing the costs and impacts of managing testing, evaluation, and instructional (T/E/I) systems through a collection of nine papers: (1) "School District Evaluation Offices: Are They Worth the Money?," by Richard C. Williams and Pam McGranahan; (2) "How Two…

This lesson on managing customer credit and collections, the 17th in a series of 18 units, is part of the first level of a comprehensive entrepreneurship curriculum entitled: A Program for Acquiring Competence in Entrepreneurship (PACE). (Designed for use with secondary students, the first level of PACE introduces students to the concepts involved…

Designed to help instructors lead a group cooking experience at a base camp, the module provides information on food safety, planning a camping trip, building fires, constructing and using outdoor cooking equipment, campground cookery, and positive camping ethics. An extensive section offers 93 recipes to serve 12 people for breakfast (clam…

Computer based assessment was introduced into an introductory economics course at the University of Queensland during the second semester of 1986. Over 600 students used computer generated and graded random tests for a number of assignments. A commercial computer managed learning (CML) software package was used to administer and grade tests and to…

This book on evaluating social programs is an outcome of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Evaluation Design Project, which produced a set of 10 guides for the evaluation of state and local JTPA programs. This book distills ideas from these guides and applies them to a larger context. Part 1 presents a general approach to program evaluation…

Written for the Australian general reader who wants to understand important trends in vocational education and training, this document consists of a description of competency-based training (CBT) and assessment, a short test of readers' CBT understanding, and an annotated bibliography. The introduction states the aims of the document, lists five…

This report evaluates two arguments for the use of computers as an important tool in learning: (1) there is a need to develop the kinds of skills and knowledge that will allow youth to find good jobs in a changing, information-based national and international setting; and (2) computers are capable of improving the overall level of student…