This paper presents a proposal for integrating liberal arts study within teacher education programs for the purpose of improving education through change in the education curriculum, the role of educators, the education of educators, the cooperation of educational agencies, and the place of education and knowledge in society. An extensive…

This planning guide presents an interdisciplinary team approach for improving career and vocational programs for youths with disabilities. The approach is an interdisciplinary planning process that involves identifying those things desired for students (best practices) and then working to integrate those things within the current continuum of…

Total quality management (TQM) is based on the fundamental philosophy that it is always more effective to do something right the first time than it is to correct deficiencies. It seeks to improve quality and increase customer satisfaction by restructuring traditional management and organizational practices. Common characteristics of TQM include…

This paper provides a program evaluation of the K-12 social science program in the Des Moines (Iowa) public schools. The program attempts to provide a balance between American and World Studies, History and Current Issues. It emphasizes multicultural and non-sexist learnings and includes the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to survive in…

The Hawkins/Stafford Elementary and Secondary Education Improvement Amendment of 1988 (P.L. 100-297) promotes access to quality education for educationally deprived students and excellence for all children. School level program improvement is a major component of this legislation. This publication is a major component of this legislation. This…

The process of developing indicators, measures, and standards of program quality can be considered a tiered, four-step process consisting of the following: (1) identification of topic areas important to program quality; (2) establishing the indicators that reflect quality for each area; (3) determining measures of the indicators; and (4) setting a…

As a preliminary to developing criteria to meet quality control requirements of the National Literacy Act of 1991, a study examined federal and state development of measures of program quality and performance standards for programs funded under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education…

The Cooperative Demonstration Program (High Technology) was the largest demonstration program supported under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984. The program funded projects to try new approaches, to increase access to high-quality programs for special populations, and to improve the overall quality of vocational education. An…

In 1991-92, a study was conducted to refine and implement a system for evaluating the California Community Colleges' vocational education special projects funded under the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984. The study focused on the 110 projects funded in 1988-89 and 1989-90, assessing their achievement of federal and state goals.…

This information package offers guidelines on conducting program evaluations to improve services. Though the examples relate specifically to respite care services for families of individuals with disabilities, the information is more generally applicable. In the first of four factsheets, titled "Local Program Evaluation," the form of evaluation…

A framework is presented for evaluating family centers in the context of the community environment. The family centers will be created in a variety of communities and under varying auspices. Several will be selected as prototype centers and, as such, will need more elaborate evaluation plans than the others. Prototype centers will need to evaluate…

This document contains the text and a section-by-section analysis of the proposed Reemployment Act of 1994, along with President Clinton's message in transmitting the act to Congress. The document reports that job seekers today have a difficult time getting information about jobs and training. The underlying problem is the lack of a coherent…

This British report demonstrates the importance of early learning as a preparation for effective education to promote social welfare and social order, and to develop a world-class workforce. It shows how countries benefit from providing good preschool education for children. Chapter 1 summarizes the case for the systematic public provision of high…

This monograph summarizes outcomes of a forum addressing strategies to improve special education program evaluation efforts and orient policymakers, administrators, and advocates to the benefits of program evaluation as an integral part of program improvement. The forum also addressed barriers restricting evaluation of program effectiveness…

On September 27, 1991, a seminar was held by faculty, administrators, and other higher education practitioners to discuss financial aid issues related to the almost 11 million nontraditional students in the nation's colleges and universities. This monograph describes those issues and presents four papers that formed the background to seminar…