The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is widely used to screen university applicants for whom English is not their native language. Although the cutoff scores vary, in Ontario those with scores much lower than 550 are rarely admitted to any university. Two exceptions are the University of Western Ontario and its affiliate, Brescia…

The present study investigates whether the Early Development Instrument (Offord & Janus, 1999) measures school readiness similarly across different groups of children. We employ ordinal logistic regression to investigate differential item functioning, a method of examining measurement bias. For 40,000 children, our analysis compares groups…

The paper discusses the results of a research project based on the field testing of a course aimed at developing arithmetic problem solving skills in primary school pupils. The course was designed to incorporate e-learning techniques, including the use of ARI@ITALES authoring tools. These tools allowed the integration in the course of…

The state validation process in New York identifies promising practices developed through the Elementary Secondary Education Act Title IV-C funding. The new validation procedures included in this handbook are revised to: (1) make the evaluation process easier to apply; (2) provide technical assistance in evaluating the project; (3) extend…

The purpose of this paper is to review some of the methods used for the impact evaluation of Demonstrator-Developer projects and to promote the meta-analysis approach. Four examples of attempts to collect and analyze impact data from adopters are presented, one of which used the meta-analysis approach. In this example, each adopter collected pre…

This paper outlines a recently implemented set of procedures for the approval of teacher education programs in the state of Arkansas. Information is included on: (1) regulations and standards for state approval of teacher education programs; (2) agenda for team visits conducting on-site evaluation; and (3) standards for program accountability. The…

This publication presents the current approval status of the 45 public and non-public colleges and universities in North Carolina that offer programs leading to initial and advanced-level teacher certification. Specific approved programs are listed for each college or university. Also included is information on the current status of the two…

Designed to supplement the descriptive authoring flowcharts presented in a companion volume, this manual includes specific guidance, examples, and other information referred to in the flowcharts for the implementation of the third phase of the Instructional Systems Development Model (ISD). The introductory section includes definitions;…

A six-month study and evaluation of statewide California program review procedures focused on four major questions: (1) What is statewide program review? (2) To whom is it important? (3) How does it operate in California? and (4) How can it be made more responsive to questions of quality and accountability? Four state administrative offices were…

The purpose of this project was to develop and validate guidelines which will ensure that vocational materials developed under Bureau of Occupational and Adult Education (BOAE) auspices are free of sex bias. The guidelines serve a three-fold purpose: (1) to provide a guide for development of any materials resulting from BOAE contracts or grants;…

State standards are set forth for approving teacher education programs. The program approval procedures permit professionals from appropriate and specialized areas to make determinations concerning standards and quality of teacher education programs. The policies and procedures presented in this document relate to two major types of approval:…

This article reviews techniques for validating procedures of personnel selection, including construct, content, and empirical validation. An actual validation study of a procedure designed to select workers for social service positions is presented to demonstrate the feasibility and utility of this approach for the social-work field. (Author)

Discusses the pros and cons of specialized accreditation, concluding that, although specialized accreditation agencies are necessary for the protection of public interest, especially in health-related fields and for licensure approval to practice, their proliferation should be controlled through a collective response by community colleges under a…

Presents a teacher's journal of her experiences in the accreditation process of the Willow Wood Pre-School in Winnetka, Illinois by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs. (BB)

A study was conducted in response to a request from the Illinois State Board of Education to examine closely which reading programs work best for Illinois students and schools. In some Illinois schools, students exhibit consistently high levels of reading achievement--the teaching, learning, and other practices of these schools may point the way…