NCATE (2002) requires the measurement of knowledge, skills, and dispositions as part of its accreditation requirements for teacher education programs (Standard 1) and the use of unit assessment systems to aggregate and analyse data with a view toward program improvement (Standard 2). Data must indicate that candidates meet professional, state, and…

Until the past few years, our nation's approach to designing federal programs for preschool-age children lacked coherence and paid little attention to what had worked (and not worked) in the past. In this article, the authors propose that credible information useful for designing effective programs will require the ongoing, systematic development…

The Department of Education hosted a rare "technical training" for State correctional education directors and data managers this spring titled "Making Data Work for You." Forty-eight States participated. This was a welcome opportunity for face-to-face contact with correctional education administrators from across the U.S. More…

The Montana Council on Vocational Education conducted a business and industry survey in February 1993 to recommend initiatives and methods the private sector could undertake to assist in the modernization of vocational education programs. A representative sample of the various types and sizes of Montana businesses were selected. Surveys were…

Four agencies are involved in the U.S. Department of Education's vocational education data collection and reporting activities, as mandated by the 1990 Perkins Act: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES); Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE); National Institute of Postsecondary Education and Lifelong Learning (NIPELL); and…

Head Start classroom observations are an integral part of providing high-quality services to families and children while supporting staff. All too often, however, this opportunity to enhance services and solve problems is viewed either as an evaluation of staff or as a "rubber stamp" to meet funding requirements. Depending on the…

Proposed Senate Bill 367, the Nontraditional Employment for Women Act, contains provisions to amend the Job Training Partnership Act to encourage a broader range of training and job placement for women. The two major components of the bill are: (1) planning and reporting requirements; and (2) a 4-year demonstration program to foster the…

This paper focuses on nine inservice elementary teachers who received training in the Youth Empowerment and Self-Sufficiency (YESS)!/Mini-Society program at the beginning of the 1996-97 school year. The purpose of the project was to explore these teachers' impressions of the program before and after program implementation. All subjects…

Staff from eight community colleges experimented with a team mentoring relationship to strengthen their programs for students with disabilities. This project explored ways in which disability support service (DSS) professionals could benefit from mentoring by their peers in other institutions. From a national applicant pool of 47 colleges, 4 were…

The Rules for the Administration of the Educator Licensing Act of 1991 requires Colorado institutions of higher education approved to provide educator preparation programs submit annual reports to the Colorado Department of Education. The reports are intended to facilitate communication between the institutions and the Department of Education and…

This paper describes approaches that states have taken to systemic reform in adult education programs, approaches driven by the demand for accountability and high-quality services from legislation and other sources. It begins by defining systemic change and presenting a framework for understanding it. The document presents approaches in four areas…

This document records the oral testimony and written reports of witnesses who testified at a Congressional hearing on moving the United States toward a comprehensive employment training system. Witnesses included members of Congress, state officials, labor representatives, and association officials concerned with employment and training. At the…

These hearing transcripts present testimony concerning the Clinton Administration's plans to expand and improve Project Head Start. Testimony was heard from Senators Christopher J. Dodd, Dan Coats, Nancy Landon Kassebaum, Strom Thurmond, James M. Jeffords, and Harris Wofford, as well as Representatives Matthew G. Martinez and Susan Molinari, and…

An evaluation of the VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) Literacy Corps was conducted to provide a description of the Literacy Corps, numbers of persons served, strategies used, volunteer activities, and project results; to determine the degree to which the program is meeting its goals; and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the…

For a counseling psychology training program to be effective, it must keep up with current trends and developments in the field. To evaluate the Counseling Psychology Training Program (CPTP) at the University of Texas at Austin, 74 doctoral level graduates of the program within the decade of 1973-1982 (51 males, 23 females) completed a…