Summarizes research findings on the characteristics of effective schools and offers suggestions for ways professional educators can improve educational programs for students. Looks at the implications of the findings for program evaluation and accreditation. (DMM)

Reports on a study of the role of the external visiting team in accreditation, team size and composition, the total cost of the evaluation, and other aspects associated with the visiting team. Presents findings based on responses from 668 (76 percent) of the elementary, junior high, and high school principals surveyed. (DMM)

Describes a system of program evaluation that includes a review of divisional and departmental programs and leadership, academic program reviews, and the five-year planning process. (PD)

A multipart assessment of kindergarten readiness was developed for the State of Vermont. The approach reflects emerging consensus around the appropriate domains of development to include in child assessments, as well as the need to assess schools' readiness for young children and their families. The approach differs from some states' approaches,…

This report examines performance funding and performance budgeting in public higher education, based on studies conducted by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government (New York). A recent survey indicated that 10 states currently have performance funding for public colleges and universities, that 8 states currently use performance…

This document is the second in a series of summary reports outlining Key Issues for Planning useful to staff throughout the Los Rios Community College District (CA) for the 1999-2000 academic year and beyond. The 1999 Environmental Scan of Greater Sacramento provides a comprehensive look at the external environment. It outlines changes in the…

The document comprises of the Tennessee Board of Regents' (TBR) third annual report card and a press release about the report card. The report card evaluates student learning, academic program, faculty productivity, and financial accountability. Each report card provides outcome data on 15 different performance indicators, which are compared to…

This paper is meant to help designers of educational accountability systems think more critically about the questions they want to ask schools and the kinds of analyses that best answer these questions. There are two essential questions in school evaluation: how good is this school, and is it getting better? Each of these questions then can be…

This report is the third annual accountability report of Connecticut's state system of higher education. The report contains accountability measures for each unit of the system and performance improvement targets on six priority state-level goals. The new reporting structure, inaugurated in this report, has a three-level structure: 12 state-level…

This report for South Carolina's Trident Technical College (TTC) includes the following Institutional Effectiveness components: majors or concentrations, academic advising, two-year to four-year transfer, and library resources and services. Across the programs, the most common effectiveness indicators include job placement rates, number of…

This report is a product of the implementation of a quality indicator system for Colorado's public higher education system. In 1999, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education established a core set of nine indicators, for which data were gathered and benchmarks were identified for measuring performance in terms of these benchmarks. The first…

Provides a snapshot of funding, facilities, staffing, and enrollments in community and technical colleges in the past academic year in Washington state's community and technical colleges. These colleges served 472,470 students in 1999-00, the largest number ever served. The colleges enrolled the equivalent of 153,559 full-time students each…

Presents the results of the 1998 Quality Evaluation of Service Trends (QUEST) Survey administered at Howard Community College (Maryland) to 182 employees. This survey has been conducted annually since 1990. Ten of the service areas listed on the QUEST Survey improved their ratings over the last survey. There were declines in the 40 other areas.…

This 97-item bibliography cites research in the following categories: purposes and structures of school accreditation/evaluation; the school evaluation process, involving self-study, team visits, and implementation; evaluation of the accreditation/evaluation process; external factors influencing school accreditation/evaluation; and objectivity in…

Summarizes research which identified characteristics of evaluation planning, implementation, and follow-up that enhance the likelihood that the resulting information will be utilized. Delineates the exemplary practices employed in North Central Association's planning, implementation, and follow-up procedures. (CAM)