This paper discusses research on early entrance to public school and individual decisions regarding early entrance. The discussion of research findings briefly alludes to four areas of research relevant to the early admission of children to kindergarten and first grade. These areas of research concern: (1) attitudes of school personnel; (2)…

Evaluation of freshman English programs is a process involving recursive steps, such as planning which elements to review, securing resources to carry out the review, actually reviewing the planned elements, and providing written reports to decision-makers. The four elements of an educational program--contexts, input, process, and product--cohere…

This guide profiles 703 programs and institutions granting degrees in theology, divinity, and other fields in the study of religion and religions. Profiles, arranged by geographic location, are included from 46 states (Delaware, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming not represented), District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 7 Canadian provinces (Alberta,…

The efforts associated with the communication competence movement, both within and without the Speech Communication Association, have done much to promote the inclusion of listening and speaking skills in the public schools to date, but areas remain where progress is still needed. Over the past 15 years, the most significant change has been the…

Selection procedures for the Wellington (New Zealand) Polytechnic Journalism Program were studied. An exploratory analysis of 1983 selection data was undertaken, resulting in elimination of one selection test and establishment of a provisional cutoff for 1984 applicants. In the principal study, the following four aspects were examined: (1)…

A study developed and validated measures that can be used to assess the effectiveness of the change from an industrial arts teacher education program to technology teacher education. A modified three-phase Delphi design was used to answer two questions: (1) Is the program technology teacher education (i.e., has the change progressed to the point…

This paper, based on neighborhood surveys and in-depth interviews with parents in Syracuse, New York, argues that the location of schools is a major factor in parents' school choice. It notes that this position is contrary to previous research. Parents' concerns with location reflect their concerns about moral environments for child rearing.…

In the past several years, Tacoma Community College (TCC) has devoted increasing attention to evaluating faculty and staff performance. In recognition of the benefits of a growth-oriented evaluation process over a summative evaluation, the counselors and the Dean for Student Services at TCC developed a comprehensive evaluation system for…

This report provides testimony on results of a General Accounting Office (GAO) study of Chapter 1 Compensatory Education programs, Chapter 2 Education Block Grant programs, and dropout prevention programs. The report covers the following: (1) Chapter 1 student selection; (2) Chapter 1 fiscal provisions; (3) Chapter 2 data collection and…

A study was conducted to determine the extent of implementation of the Bay Area Writing Program (BAWP) and how the extent varied for different components of the program or for the elementary versus secondary level. The role of staff development in helping teachers use the program--which emphasizes prewriting, writing, and rewriting phases--was…

Any systematic approach to the assessment of students' ability implies the use of a model. The more explicit the model is, the more its users know about what they are doing and what the consequences are. The Rasch model is a strong model where measurement is a bonus of the model itself. It is based on four ideas: (1) separation of observable…

The politics of program evaluation are discussed from the personal perspective of the Director of the General Accounting Office's Program Evaluation and Methodology Division, which has produced reports for committees of the United States Congress. It is concluded that successful evaluations must be useful to others and must understand the…

Five options to simplify the needs assessment formula for Pell Grants are discussed, along with validation alternatives. Analysis focuses on three main effects of simplifications (data element reduction): the impact on the distribution of total Pell funds, the impact on individuals receiving Pell awards, and the impact of reducing error in the…

A guide to the use of literature to teach English as a second language (ESL) begins with a discussion of the role of literature in ESL and the rationale for using it. Subsequent chapters discuss specific issues in using poetry and short stories in the ESL classroom, including the benefits, main aspects of the genres, points of entry, instructional…

This document is an orientation manual for the Career Ladder Counselor Evaluation System, a part of the Tennessee Career Ladder Better Schools Program. The evaluation system for guidance counselors was developed by using the best ideas from educational research and from counselors in Tennessee. The system was field tested in the fall of 1985.…