In early 1996, the Atlanta school board approved a plan to reconstitute Walden Middle School, opening it to students across the city and substantially changing the composition of the faculty. This report for 1996-97 recounts the first year of the reform effort, during which all positions were declared vacant and a new staff and faculty were…

This book gives an updated account of the present use and status of performance indicators (PIs)in British higher education, a decade after their controversial introduction into higher education policy. The first chapter explores some key issues in the development of PIs, noting that since their introduction as a largely, externally imposed…

The first of the National Education Goals states that by the year 2000 all children in America will start school ready to learn. Pressed by demands for greater accountability and enhanced educational performance, states are developing standards and creating new criteria and approaches for assessing achievement. Calls to assess young children are…

This guide is designed to support the self-evaluation procedures of public colleges in Quebec, Canada, offering a Social Sciences program. First, the guide presents evaluation topics for the revised Social Sciences program and proposed evaluation criteria and sub-criteria. Areas to be evaluated are listed under the headings "program…

The focus of second language education is communication, and oral language is central to the teaching of foreign language at all levels. Oral language in the foreign language classroom is the most problematic of all skills to assess. Teachers' concerns can be divided in the following areas: (1) What to assess: form or content; (2) How to assess:…

This report addresses university outreach efforts at Michigan State University (MSU) and sets out strategic directions for strengthening such efforts. The report focuses on three messages: (1) that faculty, staff, and students are engaged in a significant amount of outreach, although these activities may not always be so labeled; (2) that outreach…

The Secretary's Conference on Educational Technology: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Technology (July 12-13, 1999) noted a shift in schools' focus on technology. Where once the emphasis was on building and implementing a technology infrastructure, today it is on evaluating the effectiveness of its use in schools and classrooms. Conference…

For decades there has been no formal evaluation system to ensure the quality of art teaching in Hong Kong. Additionally, although the syllabi for art are open and flexible, art teachers do not have adequate knowledge to develop a balanced curriculum. This study investigates what constitutes good art teaching and the extent to which art teachers…

This study examined the extent to which racial and ethnic preferences were used in the admissions policies of Maryland's four-year public colleges and universities. Ten institutions provided data on in-state enrollees (race, sex, and SAT scores). Data analysis indicated that white in-state enrollees on average had substantially higher SAT scores…

The adult basic education (ABE) program at Nicolet Area Technical College (NATC) evaluated its training and development (T&D) process for new basic education instructors. The study gathered monitoring and screening criteria that addressed valuable components for use in an instrument for validating effectiveness of the ABE program (T&D)…

This transfer 2002-2003 transfer guide for the province of British Columbia offers detailed information for college transfer students. The guide documents provincial transfer policy and process, as well as offering specific transfer information for some institutions. It is suggested that it be used in conjunction with the Online Transfer Guide and…

This manual is a first effort to begin to identify, describe, and develop procedures for assessing various aspects of digital reference service. Its overall purpose is to improve the quality of digital reference services and assist librarians to design and implement better digital reference services. More specifically, its aim is to: assist…

This paper details a study into the development of a WebCT based learning resource, which was used to augment the delivery of a second year degree level module. The development of the learning resource was informed by the educational theories expounded in the conversational framework, Laurillard (1993). Subsequently, the resource was evaluated…

Distance learning is rapidly gaining acceptance as a valid means of course delivery in educational institutions across the country, and these institutions are struggling to enhance the quality of teaching,learning and scholarship over the Internet, while trying to effectively integrate this type of instruction into the curriculum. Increasingly,…

This paper presents a model for the evaluation of postsecondary online distance education courses and programs. To better address the unique nature and audience for these courses and programs, and the related institutional needs for assessing their success or failure, the focus is on a model from corporate training that provides a comprehensive,…