The study reported here evaluated the usefulness of interactive videodisc technology and materials to teach second languages at the elementary and middle school levels, particularly in a context in which teachers lack expertise in the target language. A 3-year project used videodiscs to teach Spanish, French, and Japanese. The report presents, in…

The evaluation of professional support personnel (PSP)--counselors, school psychologists, nurses, curriculum specialists, library/media specialists, deans, and athletic directors--has received scant attention among researchers, theorists, and practicing administrators. This situation may reflect the inadequate tools for counselor and PSP…

The North Carolina Teacher Performance Appraisal System (TPAS) embodies both formative and summative evaluation of teachers, and is based on multiple observations and collection of data on teacher performance. This study was conducted to report on a survey of the effectiveness of the TPAS as perceived by 639 evaluators (Es) and 2,732…

Criterion 20 of the National League for Nursing's accreditation process requires documentation of critical thinking (CT) as an outcome of nursing education. This raises two questions: What is meant by CT? and How can it be measured? Building on a consensus construct of CT as articulated in the American Philosophical Association 1990 Delphi Report,…

This article offers four explanations of why outcome-based education (OBE) has proven to be so controversial. First, OBE requires consideration of the central purposes of compulsory public education, on which there is sharp philosophical disagreement, and the outcome-defining process involves input from many groups with many different…

Assessments are authentic when they have meaning in themselves--when the learning they measure has value beyond the classroom and is meaningful to the learner. Authentic assessments (AAs) address the skills and abilities needed to perform actual tasks. Perhaps the most widely used technique is portfolio assessment. Well-designed AAs demonstrate a…

In developing procedures for evaluating academic administrators which both meet legal requirements and foster professional development, institutions should provide for the participation of faculty and other employees directly affected by the administrator's position; develop clear and complete job descriptions for each administrative position;…

This report summarizes data relating to standards for accreditation of personnel preparation programs in special education and related services. Section 1 examines standards issued by 30 responding states and identifies trends in the standards. It presents a matrix of standards by state, indicating whether the state has core curriculum…

An assessment was made of the initial efforts of the states to implement the Aid to Families with Dependent Children--Unemployed Parent (AFDC-UP) program in accordance with the requirements of the Family Support Act (FSA) of 1988. A mail survey was conducted of each of the 50 state welfare departments. Results indicated that, nationwide,…

This two-part report by the Commission on Evaluation of the Council of Colleges in Quebec focuses on the progress of the province's colleges in developing and implementing legislatively mandated policies concerning the evaluation of apprenticeships. Chapter 1 identifies the 95 colleges with policies meeting the criteria established by the…

This booklet identifies the minimum entrance requirements necessary for college admission in South Dakota's public universities and recommends specific content for each course in the curriculum, as well as additional experiences and skills that would smooth the transition to a higher education course. The following topics, targeted to students…

This document contains vocational education program course standards for health occupations programs in Florida. Standards are provided for a total of 71 exploratory courses, practical arts courses, and job preparatory programs offered at the secondary or postsecondary level. Each program courses standard consists of a curriculum framework and…

Classroom teachers have the best possible vantage point for constructing locally appropriate surveys and tests; the fact is, however, that teachers tend to rely on nationally mass-produced and marketed test packages. The purpose of this paper is to present a procedure for developing and refining teacher-made surveys and tests, which would be valid…

Basic issues in workplace education evaluation can be structured into five discussion questions. The first is who wants to know what information for what purpose. The "who" constitutes the program's stakeholders both at and beyond the program level. Further inquiry is then needed to determine what kind of information these stakeholders typically…

When New Jersey passed the Quality Education Act to equalize expenditures between rich and poor school districts, it added a level of regulatory oversight to the "special needs districts," the 30 poorest districts in the state. This paper describes that oversight system and the additional paperwork burdens it created for those districts.…