Educational indicator systems are similar to indicator systems used to monitor the economy, the criminal justice system, or other social systems. Governments recognize the value of statistics that provide current information and make trend analysis and forecasts possible. Education statistics will qualify as indicators only if they serve as…

The Wisconsin "Learnfare" policy requires that teenagers receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) attend school regularly until they have completed high school. The population of teen parents and dependent teens receiving AFDC from September 1988 through December 1989 included 22,241 males and 30,995 females. About half…

The continuation of an earlier study examined to what extent students change in their use of evaluative criteria in writing between the fifth and sixth grade. Twenty-five students were interviewed in fifth and sixth grade. In the fifth grade, all students were taught writing by the same teacher who emphasized student choice of topic, recursive…

The Educational Sign Skills Evaluation (ESSE) was developed to provide a means of identifying the dominant signing style of an individual and to provide feedback on areas of strength and areas in need of improvement. It provides an overall expressive skills rating as well as information on the type, level, and degree of understanding demonstrated…

This handbook is designed to assist Samoan-speaking parents of students residing in California. It is intended to clarify the operation of schools so parents can better support their children's education. The handbook provides basic information on the educational system and policies in question-and-answer format, addressing topics such as:…

This training package, one in a series of instructional modules consisting of an instructor's guide and a student activity packet, deals with formatting business reports. Included in the instructor's guide are general directions for implementing the presentation; a detailed guide for teaching the lesson that includes performance objectives,…

Written for teachers instructing both Indian and non-Indian students, the handbook provides information on American Indians in California. The handbook is presented in six chapters. Chapter 1 is devoted to terminoloy (e.g., American Indian, Native American, tribe, band, rancheria, and chief). Chapter 2 details historic and cultural changes related…

The state of Kentucky has recently raised its standards for persons who apply for admission to teacher education. The plan, mandated by the State Board of Education, involves a selection/retention process for candidates who apply for initial admission to the program and for candidates who progress through the program. A minimum level of…

Four annual surveys of the 50 states provide data for analyzing nation-wide trends in competency assessment of teachers. Most state plans for teacher competency assessment include testing one or more areas of basic skills, professional or pedagogical skills, and academic knowledge. The testing occurs at the entry level--admission to the teacher…

Much concern has been voiced about the quality of teachers newly entering the profession, the teachers of tomorrow. This concern has focused either on teachers' low aptitude and achievement scores or on their low grade point averages. However, numerous other personal and professional characteristics have been shown to be important to successful…

U.S. research-doctorate programs in the social and behavioral sciences were assessed by a committee of the Conference Board of Associated Research Councils. Attention was focused on 639 research-doctorate programs in seven disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences: anthropology, economics, geography, history, political sciences,…

This paper discusses the breadth and direction of large-scale evaluative research and its implications for academics, their professional associations, and universities in general. The paper asks a number of questions, such as: What are the differing perceptions of evaluation at the international level? Is there a symbiosis between educational…

Papers by teacher education practitioners, on the topic of evaluation of teacher education programs, with responses by evaluation experts, are presented: (1) "Teacher Education's Evaluation of Graduates: Where Are We Going and How Do We Know When We Get There?" (J. T. Sandefur); (2) "Requirements of a Data Base for Effective Program Evaluation"…

A study examined how pragmatic form influences evaluation of student essays in university placement testing. Specifically, the study documented how patterns in students' use of information (assumed to be either old, inferable, or new for readers) affected the holistic scores for quality given to the essays. Subjects, 99 randomly selected entering…

This manual provides guidelines for responding to a request for proposals under the provisions of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984 in the State of Maine. The manual is organized in five sections. The first section (introduction) outlines basic goals and program standards of the act, categorical set-asides and allocations, and…