Although recent technological developments in both computing hardware and software present dramatic opportunities for adult literacy organizations, planning and preparation are required to capitalize on those opportunities. The process of technology planning described in this guide can focus organizational attention on the appropriate priorities…

The self-examination process used by Sinclair Community College (SCC), in Dayton, Ohio, is designed to improve student learning and the processes that contributes to effective and efficient learning. In 1988, SCC created a college-wide Assessment Steering Committee (ASC) charged with reviewing the status of assessment practices at SCC and making…

This final report presents the evaluation procedures and data pertaining to the California Telemation Project, a statewide effort which began in 1993 to equip K-12 educators and administrators with the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully use telecommunications technology in support of teaching and learning. The report consists of three…

This document is a collection of four papers dealing with the issues of technology in higher education, distance education, and assessment practices. The first paper, "Integrating the Internet into Distance Education in Accounting at Charles Sturt University: An Assessment of Potential" (Jayne E. Bisman), explores the impact of the…

In July 1993, the Pennsylvania Department of Education revised the regulations guiding state assessment of school districts, educational curriculum, graduation requirements, student assessment, and the planning process that districts use to guide educational delivery. This document describes a year-long, collaborative project, in which the Western…

Nearly all school reforms, regardless of their scope or intended target, share a number of characteristics. This report reviews the essential elements of planning, implementing, and sustaining school reform and presents eight key lessons to guide prospective reformers. The lessons are drawn from 12 major studies of education reform funded by the…

This guide presents a step-by-step portfolio assessment method for teachers who want to implement portfolio assessment in their classrooms. Portfolio assessment is not neat or tidy in its early stages, but tidy and organized portfolios can be constructed if the outlined steps are followed. These are: (1) storage and establishing a file for each…

A study designed to consider the feasibility of creating a State Office of Literacy in Hawaii found no consensus among those interviewed as to whether such an office should be established or what its duties should be. Consequently, the creation of a permanent Governor's Commission on Literacy was recommended instead. Housed within the Office of…

This paper discusses the five components of preschool program planning. The first component involves reviewing information about child development, developmental characteristics of young children, and the specific needs of children and families enrolled in the program. The second component involves formulating goals that reflect the philosophy of…

The linkage of planning and evaluation in vocational education is a conceptual as well as an operational phenomenon. In an ideal situation, planning and evaluation are not two distinct sets of activities but rather interrelated aspects of a dynamic and inquiring system with the overall mission of reconciling policy design and policy action.…

This document is designed to help local practitioners construct new tech prep systems that bridge the federal Tech Prep Education Act with the new School-to-Work Opportunities legislation. Section I provides a historical and philosophical foundation for new systems. It describes the movement's roots, legislation, and local, state, and federal…

The effect and efficiency with which an administrator manages crises may well determine his or her degree of success in resolving the situation. This book serves as a guideline to help administrators prepare for and respond to a wide variety of crisis situations. Following the introduction titled "Advance Preparation for Crises," five chapters…

A conceptual framework is developed for analyzing the costs of alternative assessment instruments. The framework will be used in future analyses by the Center for the Study of Evaluation to determine the costs of alternative assessment programs in a number of states. It is important that a distinction be made between costs and expenditures. Costs…

The Parent Project is a workshop approach to increasing parent involvement in their children's education. It began in the late 1980s in three inner-city elementary schools in Milwaukee (Wisconsin) as an outgrowth of the Milwaukee Writing Project. The workshop approach that developed focused on what children were learning in the classroom and how…

This monograph addresses the need for reshaping the college undergraduate curriculum in order to meet the new and compelling issues that have emerged from the criticism and analysis of the past decade. These issues are as follows: (1) how to accommodate diverse races and ethnic traditions and both genders; (2) how to incorporate global…