This book has two goals: to convey to policymakers at the Federal and state levels a clearer understanding of vocational education and what can reasonably be expected of it and to develop an approach to Federal vocational education policy that is more performance, and less process, oriented. Chapter 1 provides a general overview of vocational…

A comparison of research and development and teacher competency assessment activities is divided into two tasks: (1) selection and cataloging of competencies; and (2) development of instruments and procedures to assess competencies for diagnostic training and selection. Similarities and differences in selecting and cataloging teacher competencies…

Describes how two methodologies for analyzing and improving performance--performance engineering and organization mapping--were used in a case study involving the purchasing department of an electric utility. Highlights include the establishment of a model of the desired results, measuring existing performance, and the designing of an improvement…

A series of articles explores the role and activities of school librarians, especially focusing on evaluation procedures. The topics discussed include librarians' and evaluators' perceptions of important evaluative criteria and a description of a performance based evaluation model. The last article describes working in an international school…

Assessment models support the design of quality performance assessments. Assessment tools are being developed to enable easy and effective application of the models. Based on representations of assessment design knowledge and domain knowledge in ontologies, the tools provide guidance to assessment designers, and through constraint processing check…

This document is a chapter in "The Principles and Practice of Educational Management," which aims to provide a systematic and analytical introduction to the study of educational management. The structure of the book reflects the main substantive areas of educational leadership and management, and most of the major themes are covered in…

This booklet focuses on the impact of standards based reform in the public school classroom. It explains that the recent standards movement was born of the realization that, despite the fact that public schools open their doors to everyone, what students experience there varies greatly. It also notes that in a system that expects only some…

This article looks at current research concerning how students best learn the discipline of history, commentaries both in favor of and against standardized testing, and basic philosophical beliefs about the discipline. It explains methods of how to incorporate differentiated lessons and performance based assessments to NCLB standards and…

Major demographic shifts in the population of the United States, combined with persistent gaps in educational achievement by ethnic group, could decrease the portion of the workforce with college-level skills over the next 15 years, with a consequent decline in per capita personal income in the United States. Meanwhile, the competitive edge of…

This paper will highlight some advantages and disadvantages of several online models for student assessment. These models will include: live exams, multiple choice tests, essay exams, and student projects. In addition, real student responses and "problems" will be used as prompts to improve models of authentic online assessment in mathematics.…

The purpose of this manual is to provide a guide for developing consistent, effective self-directed learning modules for the Surrey Memorial Hospital staff, physicians, and volunteers in the South Fraser Region. Eleven sections include: (1) "Philosophy for Self Paced Learning"; "What's Exciting?"; "What's the…

This monograph serves two purposes: (1) to stimulate further reflection and discussion among education leaders and policymakers to revitalize and strengthen the role that school leaders play in school reform; and (2) to assist researchers in identifying areas of future work. It synthesizes some of the most current literature pertinent to…

The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, as part of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, requires programs to use standardized assessments to report learning gains for students in adult education programs. In addition, local and state agencies need an accountability tool for students who are difficult to assess adequately with a…

This "Research to Practice Note" provides an overview of the cognitive science and measurement theory and research findings that support the EFF approach to assessment. Among the key findings addressed are the following: (1) Good assessment is grounded in a clear and explicit model of the cognitive processes that underlie complex and purposeful…

Many evaluators are convinced that Results-based Performance Measurement (RBPM) is an effective tool to improve service delivery and cost effectiveness in both public and private sectors. Successful RBPM requires self-directed and cross-functional work teams and the supporting infrastructure to make it work. There are many misconceptions and…