In 1991, an instructional development needs assessment was conducted of the part-time faculty at Northwestern Michigan College (NMC). A survey instrument, requesting participants to rank-order a variety of skills and competencies were mailed to two groups: part-time faculty who had taught at least one quarter at NMC in the 1989-90 school year; and…

A knowledge base was developed regarding the nature, dynamics, and scope of the induction process for beginning secondary vocational teachers. The research involved the following components: a 2-year ethnographic follow-up of 12 beginning teachers during fall 1988; the case study analysis of the first 2 years of teaching of five beginning teachers…

The Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) represents the first time the National Center for Education Statistics has integrated three of the Elementary and Secondary Education Surveys: the Teacher Demand and Shortage Surveys, Public and Private School Surveys, and Teacher Surveys. The SASS was designed to measure the critical aspects of teacher…

A study was initiated to identify desired outcomes for students completing their secondary vocational education experience and a model curricular framework. A steering committee then expanded the scope of the study to include elementary students. The study included: (1) a review of literature; (2) a survey sent to 482 teachers, administrators,…

Roles and functions of senior and front line managers in VET organizations and their approaches to developing management and leadership expertise were examined in order to identify best practices. Based upon mail surveys sent to managers in 1551 registered training organizations (365 responded, for a response rate of 23.5%), 147 telephone…

The research literature on online learning has grown significantly in the past decade. Many studies have been published that examine the extent, nature, policies, learning outcomes, and other issues associated with online instruction. While much of this literature focuses specifically on postsecondary education with approximately three million…

This report presents the data collected as part of the 1990 New Entrants Survey on the demographic, education, and employment characteristics of recent college graduates in science and engineering fields. A major objective of the survey was to develop national estimates and characteristics of the total population of scientists and engineers in the…

Results of a process evaluation of dropout prevention programs in the Leon County (Florida) School District during the school year 1989-90 are presented. Altogether, 11 dropout programs were operationalized in that school year. The methodology used for developing a problem and benefit survey among teachers and administrators, the results of the…

In recent years a movement has developed at the high school level to address issues of cost and educational improvement through Proficiency-Based Credit Assessment (PBCA). With PBCA, students can receive credit by demonstrating their proficiency without actually taking a course. A national mail survey conducted by the Utah State Office of…

As a step in ensuring positive and constructive links between business and education through research, this study was conducted to assess employer views of student assessment and credentialing processes in the Northern Territory (Australia), replicating a study conducted in New South Wales (Australia). A questionnaire was completed by 206…

We employ a mail survey of private developers that uses conjoint choice experiments and Likert-scaled attitudinal questions to examine preferences for policy instruments and incentives intended to encourage brownfield cleanup and redevelopment. Our analysis suggests that developers judge public hearing requirements at brownfield redevelopments…

The information that high school library media specialists in Georgia have about the Georgia Online Database (GOLD), interlibrary loan, and online access was investigated. This study also evaluated whether they have the funding for GOLD and related technology. A 45-item questionnaire was developed and sent to a stratified random sample of 128…

A brief overview is provided of the Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) program of the National Center for Education Statistics, and areas of research or survey evaluation in which work is ongoing or planned are described. The SASS is an integrated system of surveys of public and private schools, school districts, school principals and…

As part of a research project about portfolios as a means of assessment for preservice teachers, the College of Education at a midwestern university formed a committee to review and rate student-developed portfolios. The committee evaluated student portfolios both for their evidence of attainment of beginning teacher competencies and also for…

A study was conducted to evaluate the career programs at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) (Illinois) through a local follow-up of WRHC career alumni. Alumni who earned 48 or more credit hours during the 1991-92 year in a career major were surveyed. After two mailings and a telephone follow-up, a 73% response rate was achieved. Study findings,…