The formation of hypotheses and generation of a theory to explain and predict the outcomes of educational reforms based on the concept of school reform cycles is the purpose of this paper. Two complementary hypotheses are proposed to explain the success or failure of educational reforms. The first hypothesis is based on an inverse relationship…

Information to assist local school communities in developing successful educational accountability programs is presented in this report. Based on local school district autonomy, educational accountability in Colorado is viewed as a school improvement process, with a focus on student achievement, graduation, and attendance. Information is presented…

To help vocational education administrators and practitioners, this paper presents a framework for vocational education program evaluation. Evaluation is defined as the act of rendering judgments to determine a program's value; two major types are formative and summative. Vocational education evaluation should take a broader and more comprehensive…

To provide services and instruction to students based upon identifiable needs, the Individual Student Profile (ISP) System (an automated database system, not yet implemented) was developed. ISP is designed to include three components: academic, health, and self-concept. These components were chosen to coincide with the three learning domains:…

The impact of institutional efforts to validate Basic Educational Opportunity Grant applications was assessed during 1978-1979. Attention was directed to: detecting possible underpayment and overpayment to Basic Grant applicants due to inaccurate reporting; assessing the adequacy of the pre-established criteria for detecting possible misreporting;…

Intended as a conceptual framework within which to analyze accountability and governance, this paper by a joint task force of the Chief Executive Officers of the California Community Colleges and the California Community College Trustees offers a model for establishing a new system of accountability for the colleges. Part I presents a statement on…

This paper examines long-range problems caused by test-controlled schooling. It looks at the demands of both curricular and accountability uses of tests from the point of view of the urban school district's testing office. On the basis of interviews with 12 New Orleans teachers and the experiences of the authors in working in two large city…

Improving the quality of undergraduate speech communication education depends to a large extent on effectively measuring student achievement in college level communication skills. While formal tests are not as well developed for speaking skills as for other areas of the curriculum, they are available. The two used most frequently are the…

In May 1986, the Board of Regents of Higher Education in Massachusetts accepted a report of a statewide program review in postsecondary business administration education. This critique of the program review report focuses specifically on the board-adopted requirement that public senior institutions seek accreditation from the American Assembly of…

Given the wide individual differences among any group of students and since measurements are always accompanied by errors, the question of how tests should be used in assessing the quality of an educational program is considered. The ways in which educators have dealt with this problem are reviewed, from the systematic examinations of the question…

One of the key responsibilities of a school board is to adopt procedures for regular evaluation of the superintendent's performance. This handbook therefore provides specific suggestions for developing these procedures. Based on a question-and-answer format, the handbook is divided into seven chapters: (1) Evaluating your superintendent (a summary…

Assessment in higher education is addressed in these proceedings of the 1987 conference of the North East Association for Institutional Research. Papers and authors include: "Assessing the Status of Assessment" (Peter T. Ewell); "Has the Middle Class Been Pressured the Most? Multivariate Analysis of Parental Contributions to Higher…

The College Outcomes Evaluation Program (COEP), intended to be a comprehensive assessment of higher education in New Jersey, focuses on outcomes in order to improve undergraduate education. After an introduction covering the national perspective, New Jersey's efforts, COEP, and rationale and principles, subcommittee reports summarize the content…

Results of a national study of budgetary control imposed upon 88 Ph.D. granting public universities by 49 state governments (excluding Alaska) are presented. A comparative analysis is provided of financial control practices in each state, along with an index that places these practices along a continuum. Information is included on the nature and…

This module, consisting of materials for use in conducting a consumer education mini-course, deals with effective consumerism. Covered in the individual lessons are the following topics: being prepared with information (sources of consumer information and subscription forms); evaluating warranties and service contracts; evaluating advertising and…