This dissertation considers the effects of national rankings, specifically the 2010 National Research Council (NRC)'s Data-Based Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs, on higher education institutions' behavior. National research studies of graduate education require significant resources and data, yet it is uncertain how universities make…

Maine is blessed with universities that have records of significant achievement. The seven campuses of the University of Maine System (UMS) together educated over 23,000 students (full-time equivalent) during the past year. But for good reason, in recent years public confidence in higher education throughout the nation has fallen. Half of the…

This guide is designed primarily for administrators/teachers to provide: an introduction to the nature and purpose of school evaluation; an approach involving evaluation of issues determined by school staff; a set of procedures to carry out the evaluation; and guidance information and instruments for conducting an evaluation. Although the guide is…

Methodologies for evaluating/documenting partnership programs are analyzed and options for evaluating/documenting OERI's Educational Partnerships Program (EPP) are proposed. The EPP supports alliances between public schools and/or higher education and the private sector to encourage excellence in education. This paper reflects…

This paper defines the concept of "improvement infrastructure" and "educational capital" for education, and it uses the case of the National Writing Project to develop an extended, data-based illustration of the design and generativeness of an improvement infrastructure. Since 1983 there have been multiple "waves" of…

With training and teaching assistance funds provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for evaluating the effectiveness of BIA programs in their communities, tribal governments may decide for themselves which of three possible sources--government, private, or tribe--will administer their programs. These are management decisions which require…

Proceedings of the Allied Health Education Forum, which aimed to afford an opportunity for mutual exchange between those who accredit and those who are accredited, are presented. The plan for the forum was to be action-oriented and to allow for interchange on topics identified as important to those involved in or interested in allied health…

This report summarizes, institution by institution, what each of the 17 public colleges and universities in Virginia have learned from formal assessment programs in the biennium ending in 1996 and how the institutions have used that information to improve their programs. A two-page spread for each institution includes a narrative which describes…

This document reviews how performance indicators are currently being used in several Commonwealth countries the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada, and identifies some of the issues associated with performance indicator development and application. It also examines whether there are any agreed upon "key", or common, indicators that…

This document comprises the archival print edition of the first volume of a quarterly electronic journal providing a forum for information on leading-edge teaching innovations and research findings in the field of family science. The foci of the journal are the family science curriculum, instruction issues, evaluation and assessment, and…

As public funds decline and the political climate changes, accountability and quality assurance are important issues for U.S. colleges and universities, and institutional leaders are concerned about a shift away from the established institution-centered structures, toward government-mandated, standards-driven systems. This paper explores the…

The importance of evaluating student interns as part of a regular performance appraisal system for all employees is discussed, along with the role of the internship coordinator or faculty sponsor. The first step is deciding what should be measured: interns' personal characteristics, job performance, and results. The most useful form of performance…

Describes a computer-training needs assessment conducted in a manufacturing company which was performed by students in an industrial education course at the University of Minnesota. Provides suggestions for educators in providing computer training to the private sector. (TW)

Teachers of mathematics are leading a nationwide effort to bring about a complete redesign of both school and college mathematics programs by setting new and more demanding standards for what students must learn about mathematics, as well as for what teachers themselves must accomplish as professionals in the classroom. This brief document is…

This publication provides an overview of U.S. Department of Education programs authorized and funded under federal law for fiscal year 2008. This reference guide also includes information on the laboratories, centers, and other facilities funded by the Department that provide important resources for education. Readers will find funding…