A study reviewed the measurement problems that would confront a study team performing a national cost-benefit analysis of vocational education and presented alternative strategies to overcome these measurement problems and to provide input into assessing the feasibility of conducting a national cost-benefit study. To meet these objectives,…

Developing the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007 Assessment Frameworks represents an extensive collaborative effort involving individuals and expert groups from more than 60 countries around the world. The document contains three frameworks for implementing TIMSS 2007--the Mathematics Framework, the Science…

Recent Australian research provides a solid body of evidence that training investments can yield very high levels of returns for firms across a range of sectors. It highlights these important factors about returns on investment (ROI): ROI come in many forms; immediate ROI are highest when training is highly focused; measuring ROI is not always…

The 19 chapters of this text on assessment in special education are divided into two parts. Part 1 discusses basic concepts in assessment in special education. Part 2 addresses the special education process by describing steps in the assessment continuum. Individual chapters examine the following topics: (1) an introduction to assessment; (2)…

Many organizations are not satisfied that their methods of evaluating training are rigorous or extensive enough to answer questions of value to them. Complaints about Kirkpatrick's popular four-step model (1959) of training evaluation are that each level is assumed to be associated with the previous and next levels and that the model is too simple…

This report reviews existing research on the effects of high stakes tests on students, particularly students with disabilities. The review focuses on potential effects on the curriculum, student learning, attitudes and school climate, and the costs versus benefits of high stakes testing of students with disabilities. Results indicate that research…

The Study of Adult Reading Acquisition (SARA) is a longitudinal research project designed to measure the development of reading subskills in adults enrolled in instructional programs. The study participants are all students enrolled in a variety of adult education sites and settings, including correctional institutions, community-based programs,…

This article provides an overview of policymaking in relation to state and local district testing and accountability and concludes by identifying continuing policy issues and strategies for local implementation of standards-based secondary education that aligns with current testing and accountability policies. Governance models for curriculum…

Building effective school-to-work systems requires evaluation, usually incorporating both process and outcome evaluations. Increasingly, school-to-work systems are conducting self-evaluations or hiring evaluation teams to determine how effectively the system is designed and implemented and whether it is achieving its purposes for students and the…

This five-part volume presents a comprehensive collection of 24 accounts of campus assessment practices by the individuals who developed and implemented them. Part 1 presents the stories of five institutions in which assessment has effected a marked change in the way faculty and staff do their work. Part 2 describes some of the broad approaches to…

The development of an evaluation schema for school personnel must be based on the following stipulations: time, adequate financing, and external validation of techniques and methodologies. In planning an evaluation program, three questions dominate the scene throughout the literature. First, what shall be evaluated? Possible variables which can be…

Intended for use in preservice or inservice training of regular secondary educators, the module examines principles of communication, assessment, teaching methods, and classroom management through text, an annotated bibliography, and overhead masters. The first section covers communicating with handicapped students, their parents, and other…

Schools, colleges, and departments of education are becoming increasingly accountable for the training and evaluation of competent teachers, and are developing new ways to evaluate their graduates and their programs. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) has identified three areas for evaluating teacher education…

The major distinctions between evaluation and research are examined, the chief differences being the intent and type of criteria against which judgments are made. Conceptualization of the evaluation process in higher education is discussed on two levels. A collection of nine similes for understanding evaluation is examined in terms of major…

The role of postsecondary accreditation and its relation to student consumer protection are discussed in this monograph. The importance of this concept is examined in light of increased marketing efforts on the part of higher education institutions. It is emphasized that students are consumers and their rights should be protected. Possible areas…