A research study used the strategy of practitioner consensus to identify the common success criteria and standards that are used in the evaluation of developmental/remedial programs in New York State two-year colleges. The study also designed an evaluation model for these programs and determined its use over time. Using a survey and an interview…

There are a variety of ways in which the two-year or community college can be distinguished from other institutions of higher education. These differences affect the ways in which evaluation is implemented at the two-year college. One difference relates to the mission of the community college. The community college's open-door policy changes the…

In the midst of insistent demands for accountability, self-analysis by all educational institutions has become an urgent necessity. Long-range, comprehensive planning is an essential prerequisite for coping effectively with the rapid changes taking place in education, and institutional research is an essential element in such planning. For an…

This paper attempts to provide some insight into the reality of data analysis and interpretation. Community college institutional researchers should obtain the skills and techniques required in order to analyze and interpret data; however, there are a number of practical considerations usually not found in textbooks. These include: (1)…

Based upon the experiences of Delgado Community College (DCC), this series of presentations examines the use of needs assessment as a planning tool. After explaining the way needs assessment is defined at DCC, Carol Hopson discusses the decisions to be made before beginning a needs assessment with respect to: (1) institutional willingness to abide…

An effective environmental scan will improve the quality of community college planning and decision making by alerting institutional leaders to the challenges and opportunities in the environment. Scanning can be done in three ways: (1) establishing a scanning committee to gather and synthesize information to guide planning; (2) sponsoring a…

In the past, almost all student follow-up studies have been cross institutional or very broad in nature. The target has consisted of populations of graduates, dropouts, or longitudinal entering classes. The output measures have centered around continued education of the population, job situation, mobility, reason for leaving, or a general…

Designed to help institutional researchers transform data into useful information, this paper discusses principles for presenting research results to administrators in the top levels of management. The first section describes ten fundamental principles of data presentation: knowing what information is needed; knowing when the information is…

This paper describes an emerging model for a comprehensive staff and organizational development program as a continuous and integral activity of the college, and discusses the role of the office of institutional research in such programs. A comprehensive program includes instructional development (instructional evaluation, diagnosis,…

A survey of 1,127 public two-year colleges was conducted to determine the extent to which the colleges had been involved in formalized needs assessment projects from 1976 through 1979, the strategies they had used in planning and conducting these studies, and the ways in which the colleges had used and benefitted from this research. Survey…

An overview is provided of the responses made by Maryland's community colleges to growing concerns for accountability and the measurement of educational outcomes. First, the paper reviews the legislative initiatives and agency actions that characterized the state's movement toward a formalized, state-coordinated institutional assessment procedure.…

This paper reviews the empirical literature regarding factors associated with the development of Institutional Research (IR) offices in community colleges. The IR office is defined as any organizational unit which has at least one half-time staff member given responsibility for the synthesis and reporting of institutional data, is visibly…

A three-dimensional model was developed to assist researchers in conceptualizing the research-study-impact process. Drawing on communication and decision making literature, the model relates time, action, and audience dimensions. The results of these relationships is labeled "institutional study impact." Impact is viewed as the outcomes…

This paper presents two models, one for organizing institutional research and research data, and the other for applying research findings to the decision-making process. The model for organizing research consists of four subsystems: goal-setting, program development, cost-effectiveness, and program review. Each subsystem has a distinctive…

In response to the increasing use of state-based performance indicators for postsecondary education, a study was undertaken to review the reliability and validity of state-level indicators in the Florida Community College System (FCCS). Data were collected from literature reviews and the 1996 FCCS Accountability Report, detailing outcomes for 17…