The Research Utilization through Learning Experiences Project (RULE) studied the impact of planned interpersonal meetings as a vehicle of research utilization. Results indicate enthusiastic endorsement of site visits as a means of gleaning new information. Evaluation of the outcomes indicate that visits led to identifiable changes in program…

This paper shares the outcomes of a developmental process designed to create a comprehensive teacher assessment program within a local school district. The paper includes a rationale that helps to explain the need for developing teacher evaluation systems different from most current models, the processes used to create the assessment program, and…

One of a series of papers developed as part of a project to improve planning and evaluation in community colleges, this working paper discusses the outcomes approach to evaluation in higher education and describes current projects utilizing outcomes measures in community colleges. Section I defines the outcomes approach as an analysis of the end…

The impact of NCHEMS (National Center for Higher Education Management Systems) products upon planning and management tasks is examined in this study performed at a sample of 126 institutions. The institutions have used one or more of the following NCHEMS products: Program Classification of Structure (PCS); Resource Requirements Prediction Model…

Intended to aid teachers in making systematic decisions regarding the use of research and development products, a check list has been constructed that compares products in terms of their predicted effects on school and classroom practices. A copy of the check list is included in the report. (LH)

A consortium of 39 schools, colleges, and departments of education along with representatives of the Office of Education convened to study the salient problems in secondary teacher education. Areas of interest included: the working cooperation between administrators and faculty; the development of new curricula despite declining enrollment; the…

EVALUATING PROGRAMS FOR THE DISADVANTAGED IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE THERE IS NO CLEAR THEORETICAL OR OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF THE TERM "DISADVANTAGED." THE PROLIFERATION OF SCHOOL PROGRAMS ALSO CREATES EVALUATION PROBLEMS, FOR OFTEN EVALUATION TAKES PLACE BEFORE THE PROGRAM IS EITHER FULLY IMPLEMENTED OR HAS FUNCTIONED FOR A SUFFICIENT PERIOD OF TIME.…

A generalized procedure for interrelating possible research activities and decisions over the life of a course is proposed. The main levels at which research can contribute to the evaluation are discussed, and data are presented in relation to one particular program: the Social Science foundation course at the Open University. (Author/LBH)

In one federally funded program, the third-party evaluator was under contract with the program evaluated and not the federal funding agency. The social structure of this arrangement has implications for information utilization. (Available from: Jossey-Bass, Inc., 433 California St., San Francisco, CA 94104, single issue, $6.95.) (Author/GDC)

Discusses the potential for increasing library effectiveness through the appropriate design and utilization of research and describes fundamental research and statistical techniques. Topics examined include areas amenable to data collection, data collection methods amenable to statistical analysis, measurement techniques and levels of…

Describes functional assessment, discusses the need to translate research findings into formats and processes that can be used efficiently in applied settings, and stresses the need for research to continue to build a technology of functional assessment that meets the range of situations faced in schools and communities. (Author/CR)

A study analyzed the instructional reading methods and reading assessment practices employed by 800 K-12 special education teachers. Results found that teachers are selecting reading instructional techniques that have research support from the literature, but are not including nontraditional assessment procedures, such as curriculum based…

This article focuses on strategies that can be used to evolve an evidence-based practice. It describes methods for gathering research information, for reviewing studies critically, and for summarizing information for practice using a model supporting evidence-based practice. An example of the application of these strategies to early intervention…

Presents a model to help schools pose and answer data-based questions about teaching and learning, describing different types of data that educators can use to piece together pictures of their schools (e.g., student learning statistics, demographic data, and school process data) and discussing how educators can cross data from different categories…

Environmental scanning, enrollment forecasting, budget analyses, and institutional effectiveness assessment are examples of the explicit contributions institutional research offices make to campus strategic planning.