Current approaches to need assessment belong to one of three theoretical orientations: the rationalistic perspective in which need is predicated on the existence of some pathology or deviance from the rational ideal; (2) the empirical position where need is conceived as deviance from a normative or observed state of good health and well-being; and…

Causes contributing to academic program audit and review becoming a means of resource reallocation in higher education are considered, along with principles relevant to its management, and major issues surrounding its development and implementation. The current interest in the audit and review of established academic programs is linked to…

This manual is a resource of ideas and suggestions for comprehensive statewide planning of vocational education. It is directed toward both experienced and inexperienced vocational education planners. The data analysis and display techniques presented are useful for producing information for developing state plans and for communicating data-based…

BASIC ELEMENTS INVOLVED IN ANALYSIS BY RATIONAL RESOURCE ALLOCATION ARE APPLIED TO VOCATIONAL EDUCATION. TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF USE OF ALLOCATED RESOURCES, THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN APPLICATION OF RESOURCES TO A PARTICULAR PROGRAM AND ATTAINMENT OF OBJECTIVES CAN BE DETERMINED BY BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS, THE RATIO OF THE PRESENT VALUE OF…

The recent emergence of graduate education as a major issue in statewide planning and coordination is discussed, including involvements not only of institutions and state higher education agencies, but also legislatures and, in some states, even the executive branch. Most of the issues of mutual concern to the academic community and to government…

This ESEA Title III report describes fault tree analysis and assesses its applicability to education. Fault tree analysis is an operations research tool which is designed to increase the probability of success in any system by analyzing the most likely modes of failure that could occur. A graphic portrayal, which has the form of a tree, is…

The sixth full year of Title I, Elementary Secondary Education Act programs in Wichita, Kansas has just been completed. As in previous years, the major thrust of Title I or Project SPEEDY (Special Programs to Enhance the Education of Disadvantaged Youth) has been in the area of corrective reading and other programs designed to promote language…

This manual represents a part of the work performed in the past two years in connection with Trenton's Project -- Building a Comprehensive Planning Capability with EPPBS -- funded through ESEA Title III. The "capability" refers to a set of concepts and procedures that will allow the Trenton Public Schools to raise the level of debate in…

This report considers the role of manpower information in vocational education planning. Following a review of the manpower and educational contexts of vocational education planning, the report examines the concepts of manpower supply and demand and the sources of relevant information and methodologies for their estimation, considers criteria for…

This paper reports results of a 1979 survey of heads of evaluation units in public school districts and state departments of education. The survey was primarily concerned with current versus ideal procedures for determining program evaluation budgets and evaluators' perceived reasons for the low fiscal priority given evaluation activities.…

A multiattribute evaluation model, developed and used for assessing resource allocation decisions in a large college of education, is described. The process involved identifying relevant stakeholders, identifying criteria and measurable attributes, assigning values to criteria and attributes, collecting performance data concerning resource…

To coincide with International Literacy Year and a 1991-92 royal inspection, the Scottish Office Education Department commissioned a research project to map provision for adult basic education in Scotland and identify the cost effectiveness of numerous delivery systems. This article describes efforts to estimate delivery system costs, inherent…

Performance indicators used for state funding, past and present, of public colleges in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington are reviewed to explore their intent and implications and to provide information for policymakers considering introducing or revising…

Title XI of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as amended by the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 allows the Dallas (Texas) public schools to redirect up to 5% of each appropriation received through the Act for the purpose of providing a comprehensive approach to meeting the educational, health, social service, and other needs of…

This monograph summarizes outcomes of a forum addressing strategies to improve special education program evaluation efforts and orient policymakers, administrators, and advocates to the benefits of program evaluation as an integral part of program improvement. The forum also addressed barriers restricting evaluation of program effectiveness…