High school dropouts have been the focus of unprecedented attention, and rightly so if our education system is to meet the needs of an increasingly demanding workplace. But for all the attention dropouts receive, the results are, at best, ambiguous and, at worst, inadequate.
The United States Department of Education requires state departments of education to report graduation rates. These rates help to determine whether schools are meeting the federal mandate for “adequate yearly progress” in educating the youth of America. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Accountability, High School Dropouts, South Carolina Dropout Rate, South Carolina Dropouts
1. Utility
The utility standards are intended to ensure that an evaluation will serve the information needs of intended users.
Stakeholder Identification. Persons involved in or affected by the evaluation should be identified, so that their needs can be addressed.
Evaluator Credibility. The persons conducting the evaluation should be both trustworthy and competent to perform the evaluation, so that the evaluation findings achieve maximum credibility and acceptance.
Information Scope and Selection. Information collected should be broadly selected to address pertinent questions about the program and be responsive to the needs and interests of clients and other specified stakeholders. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Accountability, Evaluation, Research, Standards
