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Assessing postsecondary vocational-technical outcomes: what are the alternatives?

For many years evaluation of vocational-technical education has been influenced by federal policy, leading to the traditional use of outcomes such as program completion and job placement. Today, calls for reform create the need for heightened attention to accountability and greater interest in alternative assessment methodologies. Utilising descriptive research, this study examined the outcomes assessment policies and practices employed by a purposive sample of two-year postsecondary institutions. Findings show that postsecondary institutions thought to be innovative in implementing outcomes assessments were measuring a wide variety of outcomes, including outcomes not traditionally associated with vocational-technical education such as transfer success. Traditional assessment methods were used most often, however newer alternative methods such as portfolios, peer assessments, and capstone (senior) projects were being used or developed. A wide array of internal and external groups were thought to contribute to how postsecondary institutions conceptualise new outcomes assessment systems. Implications were identified for the development of comprehensive assessment systems that can describe the effectiveness of the entire postsecondary curriculum, with vocational-technical education being an important part of the story.

For many years evaluation of vocational-technical education has been influenced by federal policy, leading to the ...  Show Full Abstract  

Authors: Bragg, Debra D.
Date: 1995
Geographic subjects: North America; United States
Journal title: Journal of vocational education research
Resource type: Article
Subjects: Vocational education and training; Research; Outcomes;

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