Toward Excellence in Secondary Vocational Education: Using Evaluation Results. Information Series No. 294

Written for local, State, and Federal vocational educators, this publication discusses the feasibility of implementing recommendations from some recent evaluations of educational excellence. Criteria for estimating the appropriateness of evaluation findings are given, and recommendations are offered for creating an infrastructure among local, State, and Federal agencies to enhance utilization of evaluation findings. Section 1 explains the basic elements of excellence and evaluation using a three-step discrepancy analysis model. Attainment of excellence through the three stages of defining excellence, discrepancy identification, and discrepancy analysis is illustrated. Section 2 examines National studies in light of these elements of evaluation and excellence and presents highlights of some states' and localities' use of evaluation results, especially in vocational education. Section 3 introduces three approaches to organizing for excellence: centralized, partially decentralized, and decentralized. Attention is then given to program improvement structures. Organization of vocational excellence councils is explored, the value of information networks connected by computers is stressed, and role responsibilities of local administrators within a State improvement system are discussed. Section 4 provides background from within and outside vocational education on perceived necessities for interactively attaining and maintaining excellence through evaluations at local, State, and National levels. (YLB)