Many schools identified by states as needing improvement through their Elementary and Secondary Education Act waivers have selected Response to Intervention (RTI), a three-tiered instruction program sometimes referred to as tiered levels of instruction, as one of their main strategies for improving school performance and closing achievement gaps.…

Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest assisted Milwaukee Public Schools in developing a fidelity monitoring system for measuring schools' progress in implementing Response to Intervention (RTI). The study examined the ratings produced by that system to determine the system's reliability, schools' progress in implementing RTI, and whether ratings…

This article aims to examine the predictive relationships of self-evaluation capacity and staff competency on the effect of strategic planning in aided secondary schools in Hong Kong. A quantitative questionnaire survey was compiled to collect data from principals of the participating schools. Confirmatory factor analysis and reliability tests…

A discussion of external evaluation of a college or university program or unit looks at two different approaches used in the United States for accreditation purposes--standards of good practice and competency-based learning and review. Methods of maintaining consistency and eliminating bias are examined briefly. (MSE)

This presentation examines the history of merit pay and analyzes studies and research on merit pay to discover directions for developing effective procedures. Reasons for failure of merit pay plans include administrative problems, personnel problems, collective bargaining, financial problems, unsatisfactory evaluation, staff dissension,…

A study analyzed validity and reliability of grades and credits earned by college students in five departments, as indicators of student learning. Results indicate positive, strong correlation between faculty-assigned grades and student performance on external criterion measures. Validity of credits was not as clear. Strong and consistent evidence…

Performance assessment is discussed as it relates to evaluation of clinical performance in medical education. Issues include the meaning of reliability and validity in performance assessment and the balance between them, including simple vs. complex behaviors; stability of performance; specific vs. generic abilities; and experts' roles in clinical…

A new technique for evaluating postsecondary education courses and improve instruction uses directed group discussion based on formative evaluation of the course concerned. It draws on Delphi technique and nominal group process but is more easily administered and produces higher user satisfaction. Its reliability has been confirmed in educational…

Building capacity within schools and districts for continuous improvement is a goal of educators at all levels across the United States of America. An important first step in capacity building is identifying schools' current strengths and weaknesses. Schools can then begin building upon existing strengths to implement improvement initiatives.…

This article proposes that college students will contribute most effectively to institutional assessment efforts if they understand how meaningful their input is. This can be accomplished if the assessment system is compassionate, considerate, convenient, communicated clearly, cohesive, understandable, concise, committed, attributes improvements…

A study found that the admission interview scores for 62 Dartmouth Medical School (New Hampshire) applicants correlated positively with dean's letter ratings given 4 years later and that interview scores were better predictors of ratings than were total Medical College Admission Test scores or science grade point averages. (Author/MSE)