This monograph identifies, analyzes, and judges 22 evaluation approaches used in program evaluation. Two approaches, labeled psuedoevaluations, are politically oriented and often used to misrepresent a program's value. The remaining 20, judged legitimate, are categorized by their orientations, and rated for their value. (SLD)

The Leadership Excellence Achievement Plan (LEAP) presented here is a way for principals to improve leadership ability with an emphasis on evaluation. It first recommends formulating a precise definition of the principal's job divided into three areas: technical competencies, administrative skills, and performance goals. Among the technical…

This newsletter issue focuses on the subject of mandatory testing of prospective teachers prior to certification. The following questions are discussed: (1) What are the major types of teacher tests? (2) How prevalent are teacher tests? (3) What are the major teacher tests? (4) What problems do teacher testing programs address? (5) What are the…

The ninth part of a 10-part series, this report was compiled by the Educational Development Center at Wilkes College. The series deals with various aspects of the treatment of delinquents and is intended as a summary of research findings in each of the areas treated. Each report was prepared by a scholar-practitioner and is presented in a way that…

This report contains excerpts from papers and summaries of discussions and program actions carried out during a series of seminars held to establish research priorities under the Information Technology and Education Programme (ITE) in the United Kingdom. The seminar on "Information Technology" (IT) included Kenneth Ruthven's…

A quantitative method developed at Stanford University that addresses programmatically the short- and long-term needs of the college physical plant is discussed. The approach allows the administrator to accurately assess funding resources for the maintenance program in conjunction with academic and construction programs. A special task force at…

Examples of the use of a mathematical model to evaluate the future renewal and replacement, or maintenance requirements, of the college physical plant are provided. The model, which was developed at Stanford University, simulates actual conditions at a specific location and allows resource allocation to be based on a definable quantitative base.…

Numerous studies indicate that climate, the prevailing "feeling" of the environment, not only contributes to behavioral and situational outcomes, but that climate can be changed to help bring about the behaviors and outcomes desired. Researchers have identified characteristics of positive school climates and ways of determining the…

This brief presents the case for the reform of assessment systems as an essential component of systemic reform. The scope includes ways to share conceptual understanding among all stakeholders in the educational system, ways to evaluate the impact of systemic reforms in terms of student attainment of relevant goals, and ideas on how assessment can…

This article discusses how to determine the learning style of a child with learning problems and how to use the information to maximize the child's potential. Assessing the child's learning style begins with close observation in a variety of settings, which provides a generalized idea of the child's behavior. This is followed up by categorizing…

The three articles in this newsletter focus on questions of what teacher knowledge consists of and how it can be measured. Three contemporary efforts to assess teacher knowledge, each with a different purpose, are presented. The first, based on a report of the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, summarizes state assessment efforts and…

The importance of all children achieving adequate reading outcomes by the end of third grade cannot be overstated. Awareness is growing nationwide of the dividends of early reading success and the dire consequences of early reading failure. Schools need a prevention-oriented assessment and intervention system to prevent reading difficulties from…

This document contains five papers examining evaluation concepts and practice in selected distance education (DE) institutions. "Preface" (Harish Rathore, Rudolf Schuemer) defines evaluation in DE and provides an overview of the evaluation philosophies, agendas, and methodologies discussed in the five papers. "Evaluation Practices at the Indira…

This paper summarizes the proceedings of a conference held to discuss evaluation in vocational education. The agenda included welcome speeches and the introductory address by Robert Savy, President of the Regional Council of Limousin (France); an opening session with statements from representatives of the Commission of the European Communities…

Five articles by faculty members from the Community College of Philadelphia are presented in this journal issue. "Reconstructing the Academic Environment: A Proposal for the Revision of the General Studies Curriculum," by Martin B. Spear and Dennis McGrath, offers a conceptual foundation for decision making in curriculum development for general…