Focuses on two endeavors to improve basic writing: the statement on writing assessment adopted by the Conference on College Composition and Communication and the reauthorization of Chapter 1 funds of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to support educational remediation. (RS)

Separate selection and pretesting of students eliminate regression effects in the pre-post achievement gain measured in the RMC Model--A method of program evaluation. (CP)

The Normal Curve Equivalent (NCE) gain statistic is examined, and considerations for its interpretation are highlighted. The NCE gain is made up of an observed and an expected part. The observed score is the posttest result. The expected score can never be observed nor verified for any of the Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) models;…

This report reviews the effectiveness of national evaluation activities undertaken by the United States Office of Education, Office of Evaluation and Dissemination (OED) with regard to Title I compensatory education programs. Three major evaluations undertaken by the OED and technical assistance activities developed by the OED are described and…

Research evidence relating to the utility of the RMC evaluation models of compensatory education employing non-normed tests is examined. The history and evolution of five early models into the current norm-referenced model utilizing a non-normed test (Model A2), non-normed versions of a comparison model (Model B2), and the regression model (Model…

Many difficulties are encountered when large-scale monitoring of federally-funded programs (including Title VII bilingual education programs) has been attempted. These difficulties may be categorized as follows: (1) differences in perception of the purpose of monitoring; (2) variance in the definition of the treatment (program) and expectations…

The RMC models for Title I program evaluations involve too large an expenditure of effort in relation to the information needs of the federal government. Too little is being done to ensure the usefulness of the models at state and local levels. (MH)

The improvement and standardization of quality Title I evaluations at the local, state and federal levels is the intent underlying the development and dissemination of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I Evaluation and Reporting System. Even if the current suggested procedures were technically perfect, implementation of any…

This monograph contains seven articles which focus primarily on formative evaluation for the purpose of furthering the learning of pupils. The articles include: an overview of formative evaluation by Peggy Chnupa; a description of the use of measurement and evaluation as an early screening for entering school children, by Sherrel Marginet and…

Following a brief history of the Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) and the development of the RMC models and technical assistance centers, plans are described for activities to increase the usefulness of the evaluation data for local decision making. Three major kinds of activities are explained: projects developed by an Evaluation…