The authors encourage those in the field of school psychology to consider the use of learning disabilities assessment practices in relation to specific American Psychological Association and National Association of School Psychologists ethical codes and in regard to the American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association,…

Discusses the use of computers for nine different tasks in biological education: information retrieval, data accumulation, data analysis, simulation and systems analysis, decision making, experimental control, course review, computer-managed instruction, and word processing. (PEB)

The Judicial Evaluation Method (JEM) is useful for aiding decision-making bodies to formulate policies. Broad public participation in complex issues is provided by JEM. (The conceptualization, policy formulation stages, and participant roles are identified; and the model is applied in two case studies). (MH)

Discusses use of data for determining institutional effectiveness; identifies availability of national programs for student outcomes data collection, need for better qualitative and quantitative data, and influence of data on decision making. Review problems related to reporting data and using them in decision-making process. Concludes with…

Proposes a model through which researcher/educators can identify critical issues which confront large numbers of persons in the society, find the facts from research relevant to the issues, integrate these findings, and, restate them in language appropriate to the persons affected. Presents innovative ways of disseminating this information.…

There is a conflict between the growing burdens that humans place on the environment and the resources of knowledge and money at hand to modify and adjust these burdens. Growth in population and economic activity suggests that simply keeping pace with environmental needs is likely to become harder. This report focuses on institutions for the…

The cross-levels hypothesis is presented as an explanation for program evaluation failures. It states that the usefulness of evaluation data as feedback for decision making varies inversely with the number of organizational levels between the action the data describe, and the decisions they are intended to influence. To be useful for decision…

Addresses out-migration from and in-migration to metropolitan areas in the United States and particularly the effect of the social-welfare system on migration decisions. The results provide only weak support for the hypothesis that social-welfare benefits influence out-migration decisions but moderate support for its influence on in-migration.…

Contains 16 articles presenting issues and practices concerning assessment and appraisal as they relate to counselors. Addresses specific areas of concern to counselors and provides commentaries differing in style and emphasis. Includes discussions of issues and an integration of many practices and procedures. (RC)

Four evaluation methods for determining educational policy are objectivism; subjectivism; emotive-imperative; and instrumentalism. For the objectivist, the rationale for undertaking an evaluation is based on empirical verification or non-verification of claims of existing policies or activities. Secondly, the objectivist is interested in…

This report addresses the research and development (R&D) organizations and the decision-making processes that the Federal Government needs to enable it to work toward national and global environmental objectives. It is essential that these programs be well organized, adequately funded, and closely linked with the policy-making process. The…

This report provides a summarized version of a larger study conducted by the Office of Technology Assessment concerning the choices that Congress and the executive branch must make in supporting U.S. science and engineering. The summary first discusses the report's origins; trends in federal research funding; and a look at federally funded…

This report analyzes what the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) identifies as four pressing challenges for the Federal Research System in resource allocation and funding for research in the 1990s: (1) setting priorities in funding; (2) understanding trends in research expenditures; (3) preparing human resources for the future research work…