The history and characteristics of the dominant evaluation model used in teacher education today, the Western Kentucky or Sandefur model, are described and evidence is offered of widespread anomalies in its usage. A new follow-up model that would permit informed decisions about the professional needs of teachers is proposed. (LC)

Validation studies, placement-enrollment comparisons, student surveys, and instructor interviews are discussed as operational methods in a synthesizing approach to undergraduate course placement evaluation. A range of suggested questions is coupled with various data sources in placement evaluation schemes and system procedures. (CM)

A communication theory paradigm typically is used to investigate the relationship between evaluation information and utilization: "Who says what, how, to whom, with what effects?" This study investigates the "how," or medium of presentation, aspect of the paradigm. (Author/LMO)

This study consists of two parts: (1) a discussion of legal education, which uses the Socratic method of pedagogy and the study of case histories, and (2) an examination of aspects of legal education that might be used as a model for educating evaluators. (Author/JAZ)

Flexner's report on the procedures, agents, and effects of medical school accreditation emphasizes common sense and unstructured observation, rather than objective social science. Flexner would probably declare that lay people, rather than the National Education Association or the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, should…

An approach for involving beneficiaries in specifying program attributes for evaluators to address is discussed. Methods are outlined for sharing influence among program decision makers and beneficiaries. Application of this approach in the evaluation of a problem-based medical school curriculum is described, with evidence on the enhancement of…

Two systems of evaluation in teacher licensing are described: the quinquennial program-based licensing at a California university and annual performance-based licensing at a British polytechnic institution. The first approach, which focuses on the quality of the teacher-preparation program, is the dominant form of teacher licensing in the United…

A study to compare the impact of responsive (case study) and preordinate (questionnaire) approaches to program evaluation was conducted among 29 professional personnel affiliated with Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. Respondents preferred the responsive approach to the preordinate method; however, the responsive approach was more…

Several validation methods for the identification and dissemination of exemplary educational programs are explored, and the rationales for methods developed by the Program Effectiveness Panel are discussed. Comparative advantages and disadvantages of four selected methods are reviewed, and recommendations are made for policymakers and…

Highlights lessons learned by a national organization, the Council of Chief State School Officers, in building an education indicator system in cooperation with federal and state education agencies. Issues emphasized are (1) the role of consensus; (2) production of indicators through a cooperative data system; and (3) reporting methods. (SLD)

Provides a conceptual framework for a professional support personnel (e.g., counselors, deans, librarians) performance evaluation system. Outlines steps in evaluating support personnel (identifying system needs, relating program expectations to job responsibilities, selecting performance indicators, setting job performance standards, documenting…