The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) is a computer administered, open-ended (as opposed to multiple-choice) test of analytic reasoning, critical thinking, problem solving, and written communication skills. Because the CLA has been endorsed by several national higher education commissions, it has come under intense scrutiny by faculty members,…

A group of defenses of qualitative evaluation methods is examined, based on a hard relativistic interpretation of the work of Thomas Kuhn. A promising defense of qualitative evaluation may be found in a soft-relativist interpretation of Kuhn's analysis of the nature of scientific discovery. (Author/LMO)

Part of the history of bilingual education and its evaluation is reviewed, and the implications for evaluation practice are discussed. Technical problems in conducting a bilingual evaluation are identified; and federal, state, and local strategies for coping with these problems are discussed. (TJH)

Use of performance gaps analysis in program evaluation is examined by analyzing and critiquing the gap reduction design as an experimental design and an analytic tool in program outcome evaluation. The example of the Bilingual Education Evaluation System illustrates the contention that disadvantages of the method outweigh its contributions. (SLD)