This study challenges persistent misrepresentations of evaluation as a value-neutral inquiry process by presenting an empirical study that deepens understanding of evaluators' values and how they "show up" in evaluation practice. Through semistructured interviews and inductive analysis, we examined the values advanced by a sample of…

Like any profession or talent, mastering teaching takes thousands of hours of deliberate practice (Ericsson, Prietula, & Cokely, 2007). Here, "deliberate" means having a coach or mentor to provide feedback on key skills and strategies for practicing to develop them. If this is true--that mastering the practices of great teaching…

In the original paper, it was argued that while there is an array of methods and methodologies available, their use is delimited by the culture of accountability that prevails in public sector institutions, a fact that is particularly problematic given the complexity and diversity of evaluation contexts today. This short rejoinder, to responses…

In our work as educators, we all aspire to be effective. We also aspire to be wise. If teachers are to represent and advocate for education, we must become the stewards of a discourse that nurtures education's possibilities. This book explores how teacher dispositions are defined, developed, cultivated, and assessed. The authors in the volume…

In the current climate of high stakes testing and tough love rhetoric, many educational stakeholders have become increasingly reliant on standardized test scores to determine whether or not individual students, teachers, and schools--and even entire districts and states--are successful. In contrast to the black and white picture that test-driven…

The general public usually expresses evaluations of universities through statements of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. This study describes citizen's values regarding: (1) the importance of various university goals and activities; (2) the importance of various academic fields or disciplines; and (3) the importance of various reasons for attending…

Representative models of program evaluation are described by their approach to values, and categorized by empirical style: positivism versus humanism. The models are: social process audit; experimental/quasi-experimental research design; goal-free evaluation; systems evaluation; cost-benefit analysis; and accountability program evaluation. (CP)

Evaluations occur within a political decision-making mileau, where multiple stakeholders are contending for limited funds. Given the subjective basis of empirical information, different conclusions or recommendations about a program may result from different ideological, theoretical, and disciplinary perspectives. The logic behind the…

It is argued that educational evaluation can productively proceed from an artistic model as well as a scientific one. For such a model two processes are critical. The first of these is called "educational connoisseurship," the second "educational criticism." Educational connoisseurship is that art concerned with the appreciation of any set of…

In 1995 the Rowland Unified School District (California) developed a new mission statement defining core values for the district's preparation for the 21st century. The district then set about implementing a new accountability system with existing measures to establish baseline data for measuring progress toward the new goals. The focus in this…

As part of a self-examination of institutional integrity, Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC), in Wisconsin, undertook a project to identify a set of institutional values and determine the extent that they were exemplified in the college's practices and relationships. The six institutional values were identified as integrity, collaborative…

This document presents the strategic plan of the North Dakota University System, revised in November 2005, to develop a common vision and clear set of expectations for higher education in North Dakota. The strategic plan for the University System is directly linked to the Roundtable on Higher Education plan. This document presents the ten sections…

Thirteen evaluation methods are analyzed by orientation. Typically, clients want politically advantageous studies; evaluators prefer questions-oriented studies; audiences favor a values orientation. Evaluators must recognize the narrow scope of question-oriented studies and the perspectives of client and audience. (CP)

The value-added approach to the assessment of student outcomes examines actual or inferred changes in students' performance over time. It also attempts to separate the net effects of instruction from previous ability or simple maturation. Others may have different definitions of this concept, and this vagueness causes problems. Suggested ways to…

Strengths and weaknesses of systems for evaluating teaching in medical schools are reviewed, and a framework for dealing with issues and critical questions is presented. The model addresses the following areas: goals of the school, the purpose of evaluating teaching, standards that characterize the quality of teaching evaluation measures, measures…