This paper compares and contrasts the program theory of the reenacted Supervision Act to the Supervision Act of 2003. We describe how the expectations about how schools should be inspected, the effect such inspections are expected to have, and how these effects should be realized have changed over the past years as a result of changing paradigms…

This paper is meant to highlight the occurrence of Simpson's Paradox when using aggregated data obtained from two IEA studies in Israel, while ignoring the effect of a powerful intervening variable in the local context--the ethnicity factor. It will demonstrate faulty conclusions regarding either the absence of relationships between a contextual…

Our study compared the learning and motivational outcome of one educational approach in two different learning environments, a natural science museum and a classroom, drawing on studies about the effects of field trips on students' learning and motivation. The educational intervention consisted of an introduction phase in the classroom and…

Statewide exit examinations play an important role in discussions on school effectiveness. Referring to educational governance concepts, this paper presumes a relation between varying organizational structures of statewide examinations across states, and heterogeneous effects on school actors. It is assumed that their ability to affect work in…

The purpose of this article is to describe a new approach for conducting multi-site evaluations of professional development (PD). The approach extends a popular model of PD evaluation through the creation of individual project profiles that take into account the unique contextual variables of individual projects while providing an evaluation…

This article reports findings obtained from a large-scale national study (299 schools; 2761 students) that examined academic achievements of immigrants in Israeli schools. It focused on two distinct groups of immigrant students--those from the former USSR and from Ethiopia, in two subject areas--mathematics and academic language (Hebrew), and in…

This study investigates the effect of method of assessment on student performance. Five research conditions go together with one of four assessment modes, namely: portfolio, case-based, peer assessment, and multiple choice evaluation. Data collection is done by means of a pre-test/post-test-design with the help of two standardised tests (N=816).…

The emergence of subjective and critical approaches to the evaluation of educational reform is examined. The need to identify and clarify values and to develop comparative and dialectical evaluation models and approaches are discussed. (RL)

In international large-scale surveys, constructed response (CR) items are increasingly being used and multiple-choice (MC) items are being used less frequently. In this article the two item types will be compared in terms of any differences they have on national mean scores. TIMSS 1995 and TIMSS 1999 data have been used. Are there different…

Students were asked to record their three most noteworthy (peak) learning experiences at the end of each week for four weeks. Peak learning experiences of students enrolled in a new agricultural program were compared to those offered a traditional. Results indicate the new program induced more peak learning experiences. (BJG)

Ten evaluation models are examined in terms of their applicability to investigative, emergent design programs: Stake's portrayal, Wolf's adversary, Patton's utilization, Guba's investigative journalism, Scriven's goal-free, Scriven's modus operandi, Eisner's connoisseurial, Stufflebeam's CIPP, Tyler's objective based, and Levin's cost…

British and American approaches to educational evaluation are compared in terms of definition, political genesis, the agencies which commission and execute evaluation studies, and the use of results. The future evolution of these evaluation approaches is also discussed. (JAC)

Cross-program evaluation, the comparison of different types of educational programs, is discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of this type of evaluation are outlined, with respect to decision making and legislation regarding funding of programs. (GDC)

The focus is on problems and issues common to both social program evaluation and to evaluation in physical sciences, engineering, medicine, and commerce. Problems discussed include: program implementation; anticipation of success or failure; evaluation data quality; reliability and validity; evaluation design; access to data; data confidentiality;…

Teachers who took a training course in classroom behavior were observed by external raters as more emotional, warm, and appreciative than those who were not trained. (Author/DEP)