Rutman's view of evaluability assessment is reviewed, evaluation planning activities are illustrated via flow diagram for a large educational evaluation designed to increase citizen participation in local school activities, and some of the limitations of Rutman's evaluability procedures are outlined. (RL)

Daniel Stufflebeam, professor of education and director of the Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University, answers questions concerning his contributions to the field of educational evaluation including those of the CIPP (context/input/process/product) evaluation model, and the newly published "Standards for Evaluations of Educational…

A set of methods is proposed for the analysis of opportunity to learn (OTL) in relation to achievement in large-scale educational assessments. Methods are illustrated with data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the National Education Longitudinal Study. Implications for large-scale educational assessment are discussed. (SLD)

A number of quality assurance educational evaluation methods are illustrated. Evaluation data obtained from the Providence, Rhode Island, school district are used. The methods are: (1) from auditing, internal control; (2) from accounting, double bookkeeping; and (3) from industrial quality control, acceptance sampling and cumulative percentage…

A typology of educational monitoring systems is developed, emphasizing its usefulness for educational policymakers. Compliance monitoring, diagnostic monitoring, and performance monitoring are three major types, which are illustrated via case studies in New Jersey, Minnesota, and California, respectively. (SLD)

Using examples from an evaluation design of a bilingual preschool program, the authors have developed a paradigm resting on contextually based evaluation and involving implementation strategies and participant researchers. Multiple methods of gathering environment-specific data are used in the process. (MH)

Drawing on British data, this article discusses issues involved in analyzing educational indicator data. Gross productivity, new productivity, and inequality are discussed as types of indicators that describe interdistrict variation in Great Britain. Recommendations are made regarding features of an educational assessment that would be necessary…

The evaluation of the reading programs in the Eugene, Oregon, public schools is described. Emphasis is placed on the eclectic approach to reading in the district prior to the evaluation and on the effect of using staff members as evaluators in their own district. (CTM)

An interview with Michael Scriven describes his thoughts and contributions to educational evaluation, the evolution of his career, and his current concerns and projects. (MH)

Techniques of cost-effectiveness analysis and their applications to educational policy are discussed. Recommendations are made to increase the capacity of evaluators, policy analysts, and decision makers to use these tools appropriately for resource allocation. (SLD)

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…

This paper assesses the status of evaluation as a profession and examines the consequences of not attending to the manner in which the discipline evolves. Special concerns are (1) what the profession seeks to accomplish; (2) ways in which it functions; and (3) who can be identified as "professionals." (LMO)

Non-quantifiable knowledge, involving sensory information, conceptualization, and imagination, is discussed in relation to educational evalution. Evaluation is discussed in terms of educational connoisseurship, or the art of appreciation; and educational criticism, which informs, interprets, and appraises. (MH)

The duplex design is proposed for educational assessment within a state school system. For individual students, scaled proficiency measures that are suitable for guidance and certification at various levels of attainment are provided. For classrooms or larger units, the design can supply group level measures for evaluation and research. (SLD)

The experience of the Dallas (Texas) Independent School District in using a policy-oriented report (the chart essay), rather than using a methods-oriented report, to communicate evaluation findings is described. Resulting changes in the research and evaluation department, and implications of use of a chart essay are discussed. (SLD)