Independent schools have long been searching for better ways to prove their value, and in a data-centric world, there is enormous pressure to measure, measure, measure, and abide by partially obsolete college entrance requirements. Yet there is a strong consensus that the majority of currently used large-scale assessments are not comprehensive…

This paper explores the potential of incorporating constructs of distributive justice and procedural justice into summative assessment of student learning in higher education. I systematically compare the process used by managers to evaluate employee performance in organizations--performance appraisal (PA)--with processes used by professors to…

The role of assessment in education has grown greatly over the past few decades, a trend that has two major manifestations. One is the rapid increase in the number of countries and other jurisdictions either participating in international surveys (tests) of learning or initiating their own system-wide assessments; or both. The other is the…

Assessing student performance is a central challenge for music educators. In alignment with previous research, this article asserts that rubrics provide a viable and useful structure for assessing music performance. To expand the potential of rubrics in music education, challenges to effective rubric construction are identified and addressed…

Between 2009 and 2014, thirty-seven states in the United States have adopted or significantly amended their teacher evaluation laws, mostly shifting toward using measurements of student growth on achievement tests. Yet, the processes to evaluate core subjects have not always transitioned smoothly to nontested or artistic content, causing some…

The impetus for this paper stems from a concern about directions and progress in the measurement of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework for effective technology integration. In this paper, we develop the rationale for using a seven-criterion lens, based upon contemporary validity theory, for critiquing empirical…

This report presents the value-added models that will be used to measure school and teacher effectiveness in the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) in the 2010-2011 school year. It updates the earlier technical report, "Measuring Value Added for IMPACT and TEAM in DC Public Schools." The earlier report described the methods used…

The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) has incorporated measures of school and teacher effectiveness, based on student test score growth, into a new teacher assessment system known as IMPACT. Implemented for the first time during the 2009-2010 school year, IMPACT is an assessment system with significant consequences. Prior to the start of…

The authors assert that, in order to teach vocabulary more effectively and better understand its relation to comprehension, we need first to address how vocabulary knowledge and growth are assessed. They argue that "vocabularly assessment is grossly undernourished, both in its theoretical and practical aspects--that it has been driven by…

Many educators choose to believe that learning to read and write is as natural as learning to listen and speak, even though scientifically based research does not support their belief. However, most educators (as well as the public) believe that most students must be taught mathematics to learn it. Moreover, there is a body of research evidence…

Evaluation is data gathering, analysis, and interpretation that leads to decisions about practices and goals. Relatively simple analytical techniques can suffice for many evaluation purposes. Evaluation of inservice education may be viewed as an operating system where input is provided, processes are implemented, and products are generated. When…

State educational policy-makers are showing increasing interest in using statewide educational assessment and evaluation programs (1) to evaluate student thinking skills and affective learning as well as traditional academic achievement, (2) to evaluate teachers at all stages of their careers, and (3) to assess the impact of school reform efforts.…

Examines the value of the Public Library Association Planning Process and Output Measures. It is concluded that the planning process is wasteful, in that it ignores existing literature and addresses conditions that libraries cannot change. It is also argued that adoption of the output measures would be dangerous, as it involves serious egalitarian…

Statewide testing programs, such as Utah's, provide a rich source of performance data. This paper builds on the work of Klitgaard (1974) and identifies educational objectives and corresponding measures by which educators can more fully describe the performance of their school system, utilizing statewide testing data. Methodology involved…

Issues that program planners should consider in developing performance standards for the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) older worker programs (OWPs) are reviewed. Using goal-setting theory and the results of a two-year evaluation of OWPs in Texas, the discussion covers approaches to developing standards for programs other states. (TJH)