Performance in primary education can be measured in terms of different variables, like enrolment rate, attendance rate, or levels of learning achievement of students. Thus, for an analysis of the comparative performance of units, like country, state, or district, we need an aggregate measure or an index developed from these variables. In…

The idea that multiple measures should be used when evaluating teachers is widely accepted. Multiple measures are important not only because education has multiple goals, but because each measure is an imperfect indicator of any given goal. For a variety of reasons, states and districts use multiple measures in one particular way: to make…

Student feedback, test-score growth calculations, and observations of practice appear to pick up different but complementary information that, combined, can provide a balanced and accurate picture of teacher performance, according to research recently released from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. A composite measure on teacher effectiveness…

The scoring instrument described in this article is based on a deconstruction of the seven sections of an American Psychological Association (APA)-style empirical research report into a set of learning outcomes divided into content-, expression-, and format-related categories. A double-weighting scheme used to score the report yields a final grade…

Early childhood educators play a critical role in preparing students for success later in their school experience. The instructional techniques, emotional supports, and assessment approaches for early childhood settings are different from classroom settings in later grades. How can states and districts develop evaluation systems that are tuned to…

Purpose: The paper's aim is to propose a core journal decision method, called the local impact factor (LIF), which can evaluate the requirements of the local user community by combining both the access rate and the weighted impact factor, and by tracking citation information on the local users' articles. Design/methodology/approach: Many…

The "PISA 2009 Technical Report" describes the methodology underlying the PISA 2009 survey. It examines additional features related to the implementation of the project at a level of detail that allows researchers to understand and replicate its analyses. The reader will find a wealth of information on the test and sample design,…

Five weighting methods for combining multiple criteria into a single composite were evaluated on 117 bank tellers. Four of the five methods (management, weights, equal weights, unit weights and factor weights) yielded nearly identical results. The fifth method (canonical weights) correlated almost zero with the other methods. (Author/PN)

This paper discusses the importance of criteria in the evaluation of a teacher by his students and proposes a method of representing the results of the questionnaire in the form of one weighted average. The following points, emphasized in the construction of the questionnaire, are elaborated: a) the characteristics of a good teacher; b) the…

Use of the Judgment Analysis technique, a systematic process for considering policy, reaching consensus, and applying policy was used at a summer enrichment program for gifted students. Results indicated that the technique can be used to determine a weighting system for multiple identification criteria which accurately reflects an identification…

A faculty evaluation system that classified performance factors within a hierarchy and weights each, producing a final composite set for each faculty member, is explained and illustrated. The process is recommended for more objective and consistent decision-making about faculty tenure. (MSE)

Three principal uses of composite variables in the Title I Evaluation and Reporting System (TIERS) are examined in light of four basic methodological issues: (1) the criterion used in constructing the composite; (2) the likely reliability of both component and criterion variables; (3) the form of the relationship between components and criterion;…

Describes a study which investigated an alternative method (aside from simple ranking) for establishing evaluative criterion weights for evaluating vocational education programs and which would reflect the priortities expressed by various interest groups. (SH)

The evaluation team of the Lincoln Public Schools (Nebraska) used the multi-attribution utility technology (MAUT) approach to prioritize potential evaluation projects. The priorities were used to allocate resources to the district's most important projects, and to eliminate or scale down less important projects. The problem was caused initially…

In response to optometry student complaints about group scores as an inadequate reflection of individual effort, two different procedures for assessing individual contributions to a group learning project were investigated, one based on evaluations by students outside the group and one using student evaluations of their fellow group members'…