Secondary analyses of international large-scale assessments (ILSA) commonly characterize relationships between variables of interest using correlations. However, the accuracy of correlation estimates is impaired by artefacts such as measurement error and clustering. Despite advancements in methodology, conventional correlation estimates or…

Diagnosing begins by generating an initial diagnostic hypothesis by automatic information processing. Information processing may stop here if the hypothesis is accepted, or analytical processing may be used to refine the hypothesis. This description portrays analytic processing as an optional extra in information processing, leading us to…

The ERIC network conversion to an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) mode of data entry was studied to analyze the potential effectiveness of OCR data entry for future EPC/s (Editorial Processing Centers). Study results are also applicable to any other system involving decentralized bibliographic data capture and conversion functions. The report…

The results from high-stakes assessments have often been used to merely grade and rank schools and students. But a new trend is emerging, according to this brief. Educators are beginning to see the power of using assessment data to improve instruction. This brief discusses ways to use data to improve instruction at the school, classroom, and…

The proposed taxonomy of tasks to be performed in an educational evaluation system encompasses tasks appropriate for evaluators, members of an evaluation unit, and members of facilitation and coordination units. The taxonomy classifies and specifies tasks for (1) developing a climate for evaluation; (2) selecting decision situations, selecting…

The Delphi technique is a method of eliciting and refining group judgments. The procedures used have three features: anonymous response, iteration and controlled feedback, and statistical group response. A series of experiments were initiated at RAND to evaluate the procedures. Upper-class and graduate students were used as subjects and general…

Information gathered from faculty members about nontextbook educational materials is reviewed by the Association of American Medical Colleges before cataloging, indexing, and abstracting at the National Library of Medicine for listing in AVLINE, a computer information service available through the MEDLARS system. (JT)

With an example of OScAR 5V records from four seventh-grade classrooms, this article illustrates the fact that conclusions in any study depend on decision-making processes. Careful examination of the decision-making process is suggested since resulting judgments and implications are rarely scrutinized. (CK)

New media, such as electronic mail and word processing, are playing increasingly important roles in communication activities, especially in organizational settings. This article reviews the process by which new media are diffused, and describes some characteristics of new media that have implications for evaluation research. (Author/BW)

The actual operation of vocational evaluation programs appears to be guided by orientations toward process and content. Two dominant process orientations, information gathering and information processing, can be identified, as can three content orientations: individual characteristics, specific jobs, and occupational clusters. The process and…

School management activities can be improved by the more complete and systematic use of information on the concrete situation. Teacher judgments constitute an underutilized source of such information, e. g., concerning the distribution of student achievement levels. In this study, the application of formal techniques from management science…

The feasibility of using a centralized data processing facility to sever a large group of secondary schools and the capabilities of two alternative systems were investigated. The population to be served included 100,000 students in grades 9-14 attending 50 schools in an area having a hundred mile radius. Service requirements were defined to…

This document examines the design and structure of PMIS (Planning and Management Information System), an information system that supports the decisionmaking process of executive management in local school districts. The system is designed around a comprehensive, longitudinal, and interrelated data base. It utilizes a powerful real-time,…

This report presents an evaluation instrument through which school districts and schools can identify and select computer-based school information management systems (SIMS) suited to their needs. These selection criteria were identified through a survey questionnaire and interviews at 18 representative schools in the Edmonton (Alberta) Public…

The data and computational procedures used by the IDEA system at Kansas State University (during the 1976-77 academic year) to interpret ratings of teacher performance are described in this technical report. The computations for each of the seven parts (evaluation, course description, students' self ratings, methods, additional questions,…