States, districts, and schools all across the United States are busy developing or implementing teacher evaluation systems. One can trace this flurry of activity to a variety of reports and initiatives that highlight two failings of past efforts: (1) Teacher evaluation systems have not accurately measured teacher quality because they've failed to…

The purpose of this paper is to inform evaluators of a method of evaluating capacity building in educational programs. One definition of capacity building is helping an organization increase its ability to fulfill its mission (Wing, 2004). Evaluators of capacity-building efforts therefore must focus on evidence that the program has helped to build…

Effective principals are those who boost academic achievement for all students, increase the effectiveness of their teaching staffs, and consistently take leadership actions shown to improve outcomes for students. Therefore principal evaluation systems should place 70% of their weight on the ability of principals to increase student achievement…

Assessment of educational effectiveness provides vitally important feedback to Institutions of Higher Education. It also provides important information to external stakeholders, such as prospective students, parents, governmental and local regulatory entities, professional and regional accrediting organizations, and representatives of the…

Effective principals are those who boost academic achievement for all students, increase the effectiveness of their teaching staffs, and consistently take leadership actions shown to improve outcomes for students. Therefore principal evaluation systems should place 70% of their weight on the ability of principals to increase student achievement…

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore employee perceptions of the development of a learning culture in a medium-sized manufacturing company that was aspiring to become a learning organization. Design/methodology/approach: The research comprised an extended interview with the company's Organizational Development Manager, a validated…

The discrepancy between aspiration and achievement of institutional goals is analyzed as an important variable in monitoring an innovation through its life cycle from exploration to institutionalization. Although important, this discrepancy, or hiatus, is not sufficient to support an innovation without the concurrent presence of high aspiration…

Reasons for frustrations surrounding needs assessment in organizations are examined. Action strategies are paired with three of the root causes of obstacles to effective assessment: (1) flawed needs assessments; (2) no organizational support; and (3) inadequate expertise assigned to the effort. A sidebar presents four possible causes linked to…

Presents a method for holistic organizational analysis that provides developers with a rationale to obtain data and decision bases for successful internal and extraorganizational intervention and change. The analysis, based on the Organizational Elements Model, relates organizational resources, efforts, results, and organizational impact. Presents…

Presents results of research focusing on identifying "certification best practices" to provide a framework for business managers and certification practitioners. Describes a 10-step process for evaluating certification programs that takes into consideration four perspectives: audience, learning, business, and financial. (AEF)

A four-step approach to implementing a training program and measuring results for government agencies was developed in response to an executive order to federal agencies to provide effective training and performance measures in their annual budgets. Step one is the analysis of established goals to identify training requirements. Suggested…

States that comprehensive, systematic plans to assess student learning can be both the rudder guiding and the sail driving change in staff, program, and organizational development. Explores the nature of assessment and how it can and does serve such roles, driving change in the college or adapting to emerging community needs. Contains 27…

Examines the role of training for improving the performance of people in ways that both they and their organizations value, focusing on what the true worth of training is and can be. Proposes a model for calculating return-on-investment (ROI) in training. Presents a case study of its application within an operational context at a bank. (Contains…

Suggests that much of what is labeled OD is really a demonstration training done after school or during one or two day workshops, and that like other curricula, OD is packaged for teachers and administrators such that it becomes a program rather than a continuous process. (AM)

Competency education in the applied behavioral sciences can be enhanced by synethesizing the values of humanistic psychology with the measurement, evaluation, and accountability that characterize behavioral psychology. (Author)