Various notions about the obstacles to, and the conditions needed for, school districts' linking of externally mandated testing and evaluation with instruction are discussed. Two major points are made, the first being that evaluation and testing communities must attend to the needs of administrators and teachers as they are manifest in the…

Instructional information systems gather and link together data on pupil characteristics, pupil performance on tests, instructional methods, and attitudes and opinions. Results from a study of two instructional information systems indicate that even well-designed systems will only influence decision making under certain conditions. (BW)

An investigation of how some school districts construct and maintain needed links between evaluation/testing and curricular/instructional activities is presented. Researchers must build on the twin strands of research about school and school district organization and developments in testing, evaluation methodology. School district characteristics…

The components of existing district instructional information systems are identified and illustrated by examples from field studies and descriptions of work with two districts in defining their instructional information systems and assigning costs. Instructional information systems are loosely organized methods of providing past and present…

This document is divided into two parts: the first presents a taxonomy of questions designed for a hypothetical computer database; the second describes the rationale for a question oriented approach to data. This taxonomy is described as a list of questions an educator might use to find out more about the achievement, attendance, and…

Actual and potential relationships between evaluators and linkers--curriculum or management specialists who disseminate the products of evaluation to school districts--were explored. Evaluation and linkage evolved as distinct educational occupations, stimulated by federal involvement in research, development, and school improvement since the early…