This paper is a critique of the school education productivity evaluation and two research constructs germane to it, "teacher quality" and "teacher effectiveness." The paper will argue that policy inceptions of "teacher quality" and "teacher effectiveness" proxy for the productive capacity of schools and more…

When computer scientists discuss the computational complexity of, for example, finding the shortest path from building A to building B in some town or city, their starting point typically is a formal description of the problem at hand, e.g., a graph with weights on every edge where buildings correspond to vertices, routes between buildings to…

The value of a program can be understood as referring not only to outcomes, but also to how those outcomes compare to the types and amounts of resources expended to produce the outcomes. Major potential mistakes and biases in assessing the worth of resources consumed, as well as the value of outcomes produced, are explored. Most of these occur…

Teacher preparation programs (TPPs) are where prospective teachers gain a foundation of knowledge about pedagogy and subject matter, as well as early exposure to practical classroom experience. Although competence in teaching, as in all professions, is shaped significantly by on-the-job experiences and continuous learning, the programs that…

Despite their apparent popularity among those seeking degrees and credentials, today's colleges and universities face several interrelated public criticisms and concerns. When these competing concerns about student success, productivity, cost, and educational effectiveness all collide at the campus level, they create an array of campus tensions…

Because desired output goals should be the ruling criteria for the deployment of resources (inputs) and the selection of goal attainment strategies (processes), specific goal expectations and goal achievement evaluative methods must be determined. These output goals may be classified in two categories, quantitative (numbers of graduates, grade…

The problem of educational evaluation, the various types of evaluation, and the different kinds of models of evaluation systems are discussed in some detail. The educational needs of the students, staff, community, and the Philadelphia Title I schools, as agreed by members of the evaluation team, are listed. A taxonomy of Title I evaluation is…

The operations of an institution can be viewed from three perspectives: (1) the "actual operating measurement" such as income and expenditures of a cost center at a point in time; (2) the "criterion" which reflects the established policy for a time period; and (3) the "efficiency level" wherein a balance between input and output is defined.…

Experimental design has only limited utility inthe field of educational evaluation and, in general, the methodology of the former does not equal the methodology of the latter; in fact, experimental design plays a limited role in the total framework of educational evaluation. Experimental design does have potential utility in the areas of input and…

The basis of the measurable institutional objectives approach to management by objectives is the college's educational philosophy. The output measures used are the units completed and grade averages. It is recognized, however, that some student learnings and support program objectives are currently unmeasurable. The Sample Class Plan for…

A "second best" approach, reintroducing educational productivity analyses into school finance reform strategies, may help to promote efficiency in the provision of educational services. The limitations of analysis models and measurement of equity and efficiency are discussed. (Author/CM)

The Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) Chapter 2 Evaluation Unit provides program evaluation and evaluation technical services for designated ECIA Chapter 2 projects in the District of Columbia Public Schools. This report examines the status of inputs, processes, and outcomes, intended and observed, of the Evaluation Unit during…

Explains the relationship of two Public Library Association publications concerning measurement of public library service: "Performance Measures for Public Libraries" (1973) and "Output Measures for Public Libraries: A Manual for Standardized Procedures" (1982). The importance of data collection methods is noted in discussing…

Certain representations of basic scientific knowledge can be coupled with traditional micro-economic analysis to provide an analysis of rational research planning or agenda setting in basic science. Research planning is conceived of as a resource allocation decision in which resources are being allocated to activities directed toward the solution…

Five performance measures suggested for use in public libraries are discussed in relation to corporate information centers: corporate awareness of library services; clients as percentage of jurisdiction population; reference transactions per capita; reference fill rate; timeliness of information delivery. Planning and survey questionnaires for…