Ruscio et al. (Ruscio, Seaman, D'Oriano, Stremlo, & Mahalchik, this issue) write of a thing with which scientists and scholars are all too familiar, the assessment of published research and of its authors. The author was startled to discover how little the agenda of the paper seems to engage with factors one relies on for salary and promotion…

The synthesis of historical definitions presented in this paper was designed to trace the development of the process of evaluation, showing how modern educational evaluation has evolved and identifyinq some points of confusion. The importance of the integration of evaluation into the overall educational process is emphasized. (Author/RAO)

Describes the practice of benchmarking and its use in staffing. Examines benchmarking's roots in quality control and how businesses can establish reference points in pursuing their goals. Includes suggestions on planning benchmarking efforts, strategies for data collection, data analysis, and taking action. Provides a benchmarking code of conduct…

[Gottfredson, L. S. (2003). Dissecting practical intelligence theory: Its claims and evidence. Intelligence, 31, 343-397.] provided a detailed critique of Sternberg's [Sternberg, R. J., Fotsythe, G. B., Hedlund, J., Horvath, J. A., Wagner, R. K., Williams, W. M., Snook, S. A., Grigorenko, E. L. (2000). Practical intelligence in everyday life. New…

This provides the basic format to be followed for conducting a research project. The method of analyzing the procedure for making a successful research project is broken down into six components: (1) State the problem briefly and explain its importance and significance; (2) State the hypotheses to be tested and explain specific questions to be…

Allegations by a resigning employee of intimidation, cover-up, unethical behavior, legal violations, waste, and mismanagement were investigated at a major university, relying on confidential interviews and a review of relevant documentation. The case study of this evaluation illustrates the advantages of a mix of qualitative and quantitative…

Profiles a class exercise that teaches the importance of developing an accurate definition of a psychological construct (guilt, control, altruism). The more precise the definition, the easier it is to choose an appropriate technique to measure that construct. Discusses the Health and Psychosocial Instrument File, a recent measurement database.…

Designed to contribute to the growing effort to teach critical thinking skills, this guide provides teachers with (1) a simple, usable set of definitions for recall, analysis, comparison, inference, and evaluation; (2) brief explanations of three common forms of classroom assessment (oral questioning during instruction, paper and pencil objective…