This issue introduces a new feature for the journal, a section on legal issues related to personnel evaluation, instituted because litigation and legislation in the area of personnel evaluation seem to be on the increase. (SLD)

Describes this special issue which showcases a number of innovative programs that use technology-integrated designs and design components in educational personnel assessment and professional learning and examines issues in applying multimedia technologies to assessment and professional development of educational personnel. (SLD)

Explicates a conceptual framework for analyzing the politics of personnel evaluation in an educational context. Using several elements of the framework, discusses the politics of teacher evaluation in California in relation to the types of personnel evaluation decisions, the actors, their access to these decisions, sources and levels of power, and…

Studied the current state of school superintendent evaluation practices across the United States using state policy guides and materials. Findings show that 8 of 50 states do not have requirements or guidelines for superintendent evaluation and other states do not meet all the essential criteria for quality personnel evaluation. (SLD)

Introduces the articles in this special issue, which focus on personnel evaluation across the spectrum of higher education. All relate to a growing interest in holding college professionals accountable for their job performance. (SLD)

Discusses the trend toward short tenures for state university presidents, and indeed, for all university presidents, and concludes that evaluations make little difference in decisions to retain or remove presidents. Annual reviews or reports are considered valuable in improving the performance of university presidents. (SLD)

The "Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education" announces the establishment of a new section, "The Practitioner's Corner," a section that will provide the opportunity for practitioners from many educational environments to share information about issues, controversies, and programs in personnel evaluation that reflect practice. (SLD)

Analyzes the contents of "Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education" (JPEE) since its inception in 1987. Concludes that the JPEE has published a comprehensive array of evaluation theory and practice articles, and that the journal is highly oriented toward teacher evaluation and dominated by U.S. authors. (Author/SLD)

When drafting or reviewing a personnel handbook, university administrators should be sure the handbook conforms to legal and constitutional requirements, and they should also make clear the parts of the handbook that actually constitute a contract between the employee and the university, as well as indicate the means by which the handbook can be…

Issues related to the performance appraisal of school library and media specialists are discussed. Performance appraisal is an essential part of the management job, but supervisors of library or media specialists must integrate proven concepts into their own evaluation models to avoid the narrow focuses of the past. (SLD)

A professional support personnel evaluation model is presented that is grounded in sound evaluation theory and conceptualized in research as well as practice. Validity, reliability, and utility are acknowledged in the seven steps of an evaluation model that balances institutional and individual needs. (SLD)

The legal viability of an evaluation means that the evaluator can address legal issues successfully while avoiding debilitating legal difficulties. This article argues for the inclusion of a legal viability standard in the "Personnel Evaluation Standards" of the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation and presents a…

The promotion process for university faculty is explored, considering the peer review committee, the focus on publications, and the usual subjectivity of the process. Ways some institutions enhance objectivity, such as external review and the elimination of potentially biased reviewers, are described. (SLD)

Reviews a recent decision by the Sixth Court of Appeals that a community college instructor had a constitutional right to use the words "nigger" and "bitch" in the context of a classroom discussion in a course on interpersonal relations. Discusses the case in the context of other court decisions on a college's right to regulate an instructor's…

A triad of conceptual, human relations, and technical domains is proposed as a basis for effective performance evaluation systems in education. Systems incorporating the relevant issues in this triad address a fundamental rule of performance evaluation: if it is worth doing, it is worth doing well. (SLD)