The question of who evaluates the evaluators is explored through the experiences of an external evaluation team. Some have called evaluating evaluators and their work evaluation auditing, but it could also be viewed as a form of meta-evaluation. At the request of the Director of Research and Evaluation for the "ESU 18" (named for a…

Previous efforts to investigate the equivalence of rating sources for job analysis ratings have reported conflicting results. In the present research, correlational and generalizability analyses were conducted to examine the equivalency of rating sources for over 70 state civil service job classifications. Incumbent and supervisor ratings (N=697)…

Evaluators, by the nature of their work, must be concerned with data management activities ranging from the collection and recording of data to the analyses, summation, and presentation of those data. Though word processing has been cited as the most frequently used microcomputer package by educational evaluators, spreadsheets are among the most…

Brief case studies of three projects are presented to illustrate the steps which open "Wonderful Programs" to evaluation research. The evaluator is provided with the perspective needed to believe the evaluation is worth doing. The project staff is then redirected to the need for a new type of evidence. An ongoing review of the commitment…

Rasch models for fundamental measurement in the psychological sciences are derived from the principle of specific objectivity, the requirement that the parameter value representing each component in a test situation be independent of the other components. The dichotomous Rasch model for two-faceted analysis, applicable to conventional…

In 1981 the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education established regulations of quality assurance for educational program evaluations conducted in the state through two major areas: the certification of educational program evaluators and the use of the Joint Committee's Standards for Evaluation, Projects and Materials in the…

The Center for the Study of Evaluation (CSE) developed a formative evaluation system for the National Diffusion Network (NDN). A national, federally funded organization, NDN disseminates innovative ideas to schools nationwide. A formative evaluation was designed as an ongoing low-cost series of activities to be carried out by NDN managers,…

Boundaries are drawn, and essential elements in the evaluation of school change are suggested by a veteran public school system assistant superintendent in charge of performing evaluations for decision makers at the local level. The following essential elements are considered: (1) credibility--the most prized and critical of the elements of…

Part of a forum on a Federal offices' search for a strategy to gain better evaluation utilization, this paper discusses the strategy's conception. Three categories of educational evaluations, defined by social and structural characteristics of the program environment, are identified: (1) trial evaluations, whose funding is not guaranteed beyond…

The evaluator must begin with a clear understanding of roles, issues, and risks in order to minimize the pressures and occurrence of ethical conflicts in program evaluation. A list of such issues is included in this review of TM 503 780. (CTM)

For the evaluator, future expectations will be more demanding than at present. Operating staff, managers, and funders will be familiar with the program evaluation. Improved information tools will help by keeping the organization visible and manageable. A more fundamental change will be an improved "language of accountability." (Author/CTM)

The history and current state of evaluation are examined for evidence of growth and integration. Causes for its recent growth and current practices are discussed; there are signs of both cohesiveness and immaturity in the field. Available from: Pergamon Press, Maxwell House, Fairview Park, Elmsford, New York 10523. (Author/GDC)

Tested hypotheses derived from expert recommendations regarding appropriate resume format. Personnel professionals (N=230) evaluated applicants submitting functional resumes more highly than applicants submitting chronological resumes. Discusses implications of these findings. (ABB)

The user-oriented and utilization-focused evaluation design of the two-year Caribbean Agricultural Extension Project, funded by Aid to International Development, is reviewed. The evaluation scope, stakeholders, evaluation team credibility, official approval of evaluation, and confidence in the evaluation process are addressed, within a…

The client's role and the client-contractor relationship are traced through the design, implementation, and analysis of the Department of Education's High School and Beyond (HSB) survey. The Longitudinal Studies Branch is HSB's major sponsor (client), and the National Opinion Research Center (contractor) conducted the base year and follow-up…