Nearly all of the research on standard setting focuses on different standard setting methods rather than the interaction of group members and the instructions given to group members. This study explored the effect of deliberation style and the requirement to reach consensus on the passing score, on rater satisfaction, and on postdecision…

Forms of evaluation that involve evaluators working collaboratively with practitioners on applied social research projects are becoming increasingly common, but a body of empirical literature that warrants firm conclusions about collaborative evaluation has not yet been accumulated. This survey studies the views of evaluators and program…

Both quality and representation are constructs that are central to evaluation as a form of human discourse. Quality is perhaps the most essential idea in evaluation, and once quality is discerned, it must be conveyed, or represented to others. These constructs are considered in the context of the Chicago, Illinois public schools, an urban system…

This empirical study used data from the Reading: Basic Understanding section of the New Standards English Language Arts Examination. Data were collected for 3,200 high school students randomly selected from those who took the examination. The resulting sample had 16 raters who scored 200 students each, with each student rated by only 1 rater. The…

Four functions of federal project officers in managing program evaluations with support from contract research firms are described: (1) articulating evaluation requirements; (2) providing for fairness in contract awards; (3) monitoring ongoing studies; and (4) transmitting evaluation results to decision makers. (Author/PN)

In-house evaluators must develop evaluation procedures that accommodate not only their own professional standards but also the problem-solving styles of the organizations they serve. This article describes how a small sample of evaluators have adapted their methods to their contexts. (Author)

The effect of the quality of preceding essays on judgments of the quality of a subsequent essay was investigated. Inservice teachers as judges failed to produce consistently and unambiguously biased judgments. Results suggest the presence of a positive bias and the absence of a negative bias. (Author/PN)

One aspect of the validity of medical students' clinical performance ratings are studied. It is demonstrated that there are higher correlations between house officer ratings of student knowledge and cognitive ability scores than between attending staff evaluations and student ability scores. (Author/GK)

No significant new legal and government liabilities can be expected to fall on the Evaluation Research Society (ERS) or on evaluators as a result of ERS's adoption of the standards. ERS should expect to become more involved with legal and government issues as the standards become more widely known. (Author/LC)

Examined the validity of averaged ratings of judges who rated a patient's mood from speech samples taken at different times during psychotherapy. Ratings were averaged and correlated with an objective measure of anxiety based upon the patient's speech disruptions. Correlations increased as the number of judges increased. (Author)

Traces the history of teacher assessment and of research on classroom interactions. Lists key elements in an assessment program. Discusses the need for trained assessors, teacher cooperation, and reevaluation. (WD)

Green forecasts that unless evaluative thinking moves away from the educational research model, frustration will grow because findings are not applied to policy. Similarly, Gowin feels that concepts and values are just as important as facts. (CP)

Educator and author Laurence E. Lynn recommends the case study as a method for training policy analysts to understand the cognitive style and uniqueness of the decision makers they serve. Analysts must be interdisciplinary, politically knowledgable, yet unbiased. Policy analysis, particularly by external institutions, is spreading to Congress. (CP)

Briefly describes the content, organization, and multiple influences on the 4-H program in relation to a national program evaluation. Discusses influences of the sponsors and evaluators on the evaluation and problems encountered because of competing values and perceptions. Reviews evaluation findings and speculates on the utilization of the…

Taking the position that every possible role for the evaluator supports some type of social perspective, the authors examine three available advocative roles: technician, facilitator and instigator. These roles are discussed in relation to evaluation in general and built environment evaluation in particular. (WB)