The esteem-enhancement view of the relationship between self-esteem and liking for an evaluator is not universally applicable but must yield to consistency when the evaluation has future utility. Suggests low self esteem subjects value criticism for the information it provides, while high self esteem subjects prefer praise. (Author)

Lack of agreement between teachers and parents in assessing the symptoms of hyperkinesis in children was demonstrated by Langhorne, Loney, Paternite, and Bechtoldt. Zukow, Zukow, and Bentler recently criticized that investigation. Results of a separate analysis of data of Langhorne et al. confirmed the original findings. (Author)

An evaluation of the in-service education and training (INSET) of teachers in Britain is based on careful analysis of the characteristics of the evaluation task, target, and agent and, more specifically, upon the way in which these three factors interact in any one cell of the model. (JMF)

Discrepancies between staff perceptions of program efficacy and empirical evaluations of program effectiveness were studied for two drug education and prevention programs. Possible explanations involve: (1) the relatively low drug involvement of the study population; (2) differing expectations about program impacts; and (3) the sensitivity of…

Two articles present differing points of view on the evaluation of the development of a teacher education program. "Through the Looking Glass..." describes what happens when an evaluator becomes the evaluation client, and "Degrees of Strangeness" reports on the evaluator's findings and opinions. (SLD)

An interjudge reliability test was conducted to evaluate questionnaires used in the surveillance of residential care institutions in Israel. Results from 32 institutions (evaluated by two surveyor teams--one social worker and 1 nurse per team) and the variance in reliability were used to improve the questionnaires and their administration. (SLD)

Compared simplified variations on the Angoff and Bookmark methods for setting cut scores on educational assessments with data from a grade 7 mathematics test (23 panelists in all). Although the Angoff method is more widely used, results show that the Bookmark method has some promising features. (SLD)

Microcomputer-based imaging technology reestablishes the direct link between evaluation and environmental design by allowing evaluators and urban designers to visually explore and evaluate alternative simulations of design proposals. Microcomputer hardware and software requirements and the use of imaging technology at the university level are…

The impact of item response theory (IRT) on the measurement practitioner is discussed, with a review of potential benefits. The complexity of IRT theory and procedures and the lack of robustness of IRT procedures to violation of assumptions must be recognized for the measurement practitioner to realize its advantages. (SLD)

The evaluator's roles--change agent, manager, resource person, interpreter, and liaison between the project and the funding agency--are described, concerning the evaluation of innovative projects in education. Difficulties in obtaining desired commitments (i.e., a project's financial commitments and its positive attitude toward the evaluation…

A framework is presented to identify programs with the highest potential for payoffs to management resulting from evaluation. Several program initiatives may be evaluated in organizations. Criteria for assessing needs and standards for prioritizing programs are presented. Evaluators must analyze alternatives and determine which one successfully…

A broad set of ethical principles is examined to determine their relevance for evaluation. The five principles of K. S. Kitchener (autonomy, nonmaleficience, beneficence, justice, and fidelity) are relevant to evaluation and are fully represented in the evaluation standards of the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation. (SLD)

Anecdotal evidence from interviews with some program managers gives evidence that unintended negative consequences of evaluations are more than a theoretical concern; they are a real problem deserving an evaluator's attention and energy. Negative consequences usually include: (1) wasted resources; (2) demotivation; and (3) program destruction and…

Whether the measurement profession should consider developing and adopting a code of professional conduct is explored after a brief review of existing references to standards of conduct and a review of other professional codes. Issues include the need for a code of ethics, its usefulness, and its enforcement. (SLD)

Criticisms of teacher evaluation as it is practiced are analyzed, and new directions are proposed for realizing the potential of teacher evaluation in improving instruction. Failure to provide feedback accompanied by substantive and practical suggestions has prevented improvement and reduced teachers' internal motivation. (SLD)