The education evaluation efforts of the federal government are discussed, focusing on the question of their effectiveness in informing the policymaking process. Successful evaluation criteria are outlined. An evaluation must provide useful information to policymakers to be a success. (DWH)

Problems in conducting program evaluation in third world countries can be divided into four interrelated categories: those associated with design, personnel, time, and budget. Some of the problems in each of these areas are considered and suggestions for dealing with them are presented. (Author)

Describes a study that was conducted to determine the effectivenss of training teacher evaluators in lesson plan analysis, classroom observation techniques, and supervisory conference skills. (HOD)

Interviews with 26 experienced international evaluators are reported to identify problems and possible solutions in cross cultural evaluations (evaluations of programs or projects in developing countries by persons from the industrialized West). It is concluded that understanding cultural norms and values increases an evaluator's ability to…

Variations in perceptions of evaluation, research methods, time, social class, and priorities are only some of the reasons why evaluation work in a Third World setting calls evaluators' basic assumptions about people and society into question. Evaluation experiences in the Caribbean are used to illustrate practical problems that may arise.…

Reflecting on his experiences as an evaluation consultant at the Suez Canal University Faculty of Medicine in Egypt the author discusses: (1) implications of the Egyptian political context; (2) adapting to the host culture; and (3) maintaining distance from one's own culture. Personal qualities to complement the recommended naturalistic methods…

In defining the tasks of management and the complementary role of the evaluation professional, specific skills that the evaluator needs are outlined, markers of success are identified, and ethical issues that the internal evaluator must face are discussed. (PN)

Described is a program for training M.A.-level evaluation researchers within an academic department. The topics covered are devising the curriculum, recruiting students, conducting internships, involving the community, and evaluating the program. (Author/RM)

The Board of Regents (BoR) and State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (SBESE) selected four external consultants to review and evaluate redesigned graduate programs for educational leaders and teachers. In addition, personnel from the Louisiana Department of Education reviewed all K-12 undergraduate teacher preparation programs and…

This report describes some of the key immediate and long-term outcomes achieved by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)-Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Summer Institute for Math/Science/Technology for student and teacher participants. This two-week summer program provides high school students and teachers from the Appalachian region the…

Most human gradings of essays are holistic, or "overall." Therefore, Project Essay Grade (PEG), an attempt to develop computerized grading of essays, has concentrated most of its research on overall grading. It has successfully simulated human judges. However, since computer grading is less expensive than human grading, PEG has also…

In recent years there has been a marked change in the inspector's functions, with increased emphasis on professional advice and leadership. However, it has not been possible to eliminate elements of incompatibility between the inspector's dual role of assessor and that of adviser. (Author)

This study tracked three program evaluators to describe the school evaluation environment as the evaluators experienced it. It was found that evaluation utilization was low; most principals and teachers resisted evaluation, though program staff were more receptive; evaluation contact with classrooms was regulated; and schools were "doing the…

The four studies reported in this paper examined the relationship between locus of control and (1) preferences for evaluation strategies, (2) kinds of information seen as useful in decision making, (3) values placed on the usefulness and worth of evaluation, and (4) group interaction in decision making. (BW)

This article addresses the issue of what the process of participating in educational criticism feels like. Certain intellectual and emotional pleasures and perplexities that were confronted by the author while taking part in an educational criticism project are discussed. (CJ)