A two-year project involved two elementary school faculties in planning curricular change. Both schools selected two major goals: to improve reading achievement scores and student self-concept. University personnel served in a consultant/trainer role. The school staffs expressed doubt about the feasibility or the necessity of the self-concept…

A 56-item rating scale of research and evaluation competencies for vocational educators was developed. Four skill categories were included: (1) reviewing and analyzing completed research; (2) conducting research; (3) conducting evaluation; and (4) managing research and evaluation activities. Respondents were asked to rate each of the items,…

The difficulties in evaluating bilingual education appear to have prevented success in all but a few evaluation attempts, but better and more meaningful evaluation is neccessary in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of bilingual programs. Many bilingual programs are undergoing constant modification, adequate assessment instruments have…

Program administrators for 64 Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) programs in New York City were asked to respond to a questionnaire rating scale concerning the helpfulness and quantity of information that had been provided to them by the program evaluators. The rating scale categorized areas of administrative decision making in five…

The papers comprising these proceedings discuss the nature and purpose of the Independent Educational Accomplishment Audit (IEAA), a concept born in the late 1960's to establish accountability for mandatory technical assistance programs funded by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: (1) origins and rationale of the Independent Educational…

This researcher discusses what he has learned about the field of program evaluation and makes three observations: (1) Testing does not define key objectives in evaluation. (2) Politics influences what clients want to know. (3) Case studies are necessary for epistemological reasons. (LMO)

Five elements contribute to success of the NASSP assessor training program: (1) participants are totally involved; (2) preparation supports the overall training design; (3) preselection and orientation of assessor trainees ensures qualified participants; (4) training models assessors' subsequent role; and (5) follow-up training at individual…

The Board of Regents (BoR) and State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (SBESE) selected external consultants who possessed knowledge of current research and effective practices to review and evaluate redesigned programs for educational leaders and teachers. In addition, personnel from the Louisiana Department of Education reviewed all…

Describes a method to elicit data about the results of a personnel training program so that quality improvements can be made by having trainees' supervisors evaluate the training impact on the job. Also describes cases in different organizations where this approach was used to determine program weaknesses and strengths. (MF)

The seven articles of this special issue focus on theory and research related to survey methods and whether evaluators need information that is absent from the larger survey literature. These articles reflect the view that the considerations relating to good survey research apply also to using surveys in evaluation. (SLD)

Whether cutting score equivalents (CSEs) based on examinee performance are the same as CSEs based on expert judgment was examined using data from 3,262 examinees taking an internal medicine certification examination. CSEs produced by 40 physicians/experts were closer to the criteria than were standards derived from examinee performance. (SLD)

The five articles of this theme issue focus on new developments in the evaluation of science education programs that have both substantive and theoretical implications for the field of evaluation. Past and current evaluation approaches are reviewed, and an overview is given of new assessments consistent with new curriculum developments. (SLD)

Questions that beginning educational researchers and evaluators will have to answer are discussed concerning: (1) which intellectual tradition to select; (2) the roles of basic and theoretical inquiry; (3) qualitative and quantitative distinctions; (4) the theory-practice relationship; (5) political influences; and (6) the correct emphasis on…

The process used to select candidates for teacher training at a university department of education in the United Kingdom is described. Selection criteria, interview techniques, and essay requirements are reviewed for applicants for the training program. Tutors make assessments of candidates' personality during interviews, and these assessments…

The incremental contribution of an interview to the student admission process was studied for 331 applicants accepted as undergraduates at a private university. Interviews provide information about applicants and correlate to grade point average (GPA). Interviewer judgments do not contribute incremental variance to prediction of admissions…