Question dimensions, construction, and response formats of 50 reactionnaire forms completed by participants in medical school programs were analyzed. Numerous problems in 30 forms and shortcomings in 20 others were identified. Ways to improve layout, appearance, anonymity protection, and questions were suggested. (Contains 53 references.) (SK)

Discusses contemporary controversies in evaluation that are likely to be of continuing importance in the near future, Including: (1) the nature and role of substantive theory in evaluation; (2) the importance of advances in methods; and (3) the meaning of "success as a profession." Asserts the necessity of positioning evaluation as part of…

Describes and critiques medical school rankings by "U.S. News & World Report" on methodologic and conceptual grounds, arguing that the annual evaluation falls short in both areas. Presents three alternative categories of program quality indicators. Concludes that the rankings have no practical value and fail to meet standards of…

Research indicated that students often graduate from colleges and universities without encountering critical thinking skills in undergraduate coursework. The first national report raising concerns over the declining quality of education stemmed from the National Commission on Excellence in Education (1983), and findings based on disappointing test…

A report from the School Choice Demonstration Project examines issues concerning the funding formula used for the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program (MPCP). It finds that the program generates a net saving to taxpayers in Wisconsin but imposes a significant fiscal burden on taxpayers in Milwaukee. However, these findings depend significantly on how…

Some students are less accurately measured by typical reading tests than other students. By asking teachers to identify students whose performance on state reading tests would likely underestimate their reading skills, this study sought to learn about characteristics of less accurately measured students while also evaluating how well teachers can…

Treatment integrity (also referred to as "treatment fidelity," "intervention integrity," and "procedural reliability") is an important methodological concerning both research and practice because treatment integrity data are essential to making valid conclusions regarding treatment outcomes. Despite its relationship to validity, treatment…

The utility of value-added estimates of teachers' effects on student test scores depends on whether they can distinguish between high- and low-productivity teachers and predict future teacher performance. This article studies the year-to-year variability in value-added measures for elementary and middle school mathematics teachers from five large…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate a possible favourable response pattern on scaled forms used as a means of evaluating training courses. Design/methodology/approach: In part one of the study evaluation forms were examined referring to courses were completed by 879 students attending 15 university level courses and 531 students…

This is a critical review of methodological issues in the evaluation of adult literacy education programs in the United States. It addresses the key research questions: What are the appropriate methods for evaluating these programs under given circumstances. It identifies 15 evaluation studies that are representative of a range of adult literacy…

Authentic assessment is a growing alternative to conventional testing. This research-to-practice article describes a framework for implementing authentic assessment. The R-E-A-L framework shows how roles, equipment, assessment tools, and location can be incorporated into early childhood practices.

With the myriad challenges facing parents in recent years, formal parenting training programs have been developed to address parent needs. However, few studies have been conducted to assess the actual effects of participating in such programs. An attempt to develop a better understanding of how informal parental support networks and formal parent…

One way to improve topicality debates in CEDA (Cross Examination Debate Association) debate would be to thoroughly study the field contextual meanings of propositional phrases prior to submitting them to a vote. Judges need to reward exemplary arguments and "punish" poor arguments by substantially lowering a team's speaker points for…

This paper summarizes the results of a quantitative review of the validity of the employment interview. It begins by discussing factors that make the interpretation of interview validity data difficult. The interpretation of interview validity data is shown to be hampered by the heterogeneity of constructs and measurement methods in the interview.…

The current prevailing professional opinion is that the prevalence rates of alcohol abuse among the elderly are low compared to the general population. The prevalence of alcohol abuse among the elderly was examined through a review of the empirical research. This review revealed a number of serious methodological problems. The most important of…