The first article summarizes the findings of four studies which used unobtrusive testing techniques to evaluate library reference services. The validity of this testing method and the conclusions reached are discussed, and suggestions are made for improving reference services in five related articles. (CLB)

Categorizes corporate libraries as service organizations and discusses organizational funding of libraries and the responsibility of the librarian within this context. The use of program budgets as negotiated contracts between the library and the organization in response to budget cuts is described. (CLB)

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission's performance-funding policy rewards public institutions for undertaking comprehensive assessment programs. New policy guidelines that emphasize quantitative indicators such as test scores and alumni ratings are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Thirty language-impaired, reading-impaired, and normal children, aged 6:8-8:10, were administered eight tasks in word repetition, rapid naming, syllable segmentation, paper folding, and form completion. Controls performed better than the subjects on all but two tasks, and the language-impaired and reading-impaired children performed comparably on…

Examination of high school students' responses to two exercise videotapes, one with the instructor's appearance altered so that he appeared overweight, indicated that the instructor's appearance may be a powerful mediator of teaching effectiveness. Students exhibited a lesser intent to exercise and less favorably rated the overweight instructor's…

An experimental interdisciplinary freshman course taught at North Carolina State University was intended to introduce principles of general systems theory; to provide examples through lectures and readings of applications of these principles in a wide variety of fields; and to introduce and provide practice in critical questioning and evaluation.…

A tongue-in-cheek list of faculty behaviors for improving student evaluations suggests that faculty manipulation of student comments is both common and a threat to quality social work education. Reduced emphasis on student ratings is strongly advocated. (Author/MSE)

Identifies problems that may arise when school music groups perform at events held on behalf of a particular cause or partisan event. Examines performance guidelines such as THE MUSIC CODE OF ETHICS, published by the Music Educators National Conference, which discourages performances at events that are not appropriate educational experiences. (GEA)

Videotape analysis and high school students' evaluation of their student teachers' personal characteristics and instructional behaviors revealed that the most effective teachers were seen to be nonpunitive, consistent, predictable, and enthusiastic and had fewer class transitions and a lower incidence of pupil behavior problems. (CB)

Examined children whose Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) verbal and performance Intelligence Quotient discrepancies placed them beyond the 90th percentile. Longitudinal study showed 23 percent of the discrepant cases to be discrepant at two or more ages. Studied frequency of perinatal difficulties, early childhood…

Assessed efficacy of concept of updating climate to prevent obsolescence in professional knowledge and skills, gathering data from engineers and their supervisors. Showed technical updating climate construct distinguished among organizations under different pressures for technological innovation; demonstrated interobserver consensus within…

A number of research reports and meta analyses on student evaluation of college teaching were reviewed. Student ratings were found to be multidimensional, reliable, valid, and relatively unbiased. Results were useful for feedback, course selection, and personnel decisions. Marsh's Students' Evaluations of Educational Quality (SEEQ) was also…

Compares 27 children with early onset diabetes (EOD) with 24 children with late onset diabetes (LOD) and 30 sibling controls in performance on tests of intellectual functioning and school achievement. Results revealed that duration of illness, age of onset, and hypoglycemic convulsions significantly predicted spatial ability. (Author/RWB)

Discusses the selection process carried on in tertiary institutions. Argues that it is pointless to consider actual selection in isolation from the gathering of data and the way that data are treated. (PK)

This study examined the relationship between self-assessed understanding of lesson content and student performance on factual and inferential test questions among college undergraduate students. Analysis of the results showed little or no correlation between student ratings of their understanding and their subsequent performance on both embedded…