The importance and problems of evaluating the final-year projects of students in electrical and electronics engineering education are discussed, and guidelines for achieving uniformity in assessment are given. The approaches used in two African universities are also described. (Author/MSE)

In 1980, five federal special education longitudinal qualitative impact evaluations were all prematurely terminated. What happened, why it happened, and what salvage decisions were made are examined in this article. The impact of these decisions on the design of RFPs and future evaluation plans are also discussed. (Author/EGS)

Evaluation must take into account both executive and legislative politics and their interactions. A five-part continuum evaluation process is suggested for the development of a policy question and its translation into knowledge that is credible, timely, responsive, and usable. Evaluators have a major responsibility in this process. (Author/JAZ)

Value judgments are central to the process of stakeholder-based evaluations. The selection of stakeholder participants involves a value judgment about the power and the legitimacy of the stakeholders. Consequences of stakeholder evaluation may include pseudoempowerment. Suggestions for evaluators for improving stakeholder evaluations are made.…

A microeconomic paradigm is proposed for the evaluation of special education in schools. The special education process is described in three phases: referral to special education by the classroom teacher; special classroom program; and mainstreaming. The relationship between referral by teachers, classroom resources, and students' desirable…

This article focuses on the distinction between needs assessment and demand assessment and presents a methodology for operationalizing and measuring demands. Results are reported of a survey of a national sample of 32 university and college administrators to assess their need and demand for an adult student opinion package. (Author/LMO)

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)

Concludes that mechanics had a greater influence on raters' judgments of student writing than either content or rating instructions. Findings suggest that evaluators may not be able to focus on individual criteria of writing quality. (FL)

Threshold analysis (TA) is introduced as an evaluation model. TA converts unknown variables into questions as to whether a given benefit, cost, or success probability is more or less than a threshold, above which the proposed project would be profitable, and below which it would be unprofitable. (Author/PN)

Evaluation is an important component of intergenerational programs. This paper argues that the approach to evaluation for the 1990s and beyond should be two-fold: first, intergenerational programs of all types must emphasize the thoughtful, comprehensive planning of evaluation; second, the intergenerational field needs to strengthen evaluation in…

This document describes the development of an instrument designed to assess the implementation of a professional learning community among school staff. It describes the growing need for such instruments as schools increasingly deviate from traditional approaches in education in their efforts to enhance student learning. An instrument that could be…

This guidebook offers suggestions that can help district and school staff choose an approach for evaluating school-reform efforts. It is intended to provide further evaluation assistance to education stakeholders to ensure that schools conduct evaluation of whole-school reform efforts in a way that provides valid and useful information for…

This policy report provides a view of the issues concerning the effectiveness of technology in its role to enhance education. This report is intended for use by educational leaders and policymakers who are concerned with making optimal use of technology in the schools. This report: (1) Focuses on issues that need to be considered as the impact of…