It is the era of evidence-based practices. Now more than ever, social programs are challenged to clearly describe their ideal frameworks and empirically demonstrate fidelity to their standards. In this study, the authors implemented a narrative approach to developing standards in a peer support program for people accessing mental health services.…

In multinational corporations, new models of learning are developing. A particular model with direct applications for challenges facing distributed workforces is one that combines the strengths of formal and informal learning while focusing on participants' work-based tasks. An operationalisation of this model in the context of the ongoing…

In this analogue investigation, 215 practicing Pennsylvania school psychologists reviewed hypothetical referral forms and related data (vignettes). Vignettes represented children who met eligibility criteria for special education as well as children who did not. Participants were most likely to recommend, as eligible due to emotional disturbance,…

The paradigm underlying current sexual offender recidivism risk assessment procedures conceptualizes such risk in a linear fashion, ranging on a single continuum from 0% to 100%. Each risk and protective characteristic thought of relevance in an evaluation is used as an indicator of increased or decreased risk, respectively, along that same…

The paper is devoted to the national accreditation system for engineering programmes in the Russian Federation. The procedure for the integrated assessment of university activities provided by the Ministry of Education is described. The paper examines licensing and attestation requirements for achieving the state accreditation. The procedure and…

In a recent paper (Jordan, Geoff Jordan takes issue with some of my claims about second language acquisition (SLA) theory. Specifically, he queries the necessity of a property theory, and he finds my discussion of explanation unsatisfactory. In this brief reply, I try to answer his criticisms. In a brief but interesting paper, Geoff Jordan (2004:…

Investigations of decision making have typically assumed stationarity, even though commonly observed "context effects" are dynamic by definition. Mirror effects are an important class of context effects that can be explained by changes in participants' decision criteria. When easy and difficult conditions are blocked alternately and a mirror…

The authors identify and provide an integration of 3 criteria for establishing cue-search hierarchies in inferential judgment. Cues can be ranked by information value according to expected information gain (Bayesian criterion), cue-outcome correlation (correlational criterion), or ecological validity (accuracy criterion). All criteria…

Many educators, librarians, and even some parents anticipate the publication of the Outstanding Science Trade Books (OSTB) for grades K-12 each year (page 23). Have you ever wondered how the mountain of trade books out there gets evaluated or how books are chosen as "outstanding"? This list doesn't just magically appear but is the result of a…

Evaluation can be a complicated, time-consuming process. It is no wonder so many organizations resist doing it. In this article, the author outlines the steps in the evaluation process and presents sample questions in each step. The author also defines and exemplifies the components for a successful evaluation strategy.

Traditional assessment is based on perceiving and measuring knowledge possession and practical performance. This kind of assessment provides limited information about the capability of the learner to develop as a professional and to learn at work. In a typical skill test situation the teachers estimate how well the students know knowledge content…

Fidelity may be defined as the extent to which delivery of an intervention adheres to the protocol or program model originally developed. Fidelity measurement has increasing significance for evaluation, treatment effectiveness research, and service administration. Yet few published studies using fidelity criteria provide details on the…

This paper presents the key points in the core curriculum of teacher training. These key points describe a rough conceptual framework for action with a view to reforming university teacher training. The ideas, competences, and general themes and the academic work forms mentioned in this paper must be tailored by the individual universities on…

Pre-employment background screening is becoming more commonplace as employers strive to provide a safe, secure environment for their employees and customers. However, in order for background screening policies to work properly, they must be consistent, fair and within the boundaries of the law. One way to ensure that these criteria are being met…

Increased divorce rates, longevity in multi-generational families, and activism by older persons are a part of the context in which the role of grandparents in the family, an overview of grandparent visitation statutes, and controversy about visitation rights are discussed. The history and characteristics of grandparent visitation statutes, the…