Discusses the challenges faced by evaluators in moving from results-focused evaluation to learning-oriented evaluative theory in the context of school-university partnerships with professional learning agendas. Also discussed are the influences of the transition on individual practitioners and their organizations. (Author/SLD)

Directors of the largest and most active executive branch evaluation offices from 14 government agencies assessed the impacts of the first year of federal government "reinvention." Results suggest an erosion of government capacity to conduct evaluations that is expected to increase in the presidential election year. (SLD)

Discusses the integration of information literacy skills into classroom activities in order to more fully exploit electronic resources and to use them effectively. Topics include critical thinking skills, context in the curriculum, the impact of technology, literature reviews, a theoretical framework, and the evaluation of information. (Author/LRW)

Examines principles to consider when evaluating the impact of outdoor-based experiences, including developing a rationale for the evaluation, determining the emphasis of the evaluation, and applying appropriate criteria to the evaluation process. Discusses difficulties associated with control groups, sampling bias, time period of evaluation, and…

Examined the usefulness of British Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) reports for educational improvement. After a pilot examination of 21 OFSTED reports, examined the scalar judgments of 11 reports in detail. Findings indicate that the inspection reports are weak and questionable products, not a good base for developing school improvement…

Addresses the need for careful planning and discernment when adopting new educational technology to ensure gains in student performance and to achieve learning goals. Topics include focusing on philosophical commitments and program purposes; challenging claims; testing; reviewing previous experiences; evaluating; and slowing down the purchase and…

Summarizes the creation and results of the 1997 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Arts Assessment Report Card. Discusses the creation and the many improvements made to the NAEP Assessment, particularly the Arts Assessment. Discusses the impact of the assessment. (SC)

Surveyed academics for the impact of Britain's Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), an assessment and funding mechanism, on their research behavior. Compared results to an earlier study (McNay, 1997) for significant differences. Found that the RAE time scale and the perceived preferences of RAE panel members are increasingly influencing choice of…

This book talks about the enormous pressure school counselors are under to document effectiveness by using data and producing quantitative accountability reports--whether or not they've had the appropriate training. Highly respected by counselor educators and trainers it gives preservice and inservice school counselors the tools to knowledgeably…

Recent years have seen an upsurge in prevention work focused on changing the campus and community environments in which college students make decisions about alcohol and other drug (AOD) use. This approach, called "environmental management," is based on three fundamental premises: (1) Substance use problems are aggravated by a physical, social,…

In a growing number of countries, government-appointed assessment panels develop ranks on the basis of the quality of scholarly outputs to apportion budgets in recognition of evaluated performance and to justify public funds for future R&D activities. When business and management journals are being grouped in broad quality categories, a recent…

The Office of Management and Budget has recommended the termination of numerous federal programs, citing a lack of program results as the primary reason for this decision. In response to this recommendation, several federal agencies have turned to logic modeling to demonstrate that programs are on the path to results accountability. However,…

How managers develop following their individual assessment is explored, examining links between steps in the development process, and testing several hypotheses about the relationships between environmental characteristics and individual development. A framework proposed by L. W. Hellervik, J. F. Hazucha, and R. J. Schneider (1992) suggests that…

Among the different types of experimental design are two general categories: true experimental designs and quasi- experimental designs. True experimental designs include more than one purposively created group, common measured outcomes, and random assignment. Quasi-experimental designs are commonly used when random assignment is not practical or…

Occupational norms exist for some tests, and differences in the distributions of test scores by occupation are evident. Sampling error (SE), situationally specific factors (SSFs), and differences in job content (DIJCs) were explored as possible reasons for the observed differences. SE was explored by analyzing 742 validity studies performed by the…