Effective school discipline plans get to the root cause of student misconduct and specify expected behavior codes, values, and directives. Successful plans involve all stakeholders in their design, recognize parents as the first link to prevention, ensure access to professional development, celebrate students' positive contributions to the school…

Provides guidelines for performing and evaluating a simulation developed to teach business students how to conduct effective meetings and how to write memos in the realistic context. Includes handouts that guide students in performing the simulation. (SR)

All evaluators should know evaluation theory because it is central to their professional identity. It defines "who they are." Every profession needs a unique knowledge base, and for evaluators, evaluation theory is that knowledge base. (Author/SLD)

Presents the theoretical basis and findings of a 1990 study that examined the admission materials and documents of four universities from 1975 to 1985 and beyond through 1990. Examines how the criteria for excellence presented in U.S. News and World Report "Best Colleges" rankings affect institutional repositioning. (MKA)

Suggests that one reason for the relative lack of commercial success of the information superhighway may be lack of precise information. Summarizes the concepts managers need to understand to assess the impact of the information superhighway and outlines steps to ensure that organizations are prepared for future changes. (Author/LRW)

Examines Internet payment systems (IPS): third-party, card, secure Web server, electronic token, financial electronic data interchange (EDI), and micropayment based. Reports the results of a Delphi survey of experts identifying and classifying IPS effectiveness criteria and classifying types of IPS providers. Includes the survey invitation letter…

Assessment of informal and nonformal learning requires resolution of three questions: how to define competencies, how to measure them, and how to ensure the legitimacy of the measure. Assessment and certification procedures must be well defined and robust, with quality assurance methods accepted by all stakeholders. (Contains 22 references.) (SK)

The purpose of this study was to offer a model for admissions to pharmacy colleges not using a weighted average formula and to test its consistency and predictive validity. Data from 247 applicants revealed that seven predictor variables showed a significant impact on the admissions process, and five predicted academic success (e.g., mathematics…

Surveyed nontraditional Pharm.D (NTPD) program directors to determine use of prior learning assessment (PLA). Eighty-four percent of respondents reported using PLA for one or more purposes, including the admissions process and awarding of advanced standing for didactic and experiential courses. Transcript review, faculty-developed exams, and…

Membership in the National Academy of Sciences carries great prestige and the chance to advise Congress. This article discusses critics' questioning of why so few female and minority scholars are let in. (EV)

Describes how the Gates Millennium Scholars program uses nontraditional criteria to award grants to low-income minority students. Profiles the first three recipients. (EV)

Analysis of objective admission criteria and first-year performance of veterinary students from preveterinary institutions of varying selectivity revealed that cumulative and required course GPAs, GRE Biology scores, and grades in biochemistry and physics appear to be good predictors of first-year academic performance regardless of selectivity of…

Although evaluation research supports distance-learning methods, the literature fails to distinguish factors contributing to successful programs. Based on existing standards for audiovisual transmission and instructional quality, this article outlines technical, instructional, organizational, and ethical (access) criteria to help school leaders…

Offers a methodological critique of Thomas Hennen's American Public Library Rating Index as well as a response by Hennen. Discusses statistics; indexes; correlations; variables; weighting; and how public libraries should be assessed, and Hennen defends his work and suggests it should be called a scorecard rather than an index. (LRW)

Defines a rubric as a set of scaled criteria, one of several methods recommended for student performance assessment. Topics include classification of performance; evaluating academic and social skills; advantages and disadvantages; types of rubrics; and rubrics for information literacy. (LRW)