Briefly describes fundamental problems with library reference service based on the findings of 20 separate studies using unobtrusive tests. An emphasis on quality of service, realistic goals, and effective managerial strategies are identified as possible resolutions of these problems. (CLB)

Research can strengthen both the Asian American community and community-based service organizations. Academic research can be more valuable to service providers if researchers do the following: (1) define areas of concern; (2) keep research information updated and current; and (3) commit themselves to follow through. (PS)

Describes Michigan State University's use of telephone interviews to assess student attitudes in television courses and reviews data from a recent survey and classroom students' grades or attitudes toward mediated instruction. Evaluation utilization by producers, faculty, and administrators to improve instructional television is noted. (Author/MBR)

Describes a 1984 report from the Rand Corporation that studied teacher evaluation practices. Problems revealed include lack of resolve and competence in principals, resistance or apathy of teachers, inconsistent evaluation practices between schools, and inadequate training for evaluators. (TE)

Describes some forces that have shaped current attitudes toward evaluation of education, presents five guidelines to help in discussions of assessment, and charges teachers with the responsibility of making evaluation effective. (DF)

In support of Ginsberg's theory (TM 508 964), a third corollary to the Conservation of Discretion Law is proposed: Where possible, the worker will use a statistic not as a statistic but, rather, as an instrument to reduce the workload. Three illustrations are presented: grade point averages, crime rates, and recidivism rates. (BW)

Findings and research designs used to study university students' evaluations of teaching effectiveness are reviewed. A construct validation approach which recognizes the multidimensionality of both effective teaching and students' evaluations is recommended for further research. (BS)

Assessment systems to measure high educational standards emerged as the major theme at the 1996 conference of the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST), "Moving Up to Complex Assessment." This feature article, providing a summation of the proceedings of the conference, reports that the…

This paper focuses on the experience of the Policy Education Centre on Assistance to Transition in providing monitoring and evaluation services to "Support for Improvement in Governance and Management in Central and Eastern European Countries" (SIGMA), a joint project of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the…

The initiatives taken by one school district to support professional development for principals in using data for school planning and reform were studied. A data-planning training model was developed in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) (California) to build skills principals need to read, interpret, and use multiple sources of…

This report presents the results of a survey of Digital Library Federation members that examined the kinds of assessments they were conducting, what they did with the results, and what worked well or not so well. The first section of the report is an introduction that describes the report structure and summarizes challenges in assessment. The…

Noting that child advocates are increasingly implementing monitoring projects to track the status of former welfare families and are using the findings to inform their agendas, policymakers, and the general public, this issue brief introduces monitoring strategies and suggests issues for consideration in designing a monitoring project. Monitoring,…

This report describes how one of our nation's largest urban school systems works through the complexities of diverse testing programs, testing schedules, and students to produce timely results that help students, parents, teachers, administrators, and policy makers to produce sound decisions about learning. (Author)

This study investigated factors influencing use of evaluative information for decision making by administrators and school boards. The factors investigated included: (1) the quality of the decision to be made; (2) the amount of personal conflict involved; (3) the context of the program, and (4) whether participants were board members or…

Describes reasons for utilizing follow-up studies of elementary and middle school graduates, providing two case studies demonstrating the efficacy of follow-ups. Suggests that such studies improve accountability to customers, provide schools with useful feedback, and actively involve students and parents in evaluation efforts. (MAB)