Evidence-based practice emerged as a result of the gap often seen between research and practice and gained momentum with the standards and accountability movement. Yet it originates in medicine. Healthcare professionals using evidence-based medicine determine a patient's treatment based on an assessment of evidence from the literature and current…

School data often exists in disparate forms and locations, making it difficult to organize efficiently and to retrieve quickly (Thorn, 2001). Many computer systems are outdated and inadequate, and schools and districts often lack appropriate userfriendly software for data analysis (Bernhardt 2004; Wayman, Stringfield, & Yakimowski, 2004).…

This paper discusses the development and implementation of the system-wide assessment of arts learning in primary and secondary schools that took place in Western Australia in September 1996. The paper describes the background to the assessment, the design brief, and the assessment package as a whole, focusing on the visual arts tests. It…

Family resource centers (FRC) are emerging as a promising program approach to solving urgent social problems. Evaluation plays an important role in learning how these programs work, what their impact is, and whether they should be expanded. However, FRCs pose unique challenges to evaluation. This report considers the challenges to evaluating FRCs,…

Describes the methodology of an adaptation and validation of measurement instruments dealing with stress and problem-solving ability in student teachers, including the psychometric characteristics of the indicators. (EV)

Examined student attitudes toward evaluating teachers and found that they are willing to complete evaluations and have no fear of reprisal, but they also have little confidence that faculty or administrators pay attention to results. (EV)

A survey of business faculty showed that they preferred the traditional paper method of teacher evaluation to an online version, mainly because they believed it would produce a higher and more accurate response than the online method. Found no characteristics that correlated to attitudes. (EV)

Considers the existence of halo effects in individuals' evaluations of target communicators across different dimensions. Notes that halo effects result from raters' inability to discriminate among conceptually distinct and theoretically independent aspects of a target's behavior. Discusses current conceptions of halo error and suggests several…

Reviews current approaches to evaluation of training both in theory and in practice. Highlights include complexities associated with evaluation practice; possible means of expediting the performance of evaluations; expanding the range and precision of data collection using automated systems; and recommendations for further research. (Author/LRW)

Describes the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in nurse education at the University of Wales Bangor. Explains the evaluation strategy for a longitudinal study of ICT, summarizes emerging trends in learning evaluation, discusses best practices in evaluation, and considers the expanding role of the evaluator. (Author/LRW)

Experiences from evaluation of the American Sociological Association's Project to Improve Undergraduate Training in Sociology, and ways that evaluators can avoid alienating program participants are discussed. Data highlight the futility of measurement couched solely in terms of success and failure. A conceptual framework based on organizational…

Data collected at two law enforcement agencies were used to address three specific issues concerning frame-of-reference rater training: (1) prototype-anchored rating system; (2) sensitivity and threshold analyses to identify idiosyncratic raters; and (3) areas of performance where supervisors and subordinates were likely to disagree on frame of…

Discusses effects of test question order on student performance. Addresses (1) differences in the distribution of scores on each form of the examination; (2) effects on the validity of individual examination items; and (3) effects on the reliability of the examination instrument. Concludes that distribution of examination scores may be influenced…

Reviews background information about portfolio assessment. Describes the experiences of the faculty in one school with a schoolwide portfolio assessment system. Shares struggles and solutions which may be valuable to others seeking to develop alternative assessment programs. (MG)

Presents an overview of this special journal issue which discusses the evaluation of computers in education, based on a workshop held in Scotland in January 1990. Evaluative methods in general are discussed, distinctions between evaluation and measurement are described, types of evaluation are explained, and the use of measuring instruments in…