Although there is a strong legislative base and perceived efficacy for multidisciplinary team decision making, limited evidence supports its effectiveness or consistency of implementation in practice. In recent research, we used the Decision Observation, Recording, and Analysis (DORA) tool to document activities and adult behaviors during positive…

Assessment is a complex function requiring an understanding of student learning, assessment principles, practices, and purposes of data to implement effective classroom assessment. The purpose of this study was to add to the growing base of knowledge about teachers' engagement with assessment data and their motivation for classroom assessment.…

Direct observation is consistent with the multidimensional approach specified in the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Furthermore, it is directly related to psychoeducational planning, consultation, and intervention, and it is a credible information source. (Author/CP)

Each of the many methods or approaches to assessing student learning is based on a clear understanding of validity, reliability, course objectives, the advantages and disadvantages of different evaluation formats, and the ways assessment data will be used to improve instruction. (Author/MSE)

No issue in schools and communities today commands the concern and urgency of the U.S. public as much as the dangers of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use among youth. This guide therefore provides descriptive information on the variety of surveys of student alcohol and other drug use currently available, and delineates the issues involved in…

A framework is presented that relates concepts of audit reliability to the uses of information gathered from a discrepancy program audit of Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title IV-C programs in Florida. Three issues are addressed: (1) the meaning of reliability in relation to the audit process; (2) the importance of reliability of auditor…

Evaluation roles used in the Department of Research and Development in the Cincinnati Public Schools are identified and described. These include: project evaluator, local-school evaluator, independent program evaluator, external evaluator and external auditors. The merits of each evaluation role will be discussed as to its relationship with…