Five years' experience with posttenure faculty evaluation at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, suggest that a successful review plan includes identification of specific faculty deficiencies; objectives that address those deficiencies; specific activities to implement the plan; timelines for meeting expectations; annual review of progress; and…

Discusses academic support programs for distance education students and describes the results of an evaluation of the orientation program at the University College of Central Queensland (UCCQ). A questionnaire was used to determine the costs of the program, whether student needs were being met, orientation attendance, and needed changes or…

Effective practice reviews (EPRs) are described as used in evaluation studies for the Office of Evaluation and Inspections, a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Examples are given of EPRs in addressing new problems, structuring and improving federal programs, and decreasing costs. (SLD)

Reports results of a study that examines (1) the extent to which colleges have institutional policies requiring collection of outcome assessment data; (2) which outcomes measures are being collected; (3) which measures are considered most useful in political science departments; and (4) future institutional plans. Concludes that all measures are…

This paper discusses the practice of social validity assessment in applied behavior analysis, proposes elements that should be included in state-of-the art assessment procedures, offers a taxonomy of consumers to guide the construction and circulation of assessments, and suggests strategies to improve social validity assessment. (JDD)

Argues that the use of Total Quality Management, School Development Planning and Office for Standards in Education Inspections intensifies teachers' work and encourages schools and teachers to "fabricate" themselves for the purposes of evaluation. Uses data from a secondary school to illustrate these points. (DSK)

Describes how non-Southeast Asian instructors, over a two-year period, designed and taught courses for Cambodian and Vietnamese human-service workers. Discusses the difficulty of modifying standard questionnaires for these participants and the limited benefits of formal evaluation processes. Several insights, however, were gleaned through…

Describes a study of administrator evaluation systems at 350 community colleges, focusing on written policies, procedures, and evaluation instruments used. Indicates that 82% of the colleges had management appraisal plans and that 91% of these indicated that their plans were effective. Provides suggestions for improving the evaluation of…

This article reviews research, policy, and practice related to the use of assistive technology by students with mild disabilities. It addresses the potential of technology for individuals with disabilities, consideration of assistive technology in the Individualized Education Program, and strategies for capturing the potential of assistive…

Describes a 3-year project designed to serve the needs of artistically talented students, focusing on the project's assessment as a "cautionary tale" for people involved in large-scale, authentic assessments. Describes project evaluations for years two and three and provides recommendations concerning outside evaluators and large-scale educational…

Responds to a conference held in March 1996 entitled "Ongoing Inquiry" and designed to present the research methods and results of a five-year study of aesthetic education at the Lincoln Center Institute (New York). Discusses the assessment methods used, the assumptions underlying the assessment project, and the value of aesthetic education…

In recent years, there have been numerous papers discussing the importance of improving the link between health promotion researchers and practitioners. Several reviews have been undertaken to determine the extent to which health promotion research is disseminated to, and utilized by, practitioners in the development and implementation of health…

The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) is a novel clinical approach used to identify, assess, and manage suicidal outpatients (Jobes & Drozd, 2004). The results of a retrospective study evaluating the impact of CAMS versus treatment as usual (TAU) on suicidal outpatients are presented. Patients in the CAMS treatment…

In the social sciences, evaluating the effectiveness of a program or intervention often leads researchers to draw causal inferences from observational research designs. Bias in estimated causal effects becomes an obvious problem in such settings. This article presents the Heckman Model as an approach sometimes applied to observational data for the…

Background: Actual practice in the Netherlands has shown the need of an instrument to evaluate the quality of support plans. This article describes the development of an instrument for such evaluation. Method: The concept of quality of life (QOL) domains were used to develop an instrument to evaluate the quality of support plans within a QOL…