THOUGH EXTENSIVE RESEARCH TAKES PLACE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, THAT RESEARCH IS NOT BEING USED DUE TO TOO MUCH EMPHASIS ON PROGRAM SUCCESS AND TOO LITTLE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE RESEARCHER AND THE SCHOOL STAFF. IN AN EFFORT TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION, THE COOPERATIVE PROJECT IN EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (COPED) INITIATED A STUDY OF THE PROCESS OF…

Indicates that evaluative messages are the most effective public service announcements and that the subjective norm component of the Fishbein model had the most influence. (RL)

The 50-item Utilization Enhancement Checklist involves: determining evaluator role; understanding organizational context; planning; conducting the evaluation; and communicating evaluative information. The checklist is presented as a summary of the preceding nine articles. (Available from: Jossey-Bass, Inc., 433 California St., San Francisco, CA…

Author cites the benefits of a multi-level reporting technique for use in making training evaluation reports. (GB)

Reviews research on data mining (DM) and knowledge discovery (KD). Discusses popular conceptions of information growth, the knowledge acquisition process, major elements of the DM process, and evaluation methods. Research on DM and KD is divided into two categories: analysis of numerical databases and analysis of non-numerical or textual…

It has been two years since the Evaluation Research Society (ERS) published its Standards for Program Evaluation. The standards have influenced professional activities, such as panel discussions, and have been useful in training evaluators. However, the question arises as to whether the standards have been consulted by practicing evaluators or…

Stressing the value of documents and records as information sources for the educational evaluation community, this report explores the differences between the two, their utility for inquirers, and methods and procedures for dealing with them. Three forms of documentary analysis are described: (1) simple tracking, which involves documenting both…

This document is the fifth volume in a set of five Career Education Measurement Handbooks intended to help local education personnel in measurement and evaluation. Divided into seven chapters, this handbook is designed to provide practical guidelines for using observational techniques to take readings of the feelings, perceptions, and reactions of…

Policy Implications Analysis (PIA) is a tool designed to maximize the likelihood that an evaluation report will have an impact on decision-making. PIA was designed to help people planning and conducting evaluations tailor their information so that it has optimal potential for being used and acted upon. This paper describes the development and…

The traditional concern with relevance or nonrelevance of unexamined documents is misplaced, and traditional measures of effectiveness should be replaced by estimates of direct utility of examined documents. (Author)

A successful school program evaluation is re-examined to determine what made it successful. Suggestions for future evaluations include: (1) observe the political context of the program; (2) select a useful research design; (3) be sensitive to the subjects; and (4) discuss preliminary findings and be open to rebuttals. (JKS)

Discusses the increasing emphasis on evaluation in the fields of training and performance improvement. Suggests considering why the evaluation is being done, what is being evaluated, and how the data will be used to make it more useful. (LRW)

Describes the cognitive processes used by well-educated, motivated adults as they make critical judgments about information under naturalistic and conducive conditions. Discusses theories about the nature of evaluation from critical thinking literature and from cognitive psychology; the role of evaluation among other cognitive processes; and the…

Using a set of scenarios derived from actual evaluation studies, this simulation study examines the reported influence of evaluation information on decision makers' potential actions. Each scenario described a context where one of three types of evaluation information (large-scale study data, case study data, or anecdotal accounts) is presented…