Essential for an effective criterion-referenced testing program is a set of test items that are "valid" indicators of the objectives they have been designed to measure. Unfortunately, the complex matter of assessing item validity has received only limited attention from educational measurement specialists. One promising approach to the item…

There are a variety of problems connected with self-evaluation of local occupational programs: the focus on program graduates, objectives which cannot be measured, and goal statements too broad to be meaningful. To arrive at a solution to these problems, a philosophy statement and realistic measurable objectives were formulated. The philosophy…

This report presents considerations for sample design and estimation procedures for the Health Examination Survey, one of the major survey programs employed by the National Center for Health Statistics. The survey collects data which provide national estimates and distributions of various health characteristics related to the growth and…

This research project focused on the development of instruments and procedures which a local secondary school evaluating group may use for conducting its own evaluation of the local program of vocational education in agriculture. The report covers Phase I of a four-phase project and presents the development and trial of instruments and procedures…

Methodology for input evaluation, as defined by Daniel L. Stufflebeam, is relatively nonexistent. Advocate teams have recently become a popular means of generating and assessing alternative strategies for a set of objectives. This study was undertaken to develop and evaluate methodology for advocate team use in input evaluation. Steps taken…

Three evaluation studies are used to illustrate the notion of an eclectic approach to adult education evaluation. The first study, Credit and Non-Credit Offerings in a Federal Penitentiary, evaluated the learning climate in this educational setting using data collected from participating inmates (Questionnaire), non-participating inmates…

Discusses the social work intake study as a guide to purposeful intervention, with emphasis on a systems perspective, recognition of the network of social roles, social interaction and cultural factors. Suggests a conceptual scheme for the organization of an intake study, with data related to client's motivation, capacity and opportunity. (BF)

Discusses a method of evaluating results of child protective services which uses a comprehensive checklist of indicators of abuse and neglect. Also explains how the evaluation instrument was developed and explores its uses at the service delivery level, including its use as a diagnostic aid in quantifying family problems normally assessed…

A broad concept of evaluative information is offered in terms of multiple domain, multiple sources, and multiple methods. Comprehensive information collection is emphasized as part of a larger commitment to, and actualization of, a school based process of ongoing staff inquiry. (Author/JAZ)

The study examined the effects of observation alone and observation coupled with data collection on teachers' (N=40) ability to analyze trends in handicapped student academic performance, based on videotaped samples. Observation alone was adequate to accurately analyze upward trends, but data were required to accurately analyze level and downward…

Gathers comprehensive information about accidents and near misses occurring in outdoor programs. Includes checklists for types of injury/illness, program activity, and contributing factors. Asks for analysis and recommendations, comments by the program director, and a narrative description of how the accident happened, treatment given, and…

Provides a model for incorporating counseling evaluation concerns such as data on the counselor's instructional behaviors, client adherence to the counseling intervention and client change. Points out that much of the research on counselor effectiveness focuses on counselor characteristics rather than building the case that counseling services are…

Many evaluation researchers are now attempting to synthesize quantitative and qualitative approaches. Although such efforts appear to carry great promise, some subtleties and incompatibilities of these approaches are perhaps being overlooked. Implications for social inquiry are discussed. (Author/GDC)

Effective internal evaluation requires dependable data for decision makers. Influences on clinical and fiscal data dependability are discussed. The focus is on organizational influences, data quality control, and staff concerns. (Author/PN)

During the 2001-02 academic year, a purposive, national evaluation was undertaken of "Windows on Literacy" and "Reading Expeditions," two new school-based programs produced by the School Publishing Division of the National Geographic Society (NGS). The evaluation sought to determine the efficacy of the new materials for…