Describes the changes the Douglass school district (Kansas) underwent as they began to implement "Transitions," a school improvement model that is based on individual student accountability. Provides insight into the capacities that need to be developed within a system before Transitions can be implemented successfully. Includes a sample…

Includes four articles that discuss evaluation methods for information management systems under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; building digital libraries at the University of California San Francisco's Tobacco Control Archives; IFLA's Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records; and designing the Texas email repository model…

A sampling of student assessment and accountability in selected countries to help put trends in the United States in perspective. Examines national student assessments in England, France, and Hong Kong. Also looks at several international collaborative assessment projects for reading literacy, mathematics, and science. (Contains 10 references.)…

Robert J. Sternberg, director of the Center for the Psychology of Abilities, Competencies, and Expertise, reviews current concerns regarding giftedness and reflects on his work. He laments the use of programs whose efficacy has not been shown and stresses the need to identify giftedness in all its forms. (CR)

School districts (N=145) were surveyed on program evaluation in special education, addressing preplanning, who evaluates special education programs, the focus of evaluation activities, methods for obtaining evaluative information, criteria for judging program effectiveness, and perceived benefits of the evaluation process. Plans for program…

The Health Advisory Network of Western Australia--an organization of consumer and provider organizations--was evaluated in a review of four case studies of issues processed and an analysis of the perceptions of 77 member delegates. It is concluded that the network should continue and might serve as a model. (SLD)

Evaluation, especially when based on a stakeholder-centered model of inquiry, can positively influence institutional change. A successful plan to monitor and evaluate change recognizes the need to involve all stakeholders in the planning and implementation process. (Author/MSE)

Describes how the concept of program evaluation (focusing on relevance and feasibility) was incorporated into the development of a two-year English for specific purposes course at an African university. The evaluation scheme's inclusion of formative and summative evaluation allowed for increased communication, participation, and flexibility among…

The London Education Authority (LEA) stresses the importance of developing the interface between quantitative models of assessment and qualitative assessments, describing an interdisciplinary approach to the development of models of educational accountability, recommends an alternative method, data envelopment analysis, and compares it to the…

This final article in a series on management of instructional development projects focuses on what the project manager can do to ensure that the follow-up evaluation is as effective as possible. Highlights include the development of evaluation tools, implementing the chosen evaluation strategies, and analyzing and reporting the findings. (LRW)

Thirty-five studies on the efficacy of special class versus regular class placement for mildly handicapped students were reviewed for the power of their statistical tests. Twenty-one studies had adequate power to detect a large effect size but the power to detect a medium effect size was no better than chance. (Author/DB)

This discussion article addresses the nature of models used in hydrology. It proposes a minimalist classification of models into two categories: models built on data from observations of the processes involved, and those for which there are no observation data on any of these processes, at the scale of interest. (LZ)

A student athletic training portfolio of "best works" can be a useful form of alternative assessment, assessing both student development and program effectiveness. The article describes four types of portfolio evidence (artifacts, attestations, productions, and reproductions) and discusses matching the evidence with goals. (SM)

Gives an overview of the New Standards Project's agenda for educational reform. Describes the features of the English language arts portfolio assessment system being field tested. Discusses implications of the system for teachers and other English language arts professionals. (RS)

It is proposed that a better understanding of campus climate may be a critical element in enhancing college and university diversity. Methodological issues associated with this form of institutional research are examined, and studies undertaken at Stanford University (California), the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of…