The purpose of this paper was to research published validity reports of the Multiple Assessment and Program Services (MAPS) Test and to conduct quantitative analysis on the validity coefficients from the MAPS reports to determine the generalizability of the results and to identify which variables in the reports impact these coefficients. The…

Case study methods involve an in-depth, longitudinal examination of a single instance or event. They result in an increased understanding of why the instance happened as it did, and are especially well suited for generating, rather than testing, hypotheses. Six types of case studies are discussed, based on the framework of L. Datta (1990). For…

The report describes the development and use of the Educational Assessment of Social Interaction (EASI), part of project REACH (Regular Education for All Children with Handicaps). The EASI is intended for program evaluation rather than individual student evaluation. The scale, originally developed to measure interactions among severely disabled…

Using an integral systems analysis approach, the author investigates the economic problems of higher education in Russia. (Author/RM)

Lower average scores on high school achievement tests are one segment of the broader problem existing in the transition of youth from childhood to constructive participation in adult life. (Author/MLF)

Compares curriculum evaluation with literary criticism, emphasizing ways the literary concepts of metaphor, point of view, plot, and theme may be applied to curriculum evaluation. Suggests that the use of literary concepts and rhetoric may enable evaluators to describe and judge curricula without distortion or oversimplification. (JG)

Reflections on the quality of life in the United States in terms of equality, excellence, and education emphasize liberal education as a means of significantly contributing to the glory of America. (Author/LH)

While an increase in review procedures, regulations, litigation and demands for information may be necessary to achieve educational goals, it may also be a way of hiding shortcomings in the educational system; therefore academics must analyze the situation, especially in regard to federal control.

Piaget's observations of children dealing with the concept of coordinate systems are applied to the evaluation of teachers. An assessment instrument has been developed at UCLA which utilizes two sets of principles in the establishment of coordinate axes: a) incremental elements of a learning task; and b) principles of learning. (HMD)

Present practice of continually seeking new assessment devices to replace older ones may not be as fruitful an approach to improving evaluation as careful attention to the way present information is handled. Improving methods of feedback could offer significant overall gains in the evaluation process in higher education. (Author/WM)

Stresses the importance of careful planning prior to the beginning of an evaluation effort and discusses a number of basic questions that a community educator should consider in planning any evaluation program. (JG)

This report is based on the observations of the recent director/consultant of the Center for Evaluation and Policy Research (CEPR) at the University of Vermont concerning evaluation practices in educational research. The history of CEPR and descriptions of practices in managing the center, directing several research and evaluation projects, and…