Unreliable assessment practices persist across the country. Regents College has reviewed over 100 randomly selected programs and created a database of assessment programs that use unreliable practices. Assessment processes and academic programs of integrity should be built on consistently valid and reliable principles. (JOW)

Examines arguments for and against evaluation advocacy in terms of the American Evaluation Association's "Guiding Principles for Evaluators" and other statements on advocacy and neutrality. Suggests revision of the "Guiding Principles." (Author/SLD)

The article and commentary in this special section consider the ethical implications of a remark by an employee in a business being evaluated that employees have been advised to make the program look good. Explores the implications for the evaluation and its usefulness. (SLD)

Providing an essay by a student who committed suicide as an example, discusses the importance of appreciating what writing rubrics and other assessment devices do not measure or observe. Proposes that school counselors can help educators' discern possible warning signs in students' written and oral communications. (Contains 15 references.) (GCP)

Reviews the conclusions about student ratings of teacher effectiveness on which most experts agree, cites some of the main sources of support for these conclusions, and discusses some dissenting opinions and the research support for those opinions. (EV)

Discusses some of the most common myths about student ratings of teacher effectiveness and looks at the evidence from research on these issues; concludes that student ratings can provide powerful and useful information. Offers recommendations on the proper implementation, interpretation, and use of such evaluations. (EV)

This article examines the statistical correction for attenuation and the controversies surrounding the procedure. The logic of the double and single correction formulas is discussed, and misapplications and misinterpretations of the correction are presented. (SLD)

Review of literature on nursing assessments using behaviorally anchored rating scales and objective structured clinical examinations found these methods inadequate for predicting nurses' clinical performance. Lacking better methods, nursing risks losing public confidence in its ability to safeguard patients. (Contains 43 references.) (SK)

Analyzes the concept of "employability" and critiques the prevailing tendency to create employability measures based on outcomes. Asserts that the outcome approach results in employability being construed as an institutional achievement rather than the propensity of individual students to get employment. Outlines an alternative approach…

When tasked with selecting a Course Management System (CMS), the first step many responsible colleges, universities and consortia take is to name a selection committee of faculty, administration, students and possibly IT staff. They do some Web searching and talk to colleagues, friends and counterparts at other institutions. This same committee…

Studied the nature of barriers to the implementation of external program evaluation through interviews with 18 staff members of a university outreach program. Findings reinforce the importance of a trusting relationship to avoid barriers to evaluation implementation. (SLD)

The most recent attempt by educators to emulate the "sound principles" and methods of business and science is to become data-driven. The leaders in a data-driven school are able to demonstrate how some number, preferably scores on standardized tests, has moved upward as a result of some program they have initiated. Data-driven schools also possess…

Distance Education has globally become one of the important solutions for increasing admission into the universities, decongesting campuses and efficient utilization of time and space. To ensure the sustainability of the programmes' noble objectives calls for periodic re-evaluation of its modus operandi including the assessment of the perception…

The UK educational assessment landscape is changing, characterised by attempts to create more flexible pathways through learning. This has led to attempts to formalise the comparative relationships between different general and vocational qualifications. The National Qualifications Framework (NQF), the Framework for Achievement and the Framework…

Increasingly, institutions of higher education are required to evaluate student progress and programme effectiveness through implementation of performance assessment practices. Faculty members frequently resist performance assessment because of concerns that assessment activities will increase workloads, reduce time for scholarly activities,…