The assessment that occurs each day in the science classroom is often overlooked amidst calls for accountability in education and renewed debates about external testing. Research points to the positive influence that improved, ongoing classroom assessment can have on learning. Documents that offer visions for science education such as the National…

Explores heterosexist bias in seven widely used assessment instruments. Focuses on bias that is observable in the instruments themselves and in the ancillary materials. Describes three types of bias, how these biases manifest in various instruments, and makes recommendations for mental health practitioners and for professionals who develop…

Comments on an article that explored heterosexist bias in seven widely used assessment instruments. Raises concerns about how the article defined homophobia and heterosexism, and advocates a cautious approach to decreasing heterosexist and homophobic bias in assessment, which includes gathering assessment data. (RJM)

Outlines a scenario in which an evaluator wants to ask questions of teenagers that may pose ethical problems, or may be perceived as posing such problems. The hypothetical situation is the evaluation of a life skills program aimed at reducing the teen birth rate. (SLD)

Examined the indicators used in higher education performance reports from 29 states. Detailed findings include that in terms of readability, connection to academic departments, and relevance to various groups, the reports and indicators need improvement. Includes a list of the indicators used. (EV)

To test model of general managerial effectiveness, superiors (N=271), subordinates (N=605), and peers (N=469) rated 344 managers. Study designed to test three specific hypotheses on criterion type and criterion weights found consensus in effectiveness models of superiors, subordinates, and peers. Consensus among different raters was high on both…

The author suggests combining grades from component assessments to provide an overall student assessment. He explores the concept of reliability and concludes that the overall assessment will be reliable only if the number of grades used to report component achievements equals or exceeds the number used to report overall achievement. (Author/CH)

Discusses Bauman's (1991) evaluation of stability of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (Revised) IQs in children with learning difficulties. Argues that some procedures produced magnified estimates of instability. Presents reanalysis of data that suggests that, although stability coefficients were high, approximately 25 percent of sample…

Considers relationship between statistically and clinically significant change. Sees Jacobson and Truax's index of clinically significant change as neglecting possible confounding of improvement rate estimates by regression to the mean. Describes alternative method (Edwards-Nunnally method) that incorporates an adjustment that minimizes this…

Reviews methods for analyzing outcome data when some data are missing. Presents approach for comparing outcome results in two-group, randomized design with missing data. Proposed analysis is based on concept of "modeling our ignorance" by examining all possible outcomes, given known number of missing results with binary outcome, and then…

Three commercial job evaluation firms rated the same set of 27 jobs. Statistical analysis indicated that evaluators differed in which job traits they used to evaluate inherent job worth. Comparable worth may thus be sensitive to the choice of evaluator. (Contains 24 references.) (Author/SK)

Shanghai Jiao Tong University has published on the Internet an Academic Ranking of World Universities that has attracted worldwide attention. Institutions are ranked according to academic or research performance and ranking indicators include major international awards, highly cited researchers in important fields, articles published in selected…

Recent decades have witnessed a remarkable rise in the regulation of public services and servants, education being a case in point. External evaluation and inspection has been an important element of this trend. Increasingly, however as the limitations of external surveillance systems have become clear the concept of internal or self-evaluation…

Career development practitioners understand that the value of career and employment services extends beyond attachment to the labor market. However, "soft" outcomes such as increased self-efficacy and improved ability to manage transitions are difficult to measure. Convincing funders and policy makers of the significance of such outcomes…

This article reviews issues involved with using norm-referenced measures within an intervention validity model. Methodological examination of intervention validity has become more important as intervention methodologies have become part of federal legislation. However, current practice and federal guidelines often implicitly portray a dichotomy…