Following a state takeover of the Philadelphia public schools in 2002, 45 schools were turned over to private managers, making Philadelphia the site of the nation's largest experiment in the private management of public schools. This study examines achievement effects in the privately managed schools, as well as in schools with district-led…

Grounded in the real world of public schools and students, this engaging, insightful, and highly readable text introduces the inner-workings of K-12 educational assessment. It covers traditional topics in an approachable and understandable way; analyzes and interprets "hot-button" issues of today's complex measurement concerns; relates…

This paper outlines a model for giving meaning to student achievement by referencing assessment to student learning or standards. This effectively shifts the focus in assessment from notions of rank ordering students (comparing their performance purely to each other) to those of monitoring growth or progress and measurement. More specifically it…

The Commission on the Future of Higher Education appointed by Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings issued a report in September 2006 entitled "A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U.S. Higher Education" [U.S. Department of Education, 2006(ED493504)]. Two key commission recommendations are stated: "Higher education institutions should…

Reporting methods used in large-scale assessments such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) rely on latent regression models. To fit the latent regression model using the maximum likelihood estimation technique, multivariate integrals must be evaluated. In the computer program MGROUP used by the Educational Testing Service for…

This study addressed a twofold problem--the soundness of a theoretical stage-distinction regarding the process of constructing a new (to the learner) mathematical conception and how such distinction contributes to fine grain assessment of students' mathematical understandings. As a context for the study served the difficult-to-grasp concept of…

A philosophical criticism of some of the major views of educational evaluation is presented. In particular, it is argued that the major views have serious limitations that result from their lack of understanding of questions of value, especially ethical value. Current views of educational evaluation need to draw upon the philosophical writings on…

The author presents his opinion that educational evaluation has much similarity to the nonfiction narrative, (defined as a series of events ordered in time), particularly as it relates a current situation to future possibilities. He refers to Stake's statement that evaluation is concerned not only with outcomes but also with antecedents and with…

This thesaurus to the evaluation field is not restricted to educational evaluation or to program evaluation, but also refers to product, personnel, and proposal evaluation, as well as to quality control, the grading of work samples, and to all the other areas in which disciplined evaluation is practiced. It contains many suggestions, procedures,…

Evaluation has generally not been accountable in terms of its promoting a "net-benefit." The term "net-benefit" rather than "benefit" is used because a given amount of legitimate benefit may come at the expense of an inordinate expenditure of evaluation resources or energy. If any aspect of an evaluation is unlikely…

This report is the third revision of Legislation by the States: Accountability and Assessment in Education, which has been prepared under the sponsorship of the Cooperative Accountability Project. The last updating was completed in August, 1973. The present report differs from previous editions in that Section 1 contains an expanded discussion of…

The article discusses the involvement of parents in the clinical assessment of children's academic learning problems. (DLS)

The author ponders the question, "How is 'evaluative research' defined?" (MM)

A comparison of eight major generalized evaluation models is provided, enabling the educator to choose which is most appropriate for his specific program. (RW)

The Delphi Technique, a needs assessment device providing a means for gathering opinions, is described, and its origin and limitations are discussed. Application of the technique in adult education in Massachusetts identified the needs of teachers and administrators in adult learning centers prior to workshop planning. (AG)