The aim of this paper is threefold: (1) to develop a concept of what creativity is (with particular reference to what musical creativity is); (2) to decide whether or not creativity is a plausible educational goal; and (3) to suggest what might be done to either promote or discourage musical creativity based upon the results of the first two…

Graphology is the systematic study of handwriting as a clue to personality. The same term has been applied to less valid studies of handwriting as pursued by those with little or no understanding of the scientific method. This paper examines this latter realm of graphology. In two studies, college students and samples of convenience were asked to…

The purpose of this study was to assess the need for talking book services by blind or physically handicapped Native Americans residing on reservations in Montana. The Blackfeet Reservation, with a Native American population of approximately 7,000, and the Rocky Boy Reservation, with a Native American population of 2,400, were selected for the…

Assessment of higher order literacy skills encounters three initial problems aside from assessment methods: (1) definition of literacy; (2) range of skills to assess; and (3) whether or not higher order literacy can be assessed independently of a particular content area. Regardless of definitions, the general performance areas to be covered must…

This publication provides a framework that is designed for use by state agencies as a guide for planning and conducting evaluation of different aspects of the State Adult Education Program. The evaluation framework is presented using a set of design tables that offer different approaches states can use to address the Adult Education Act's…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined teachers' and parents' attitudes toward teacher evaluation, particularly in regard to the usefulness of instruction-based instruments to measure holistic, integrated classroom practices. A pilot teacher assessment instrument was developed and field-tested at seven schools in which holistic…

This paper examines whether the Title I/Chapter 1 tradition of leading the way in educational evaluation will continue or whether Chapter 1 will change its role by delegating decision-making authority over evaluation methodology to state and local school systems. Whatever direction Chapter 1 takes, states, school systems, and schools must be held…

Healthy Start is a 5-year program that encourages community-based strategies for reducing infant mortality. This report addresses Congressional concerns of preliminary evaluation results reported by the press concerning the program's efficacy. The report strives to answer three Congressional concerns: (1) the plan for the national program…

An analysis of the curriculum documents and the writing of educators in Australia about literacy assessment indicates three common themes: literacy learning is assessed directly in a range of contexts from multiple sources; literacy learning is assessed via diverse techniques; and information gathered is stored and synthesized in a variety of…

Most institutions of higher education have a mission that specifically addresses three areas: instruction, research, and service. The repertoire of activities and the complexity of the goals of the University Library mirror the goals of the institution, the academic units, and the faculty. The clients of the library are the students, the faculty,…

This paper describes New Jersey's efforts to measure the performance of local school districts, efforts which include developing indicators of success and monitoring guidelines and certification standards. Specifically, this report compares and contrasts the ways in which local districts responded to being placed in "Level III"--a…

The purpose of this book is to make it possible for measurement specialists to solve practical testing problems through the use of item response theory (IRT). The topics, organization, and presentation are those used in a 4-week seminar held each summer for the past several years. The material is organized to facilitate understanding; all related…

A year-long case study of the effects of an educational and vocational rehabilitation program in a youth training center was discussed in terms of fourteen issues which might threaten the validity of an evaluation or research project. This correctional institution housed women aged 14 to 21 who were long-term wards of the state, held on remand, or…

Issues concerning students' evaluation of college faculty are discussed. Several views of this process are presented. Having identified relevant variables or paradigms, possible relationships between the variables can be studied (models and theories). The assumptions underlying these paradigms include the following: that students have a right and…

This paper describes the evolution of a national research plan for computers and education, an approach which was initiated in the Netherlands in 1983. Two phases can be recognized in the Dutch experience: one from 1984 until 1988 and one from 1989 until 1992. Building upon the experiences of the first phase, research plans for the second phase…