A study was conducted to explore the stability of the selected indicators of merit in relation to the explicit purposes of identifying merit schools in the Cincinnati (Ohio) Public School system Design for School Excellence Program. A school could achieve merit either based on high status in achievement, attendance, and attitude, or on gain scores…

The article offers the beginnings of an alternative paradigm that can be used as a stepping stone to develop more humane evaluation procedures for schools. It identifies the theoretical constructs that underpin an ethnographic evaluation approach and describes using this approach with two school-troubled children. (Author/JL)

Discusses the evaluation of educational software designed for use with microcomputers, and emphasizes the need for criteria based on learning theories rather than technological considerations. A review of the literature highlights teacher training in software selection and predictive evaluation, and 49 references are included. (Author/LRW)

This document is comprised of the single 2000 issue of a newsletter of the Harvard Family Research Project, designed to share new ideas and experiences in evaluating systems reform and comprehensive child and family services. The issue focuses on after-school programs and includes the following articles: (1) "Building the After School…

Maintains that intelligence tests contribute little to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of instructional interventions for children. Suggests that intelligence tests are not useful in making differential diagnostic and classification determinations for children with mild learning problems and that such testing is not a cost-beneficial…

Argues that assessment must be authentic and occur in optimal contexts, and that such assessment should help teachers make instructional decisions. Describes the dramatically accelerated learning of a 10-year-old boy in a learning-handicapped classroom after his teacher worked intensively with the Optimal Learning Environment project and began to…

Identifies the underlying concepts of student evaluation. Offers suggestions for evaluating musical achievement. Maintains that all evaluations are subjective, and suggests techniques for minimizing subjectivity. Considers various test formats, and discusses objectives for both classroom and performance achievement. (RW)

Reviews approaches for identification and diagnosis of specific learning disabilities and assessment strategies for elucidating functional and vocational deficits associated with specific learning disabilities. Discusses recommendations for provision of comprehensive assessment services. (Author/CM)

Reviews medical and psychoeducational assessment models, illustrating need to expand assessment procedure database resulting from the measurement errors in traditional assessment practices. Introduces assessment model emphasizing collection of classroom-based information over time and evaluating data more critically. Suggests model facilitates…

Results are summarized from 14 fields of research that elucidate the relationships between classroom evaluation and student outcomes. Conclusions from the individual fields are merged to produce an integrated summary with clear implications for effective education. Classroom evaluation has powerful direct and indirect and positive and negative…

The effect of the United States Agency for International Development on the Lesotho Distance Teaching Center's (South Africa) attempt at internal evaluation is discussed. Internal evaluation is especially important as the Lesotho Center attempts to educate people to overcome some of the effects of poverty. (TJH)

Examined variables contributing to self-awareness and co-worker agreement on 30 managerial characteristics. Study 1 collected data from 233 management students on difficulty of rating different characteristics. Study 2 collected 283 self, supervisor, peer, and subordinate ratings for 36 middle managers. Results showed positive correlation between…

Discusses the problems of grading an organic laboratory course. Proposes that the grade should be based as: products--30 percent of the grade; notebooks--30 percent of the grade; exams and final report--40 percent of the grade. Gives an exception policy for special considerations. (MVL)

Discusses the evaluation of library reference service; examines problems with past evaluations, including the lack of long-term planning and a systems perspective; and suggests a method for continuously monitoring and improving reference service using quality improvement tools such as checklists, cause and effect diagrams, Pareto charts, and…

Diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorders relies on the detection of deficits in social, play, and communication skills relative to the child's mental age. A case example illustrates the multidisciplinary process of making the diagnosis in very young children. Psychiatric evaluation criteria are examined, and a developmental framework for…