This paper illustrates the application of existing guidelines to develop a test grounded in theoretical perspectives and empirical findings in the area of problem solving. By documenting this process, the paper outlines the challenges test developers face when seeking to construct a theory/research-driven test, discusses the decisions made at…

This paper addresses perceptions and applications of teacher evaluation by Arab elementary school principals. Analysis of semi-structured interviews with fourteen Arab principals showed that most of the principals identified teacher evaluation as a strategy to improve teaching and learning levels and consequently to improve students' achievements.…

School quality care has become important in many Western countries and a number of high quality school self-evaluation instruments has been developed and implemented to support this activity. However, little is known on the critical success factors for the use of school self-evaluation instruments. From this longitudinal study into the use of a…

Provides a conceptual framework for considering the distinction between evaluation use and evaluation influence and the relationship between evaluation use and knowledge use. Clarifies and expands some of the established definitions of concepts related to evaluation use. (SLD)

Describes a utilization-focused evaluation "gone awry" when two of the primary intended users left the program and were replaced. Discussion centers on the potential choices for use when intended users are no longer part of an evaluation. (SLD)

Draws practical suggestions from "The Program Evaluation Standards" (Joint Committee, 1994) relevant to issues of disclosure of evaluation findings and arranges these suggestions to simplify the issues for evaluators. Suggestions should help evaluators decide when they can legitimately report findings beyond contractual agreements. (SLD)

Discusses the misuse of evaluation by exploring the ethics of those using the evaluation. Characterizes various misuse situations, including financial misuse, and provides insight into why misuse of evaluation takes place. (SLD)

Whether a success-promoting assessment schema (SPAS) can be designed to have a positive impact on the mathematics learning of failure-experienced students was studied with 200 noncollege-bound students in Israel. Results suggest that the SPAS in conjunction with suitable curricular materials could support student learning by changing student…

Postmodern approaches to school-level evaluation by building on the fourth-generation evaluation model developed by E. Guba and Y. Lincoln are suggested. It is argued that this conceptualization of evaluation has particular relevance for development of alternative evaluation practices among stakeholders that can improve the use of evaluation…

The dynamic interplay between internal and external evaluation in formative and summative studies of an intervention program aimed at promoting mathematics, science, and technology education was explored. Results emphasize the need to define the roles of formative and summative evaluation and the contributions of internal and external evaluators…

This overview of educational evaluation in the Netherlands provides background and details the state of the art in student, curriculum, and innovation evaluation. The role of international evaluation issues (such as evaluation criteria and the decision-making process) in evaluation theory and practice in The Netherlands is discussed. (BS)

Lack of use of educational evaluation results in the Netherlands was investigated by analyzing 14 curriculum evaluation studies. Results indicated that rational decision making with a technical (empirical) evaluation approach makes utilization of results most likely. Incremental decision making and a conformative approach make utilization least…

Point of entry problems are faced by evaluators when asked to start an evaluation at an inappropriate time or to perform an inappropriate study. The fundamental purpose of evaluation is to help improve services. Guidelines are presented for choosing when to do a context, input, process, or product evaluation. (GDC)

Factors associated with the use of program evaluation results are examined. Evaluation can serve a variety of educational management needs if (1) these needs are organized around a central concern, and if (2) stakeholders use evaluation information so that their decision making resolves the central concern. (GDC)

Instructional information systems (IIS) are built on current practices in testing and program evaluation, but go beyond them. IIS are computerized data banks that allow users to ask a variety of evaluative questions. Factors which facilitate IIS, characteristics of future systems, and lessons from management information systems are discussed. (GDC)