The article summarizes results from two experimental studies on reactivity. In the first experiment, 24 college-age participants received a computerized treatment that delivered a grammar lesson, practice, and feedback on assignment of semantic functions in Latin. Verbalizations did not induce reactivity on accuracy, but they slowed down posttest…

The Primary Trait System (PTS) of scoring was devised by the National Assessment of Educational Progress to score large numbers of natural writing samples. Essentially, PTS permits evaluation of writing in an objective way, but one that does not rely on scoring surface features such as mechanics, grammar, or spelling. While the assessment value of…

Data on the intrinsic characteristics of an educational program are essential in pilot testing new programs in order to determine how successfully design components have achieved their intended purpose. At the outset of an evaluation of such data, it is necessary to define the evaluator's role and determine what intrinsic information will be…

This paper reports on a study designed to assess the impact of problems in the system for the evaluation of student performance on student disengagement from high school. The study is guided by the theory of evaluation and authority developed by Dornbusch and Scott. Surveys administered to a 5 percent sample of students (N=293) in four suburban…

In Tennessee, varied data-gathering devices have been employed in an attempt to determine whether an educator is qualified for a given level on the state's career ladder program and, thereby, should attain the meaningful financial benefits linked to that status. In its first year of operation, the Tennessee program employed several domains of…

The National Sex Equity Demonstration Project (NSEDP) in the Broward County Schools, Florida, was created in 1979 to provide a demonstration of sex equity teaching. The two principal thrusts of the Project were to review materials to be used by regular teachers and to demonstrate how classrooms (and a whole district) could diminish discrimination…

Focuses on the first of three stages of the path evaluation procedure for instructional software, performing the preliminary evaluation. The three main steps involved in preliminary evaluation are (1) a program is chosen for evaluation; (2) information is exchanged with the faculty developer; and (3) the instructional designer reviews the software…

Describes the development of INTERACT, a videotext system in which information and graphics were designed using a systematic multistage formative approach. The assessment of information needs is explained, and results of an evaluation completed after five weeks of operation in the student center at Syracuse University are discussed. (Author/LRW)

Discusses the importance of involving experts and learners in the formative evaluation of instructional materials. A case study describing the evaluation of a filmstrip/audiotape program is presented, and the importance of gathering feedback from multiple sources before making revision decisions is emphasized. (Author/LRW)

Principles of statistical process control are applied to a clinical setting through the use of control charts to detect changes, as part of treatment planning and clinical decision-making processes. The logic of control chart analysis is derived from principles of statistical inference. Sample charts offer examples of evaluating baselines and…

The need for additional evaluation of university research support offices is supported through a review of the literature and an informal survey of these offices in public universities and doctorate-granting colleges. Regular, periodic evaluations are recommended. The suggested model combines internal, collegial, and peer evaluation for balanced,…

Reports on a study of the use of musical scores and rating scales by 80 pianists who listened to 21 trials of solo piano music. Found that the use of musical scores and rating scales did not improve interrater reliability. Discovered that the subjects were less consistent when evaluating slow musical pieces than faster pieces. (CFR)

The completion of the first ten years of this journal is an occasion for review and reflection. The main issues that have been addressed over the ten years are summarized in four main sections: Purposes, International Trends, Quality Concerns and Assessment for Learning. Each of these illustrates the underlying significance of the themes of…

Reviews empirical studies that have been conducted on program evaluation in large United States school districts. Provides information for use in assessing and improving evaluation studies and systems at the precollege level and in providing direction for further research. Sixty-seven footnotes are appended. (IW)

The Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2005 created an innovative competitive grant program aimed at stimulating faculty to submit more and better NIH research proposals, thereby increasing the probability of success. In this internal competition, three experienced external reviewers critique each proposal and assign a priority…