L. Cronbach has made the point that for validity arguments to be convincing to diverse audiences, they need to be based on assumptions that are credible to these audiences. The interpretations and uses of high stakes test scores rely on a number of policy assumptions about what should be taught in schools, and more specifically, about the content…

The usefulness of involvement and talent development theory in the assessment of charter schools and their students' success was studied as part of an effort to develop an assessment that would match the views of primary stakeholders (parents and teachers) more authentically. The research considered how parents and teachers define success in…

The promise of the stakeholder approach to evaluation lies in its potential to counter criticism that evaluation is too narrow, unrealistic in its standards for success, unfair to program staff and participants, and irrelevant to decision makers. (Author)

Critiquing the stakeholder idea, the author states: if government chooses to take account of competing views in social program evaluation, it can get a better result if it encourages the competing views to find a voice of their own, not to speak through the government's chosen instrument. (Author/PN)

Qualitative evaluation and quantitative evaluation are discussed, examining how the perspective of each can and should create a critical debate that encourages inquiry instead of hostility. To achieve the major goal of linking evaluation information to the organization's culture, the evaluator needs to use multiple methods in a responsive,…

Deliberately involving urban education stakeholders in the Cities-in-Schools evaluation study improved the utility of the findings for formative evaluation stakeholders but not for summative evaluation stakeholders. (Author/PN)

Stakeholder evaluation was designed to address widely recognized problems in the conduct of evaluation. However, global propositions about the problems and prospects of program evaluation obscure the circumstances in which social science can contribute to social problem solving. (Author/PN)

Applies empirical data from case studies of assessment to illustrate the student-stakeholder viewpoint of assessment within a fitness-for-purpose approach. Finds students identify purposes for assessment in terms that are educationally sound, such as its effects on learning and motivation, extent of openness and clarity, and feedback and guidance…

The review of the Los Angeles Bureau of Jewish Education is described by the evaluator. She provides background information on the Bureau, her personal perspective, the major evaluation events and activities (including data collection efforts, progress reports, data analysis, and the final report), past review events, and her personal reflections.…

Presents a theoretical discussion of evaluation research and the need for gathering data to support the decision-making process concerned with training program performance. Guidelines for conducting evaluation research are discussed, the participants involved with successful implementation are described, and data gathering methods are explained.…

Discusses the role, status, and compensation of nonprofessional library staff (e.g., clerks and technicians); role, authority, status, and compensation of non-librarian professionals appointed as directors or supervisors; and the relationship of professional librarians to other professionals on the library or information-center staff. Delineates…

Outsiders (i.e., regulators, adjudicators, and "messiahs") frequently arrive with insistent demands for school change. The demands of these interest groups should not be set ahead of those of legitimate stakeholders at the school level. Having some interest at risk and commitment are characteristics that distinguish stakeholders from…

This paper discusses strategic planning for and the expansion of distance education in South Africa as a way to meet the demand for higher education while ensuring that such education is relevant to the stakeholders. An analysis of the forces changing higher education in South Africa notes the increased demand for higher education, the need to…

The new mission-linked accreditation standards of the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business represent a fundamental change in how business schools operate. Emphases on strategic planning, stakeholder participation, faculty teams, and continuous improvement will encourage institutional cultural change and help faculty respond with…

Argues that all stakeholders in education should be consulted regarding the purpose, goals, accomplishments, and behaviors to be influenced by education, and that specific content should be accomplishment-based. Five figures illustrate: (1) the behavior/accomplishment relationship, (2) synthesis of desired K-12 accomplishments, (3) examples of…