William J. Webster

Selecting Effective Teachers.

AbstractThis paper describes a series of validation studies that was implemented over a period of 5 years to validate a teacher selection system. During the course of these validation studies, some important relationships between measured teacher verbal and quantitative ability and quality of classroom instruction were demonstrated. At the secondary level, a number of strong correlations between teacher verbal and quantitative ability and student standardized test scores were evident. Evidence is also presented relative to the need to validate personnel interview and essay techniques. These relationships are discussed within the context of an overall teacher selection system.

A Quantitative Procedure for the Identification of Effective Schools

AbstractThis paper outlines a quantitative procedure for identifying effective schools. Effective schools are defined as those schools that produce student test performance that departs markedly, in an upward direction, from pre-established school and district trends. The methodology for this procedure is described, and correlations of procedure results with important student enrollment and attendance statistics, teacher background variables, and previous and concurrent absolute levels of student achievement are discussed. Finally, the use of this procedure for rewarding outstanding schools is described.

The Cohort-Survival Ratio Method in the Projection of School Attendance.

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that educational attendance projection problems could be formulated in such a manner that the regression model could be used in the analysis thereof. Two projection approaches, the Cohort-survival ratio approach and a comparable regression approach, were compared using a sample of twenty-five Michigan school districts. The regression approach provided significantly better estimates than did the Cohort-survival ratio approach.

The Investigation of Aptitude-Treatment Interactions as an Integral Part of Program Evaluation

One of the primary objectives of public education in the seventies is that of meeting the educational needs of all children through individualization. Despite this goal, little information concerning individual differences in learners is currently available. This paper outlines a schema for the systematic investigation of individual differences in learning through the use of aptitude-treatment interaction studies, and provides an approach to incorporating these studies into an ongoing evaluation system.

A Pragmatic Model for a Comprehensive Public School Research and Evaluation System

A model for research and evaluation in a large urban school district is presented. The relationship between research, evaluation, planning, and development is discussed in light of major functions including context, input, process, and product evaluation, as well as applied and basic research. The role of these functions in supplying the information base necessary for educational planning and decision-making is highlighted. IN RECENT YEARS there has been increased emphasis on evaluation in the public schools. Many districts have es tablished comprehensive systems of performance monitor ing based on the continuous assessment of program and project outcomes (1, 5, 6,14). Typically, they are struc tured so as to provide information to decision-makers, but are largely limited to evaluation rather than research func tions (4). Consequently, the information provided by these systems is of limited utility. The restricted scope of these systems undoubtedly is due, in part, to the strained finances of many school sys tems and to the critical lack of competent personnel trained to conduct and implement systematic research pro grams in the public schools. However, a significant factor influencing the implementation of such limited systems is the lack of information detailing the integration of evalua tion and research operations in a real world environment. More directly, the fundamental works underlying the cur rent renaissance of educational evaluation have failed to emphasize the critical role of research in objective decision making (7, 9, 10, 11). Evaluation alone, regardless of its comprehensiveness, cannot supply sufficient information for educational de cision-making. Rather, systematic evaluation programs must be carefully integrated with applied and basic re search programs to provide the data essential for educa tional renewal. This paper provides a model for a comprehensive evalu ation and research system highlighting the interrelation ships between evaluation and research and indicating the role of both in the process of developing and implementing educational programs. The CIPP model, proposed by Stuf flebeam et al. (11), was chosen as a reasonable general pur pose evaluation model for purposes of modification into the more comprehensive combined model. Figure 1 presents a flowchart outlining the essential de tails of the revised system. The flowchart depicts an opera tional research and evaluation system which begins with yearly context evaluation, moves through input, process, and interim product evaluation stages, and completes the annual cycle with summative product evaluation and ap plied research information. The process outlined in Figure 1 is discussed below. A prerequisite to improvement must be a knowledge of existing performance levels. Thus, the backbone of any re newal system must be a comprehensive context evaluation program. Stufflebeam, et ah, define context evaluation as the provision of baseline information that defines the en vironment of interest, describes desired and actual condi tions pertaining to the environment, identifies unmet needs and unused opportunities, and diagnoses the problems that prevent needs from being met and opportunities from being used. An adequate context evaluation system is founded on a longitudinal data base and provides periodic reports on such variables as student dropout, attendance, achievement levels, drug usage, demographic and vocational patterns, community socioeconomic status and dominant value pat terns, and teacher academic and demographic characteris tics. Thus, a context evaluation system provides the basis for formulating change objectives by identifying needs and, in some cases, outlining practical constraints in iden tified problem areas. Once the context evaluation system has identified needs, decision-makers must set priorities for those needs and fo cus on reducing the discrepancy between desired and exist ing conditions by establishing goals for those needs that receive highest priority. It is at this point in time that in put evaluation information is used. Stufflebeam, et al, de fine input evaluation as the provision of information for determining methods of resource utilization for accom plishing program goals. In a functioning evaluation system, there are four sources of input information: 1. previous product evaluation information 2. basic research information 3. applied research information 4. non-research and evaluation information. Product evaluation information concerns the extent to which specific project or program goals are achieved. When This content downloaded from 207.46.13.169 on Sun, 03 Jul 2016 04:53:12 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms

TRENDS IN REPORTED DRUG USAGE AMONG PUBLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN

This study utilized a general linear model to investigate the relationships between knowledge of the physiological effects of drugs, attitudes toward drugs, self-concept, socioeconomic status, sex, grade level, ethnic background, and reported drug usage among public school students. The major purpose of the study was to explore the major concomitants of drug usage so that a drug prevention education program with a moderate probability of success could be constructed and implemented. Major trends in drug usage among public school children and their implications for successful drug prevention education are indicated.

A Use of the Regression Model in Educational Evaluation.

In recent years there has been an emphasis on the development and dissemination of comprehensive evaluation models for education. One of the most promising of these is the CIPP Model. The present article applies multiple regression analysis as a general data analytic technique to the CIPP Model. An example of the use of multiple regression methodology in the evaluation of an on-going educational program is presented as a method of explicating the aforementioned application.