Evaluation Techniques. 1. Prior to October 31 of each year, the evaluator shall review with the evaluatee the standards and assessment techniques by which the evaluatee will be evaluated. For affected unit members at those schools operating on year-round calendars, this deadline shall be at the end of the second school month at their site. The established standards of student progress shall reflect the scope of the evaluatee’s assignment. Standardized tests and other multiple measures are used to demonstrate student’s progress toward District standards of expected achievement for their grade level in each are of study and toward the State-adopted content standards.
2. Scheduled observations may be set by the evaluator or may be requested by the evaluatee. There shall be at least one scheduled observation of no les than 30 minutes during the evaluation period. Unscheduled observations may occur as needed to effectively collect evaluation data, and an evaluator may visit a class at any time. A post-observation conference shall be held as soon as possible, but not later than fifteen (15) days after each formally scheduled observation. At such conferences, the evaluator should commend and reinforce effective performance, make recommendations, and provide aid to improve ineffective performance. The evaluator shall make a written record of such post-observation conferences, with a copy provided to the evaluatee. The evaluatee may attach a response if he/she so desires. Other post-observation conferences shall be held at the request of either party.
3. The evaluation process described above in intended to be dialogue driven and based on ongoing discussions between the evaluator and evaluatee. Nothing in this section is intended to imply that any evaluation will be based solely on the observation process described above.
Evaluation Techniques. For each output, an evaluation instrument can be selected, designed and adapted to test both the claims of the designer and the underlying narrative. There are a wide range of such instruments and this is not the place to reproduce an extensive catalogue of possible strategies. Broadly speaking however, such instruments can be classified under four types: Naturally occurring Includes all secondary data generated in the execution of the project. This may include registration documents, appraisals, performance reviews and so on. Often the data is rather more limited that required – perhaps consisting of quantitative indicators or factual statements but even so it is sometimes possible to use such techniques as content analysis in some circumstances. The cheapest source of evaluation information, but over reliance may generate unsuitable proxies and misleading conclusions. Empirical Instruments Where the intervention lends itself to quantifiable entities and performance indicators, such as scores in an objective test, numbers completing a programmes and so on. A most important range of techniques, such as time series, variance analysis and correlation are available. However, there is always a temptation to focus on what can be measured in this way, rather than the ostensible purpose of the intervention, and numbers in exploratory projects are often too small to generate firm conclusions. Narrative Instruments Usually based around semi structured and unstructured interviews with clients and stakeholders, either in a group or individually, although such techniques as diaries and blogs are possible and perhaps rather underused in evaluation at present. Post experience questionnaires are often structured in a way that can collect such data although results are sometimes disappointing. It is frequently necessary to keep the number of examinations rather small due to expense. It is easily possible, and not uncommon, to generate a great deal of rich qualitative data that cannot be analysed within the timeframes and parameters of the evaluation. Qualiquantological Instruments A rare group of techniques that tries to achieve qualitative type answers using quantitative techniques, such as Q Sorting, which is very useful for estimating diversity and typologies within a client group. Table 6 Range of Evaluation Instruments
Evaluation Techniques. Two or more activities, (some suggestions follow) should be selected and incorporated in the learning contract.
