Evaluation in Education

The first edition of Richard Wolf's volume was written during the infancy of the field of evaluation. Fifteen years later, educational evaluation is now an established field which has gone through considerable changes. Enduring the test of time, the value of Wolf's ideas remains constant. This third edition is an extension and refinement of his ideas. He continues to avoid the entanglement of unwarranted ideological positions. Instead he identifies basic questions addressed in a study and the classes of information needed to answer those questions. New material, including a new chapter, act as additional layers on the same structure. Throughout, Wolf advocates an eclectic approach--using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. He has structured this volume as a text for graduate students and a handbook for professionals.

Richard Wolf's book presents a comprehensive view of educational evaluation. It covers the history of evaluation, planning and conduct of evaluation studies, analysis and interpretation of results, report preparation, and decision making. A new chapter surveys the contemporary scene in educational evaluation: the development of evaluation; the convergence and divergence in views; qualitative versus quantitative approaches; and the role of teachers in evaluation. Each chapter concludes with updated, comprehensive references and additional readings. Wolf's text Evaluation in Education is a classic in the field. The eclecticism of its approach is its serviceability.

RICHARD M. WOLF is a Professor of Psychology and Education, and Chairman of the Department of Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics at Teachers College, Columbia University. His previous books are Achievement in America (1977) and Crucial Issues in Testing (1974), the latter coauthored with Ralph W. Tyler.