The Student Evaluation Standards

Questions and Answers for Field Testing

(Please Note:  field tests are complete; thank you to all who participated.)

1. When does field testing start?

In January 2001.

2. How long will the field testing continue?

We hope to complete the process by June 2001. But, the Joint Committee is committed to a study involving at least 40 sites. The Field Test process will be continued until results have been obtained from that number of sites.

3. What constitutes a field-test site?

A site can be as small as an individual teacher/classroom situation or as large as a school or college. The site may exist in any k-16 classroom or even graduate school. It may involve a teacher in a typical classroom, a preservice teacher situation where teachers are being taught to apply the standards, or other use by a student or administrator who is appraising the work done by a teacher or teachers, or reviewing school policy matters as they relate to student evaluations.

4. What does participation involve?

In general the process requires that you identify a problem or issue regarding the evaluation of students and apply the standards to help you address that situation. This could require only a few hours total or it might continue throughout the course of a semester. The amount of time is determined by the nature and scope of your situation and your own interests.

Specifically, the process includes seven steps:

1. Select or identify a question or issue to address involving the evaluation of students.
2. Notify the Joint Committee of your interest in participating by sending an email note to , contacting a Joint Committee member, or completing and submitting the Invitation to Apply form.
3. Complete two brief forms and submit them to the Joint Committee:
• Participant Agreement Form
• Site Information Form
4. Obtain a copy of The Student Evaluation Standards from the Joint Committee.
5. Apply the Standards to the question or issue being addressed.
6. Complete the Field-Test Report Guide describing how you applied the Standards and the usefulness and value of the Standards for your work in addressing the selected question or issue.
7. Return the completed Field-Test Report Guide to the Joint Committee.
5. Do I have to review all the standards and read the whole book?

No, you need only read and use those portions of the book that apply to your situation. The book contains a Functional Table of Contents to assist you in identifying which parts will serve your needs.

6. Do I have to complete a report of my field test ?

Yes, each field test site must complete a report so that the standards can be improved, based on your findings, and so that proper credit can be given to persons at the site who participated in the process. The Field Test Report Guide (and all other forms) is available at the Participant Support location on the Joint Committee web site.

7. Must my study directly involve students?

No, the study need only address issues that are important to student evaluations. For example, the study could address school policies as they pertain to student evaluations. In such situations it will probably be beneficial to obtain some input from students, even though they may not play a major role.

8. I teach students in a business setting. Would my participation be appropriate.

Yes, definitely. We seek input across all educational settings where "classroom" learning situations occur and evaluation plays a role in that learning process.

9. Are there any restrictions on my participation?

Just one. Participants are asked to agree to not distribute or reference the standards outside the field test situation.

10. Will anyone from the Joint Committee provide assistance to me as I use the Standards?

Yes, you may contact the Joint Committee Chairperson or any of the Joint Committee members to seek assistance. The Joint Committee members are volunteers, but they will do their best to provide advice and other assistance as needed.