• Any organization undertaking evaluation work would benefit by carefully defining its focus or purpose to avoid unnecessary work and too broad a scope.

• Defining the audience for an evaluation effort also helps define the populations from which to draw the evaluation sample.

• Criteria should be developed by a variety of experts. They should be written in clear language and be described so that users understand each criterion’s meaning and purpose. To be most effective, each criterion should be matched to evidence from the resource or program.

• Because evaluation efforts are restricted by funding, time, resources, and other considerations, each effort will be different. The more varied the relevant expertise involved, the more complete the evaluation.

• Evaluation results need to be disseminated to be valuable. Because they are time dependent, a most-recent-evaluation date is critical for the users.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2001). The Nation’s Report Card. Available at: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ [August 22, 2002].

National Center for Improving Science Education. (1989). Science and Technology for the Elementary Years: Frameworks for Curriculum and Instruction.Washington, DC: Author.

This was a study conducted by the National Center for Improving Science Education and the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, with support from the National Science Foundation, to design a framework for elementary school science. The report discussed the current situation of elementary school science, the distinction between science and technology, the goals and rationale for elementary school science, a framework for curriculum, a framework for instruction, and an overview of the educational environment. The report indicates that “the curriculum should consist of hands-on activities, each of which should relate to the students’ world … rather than skimming a great many concepts, the students will be able to study a few concepts in great depth … students should be able to construct their concepts and skills through a variety of experiences” (p. vi). The report identified nine major concepts for the elementary science program: organization (or orderliness), cause and effect, systems, scale, models, change, structure or function, discontinuous and continuous properties (variations), and diversity.

National Center for Improving Science Education. (1990). Science and Technology Education for the Middle Years: Frameworks for Curriculum and Instruction.Washington, DC: Author.

This was a study conducted by the National Center for Improving Science Education and the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, with support from the National Science Foundation, to design a framework for middle-school science education. This report discusses the nature of the early adolescent learner, issues related to middle-level education, the status of science education at the middle level, a conception of science and technology for middle-level education, goals for middle school science and technology, student outcomes, an instructional model, the learning environment, and a framework for middle-level science and technology curriculum and instruction. The report recommends that middle-level science and technology programs “include the use of: the middle school concept as the basis for design; a program based on both science and technology; a program for the entire middle-level sequence; an instructional model; a curriculum emphasis for each unit; a variety of activities; an integration of other disciplines; a progression from personal to social, local to global, questions to explorations, and problems to solutions; an articulation with elementary and high school programs; assessment that is consistent with the goals of the curriculum; and assessment that includes evaluation of higher order thinking, attitudes, and problem solving skills” (p. 107).

National Center for Improving Science Education. (1991). The High Stakes of High School Science.Washington, DC: Author.

This was a study conducted by the National Center for Improving Science Education and the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, with support from the National Science Foundation, to design a framework for high