Personnel Evaluation System Research Articles

Historical Analysis and Ongoing Change of Personnel Evaluation System

Historical Analysis and Ongoing Change of Personnel Evaluation System

Lessons in Contracting for Evaluations

A 1995 evaluation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ personnel evaluation system and a 1991 evaluation of the National Assessment Governing Board procedure for setting cut scores on the mathematics section of the National Assessment of Educational Progress provided valuable lessons in how to minimize the risks of misunderstanding what an evaluation will involve, subversion of the evaluation, controversy, and animosity. Both evaluations were nationally significant, had to be conducted quickly, were politically volatile, were keyed to professional standards, and had substantial impacts. However, the latter evaluation went sour, whereas the former received an official commendation. Evaluators should do all they can to demonstrate to clients that sound evaluations are not to be feared, but should be valued and used. An investigation of what went right and wrong in these evaluations identified contracting as a key variable. This article advises evaluators and clients to regularly negotiate clear, sound contracts before proceeding with an evaluation, and presents a checklist to assist in the contracting process.

Lessons in contracting for evaluations

A 1995 evaluation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ personnel evaluation system and a 1991 evaluation of the National Assessment Governing Board procedure for setting cut scores on the mathematics section of the National Assessment of Educational Progress provided valuable lessons in how to minimize the risks of misunderstanding what an evaluation will involve, subversion of the evaluation, controversy, and animosity. Both evaluations were nationally significant, had to be conducted quickly, were politically volatile, were keyed to professional standards, and had substantial impacts. However, the latter evaluation went sour, whereas the former received an official commendation. Evaluators should do all they can to demonstrate to clients that sound evaluations are not to be feared, but should be valued and used. An investigation of what went right and wrong in these evaluations identified contracting as a key variable. This article advises evaluators and clients to regularly negotiate clear, sound contracts before proceeding with an evaluation, and presents a checklist to assist in the contracting process.

Designing a personnel management system for school psychologists

The development of the personnel evaluation system for special services personnel in North Carolina exists as a case model for the implementation of the Personnel Evaluation Standards (Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation, 1988). Reliance on expertise from both those to be evaluated as well as those with expertise in the development of personnel evaluation systems, the consideration of the needs of individuals and of educational organizations, and the emphasis on the collection of data in naturalistic settings all tend toward the development of comprehensive systems of personnel management, of which performance evaluation is but one part, albeit an important part. In this way, of course, many of the cautions enumerated by Stronge and Helm (1991) have been accounted for and a strong system of personnel evaluation is the result. In any case, the development of personnel evaluation systems in North Carolina, of which the school psychologist is only one example, have made it clear that a performance evaluation system cannot be successfully built in isolation. The other components of a fully articulated personnel management system, complete with job description, methods and forms for data collection and analysis, training for both evaluators and evaluatees, and procedures for performance improvement and enhancement, are essential if the evaluation of performance is to be seen as anything other than a bureaucratic ritual in which organizations compel our participation.