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Two Constraints to Utilization at the School Level.

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Two Constraints to Utilization at the School Level.
Language: English
Authors: Stecher, Brian, Horowitz, Jonathan
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 31
Publication Date: 1980
Sponsoring Agency: National Inst. of Education (ED), Washington, DC.
Document Type: Opinion Papers
Descriptors: Administrator Attitudes, Administrators, Adoption (Ideas), Elementary Secondary Education, Institutional Evaluation, Problems, Proximity, Relationship, Research Utilization, Time, Use Studies
Geographic Terms: U.S.; California
Abstract: This paper reports the results of a study that investigated factors constraining or encouraging the use of evaluation data by school administrators. It begins with a lengthy analogy about the use of a restaurant guide that is intended to illuminate how constraining or encouraging factors influence the use of evaluation data. The author defines a constraint as something a typical administrator would consider a limitation on understanding or alternative courses of action. The paper then explains and illustrates two major constraints to the utilization of evaluation results. The first is "proximity," which the author defines as similarity in time or structure. Within the author's framework, "structural proximity" of evaluation data is the similarity of the data in structure to the needs of the educators or the material being evaluated. "Temporal proximity" means the timeliness or currency of the data. The author concludes that both kinds of proximity have a positive influence on data collection. The second constraint identified is competing demands on administrators' time. According to the author, administrators are unable to pay attention to evaluation data when there are too many other demands on their time. (Author/JM)
Notes: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the California Educational Research Association (San Mateo, CA, November 20-21, 1980). Some paragraphs may not reproduce clearly due to broken print of original document.
Journal Code: RIEAUG1981
Entry Date: 1981
Accession Number: ED199825
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:This paper reports the results of a study that investigated factors constraining or encouraging the use of evaluation data by school administrators. It begins with a lengthy analogy about the use of a restaurant guide that is intended to illuminate how constraining or encouraging factors influence the use of evaluation data. The author defines a constraint as something a typical administrator would consider a limitation on understanding or alternative courses of action. The paper then explains and illustrates two major constraints to the utilization of evaluation results. The first is "proximity," which the author defines as similarity in time or structure. Within the author's framework, "structural proximity" of evaluation data is the similarity of the data in structure to the needs of the educators or the material being evaluated. "Temporal proximity" means the timeliness or currency of the data. The author concludes that both kinds of proximity have a positive influence on data collection. The second constraint identified is competing demands on administrators' time. According to the author, administrators are unable to pay attention to evaluation data when there are too many other demands on their time. (Author/JM)