The programming evaluation procedure: A diagnostic and accountability instrument for teachers

Abstract

Although many special education teachers attempt to reduce academic tasks into small, sequential steps to promote better learning for students, few of them have a consistent method for evaluating their effectiveness in the utilization of this procedure. This need for evaluation is based on the concept that, without feedback, the appropriateness of educational methods and materials cannot be determined. In addition, recent attention has been aimed at developing methods and materials whereby teachers can be held accountable to students, parents and school districts for their efforts. This concern with accountability is specifically related to the need for educators to demonstrate empirically that they are able to produce changes which are commensurate with preselected performance objectives. The purpose of this article is to present a technique for objectively evaluating the effectiveness of a teacher's programming efforts. Although techniques such as clinical judgment and inference are used frequently, they do not provide an objective and sequential method for evaluating the influence that programming can have on a child.