Use IDENTIFIERS *Evaluation Utilization

This paper discusses those generic features of school districts as complex organizations which inhibit district coordination of testing, evaluation and instruction. It is based on a selective literature review and four theoretical papers covering (1) school district decision making, (2) the institutional structure of school districts, (3) role conflict among research and development directors, and (4) the schism dividing achievement monitoring from analytic evaluation. Analysis of these field study data revealed the salient characteristics of school districts as complex organizations and the implications these attributes have for the focus of this research. The sections are organized as follows: introduction; generic factors which inhibit district linkage of testing, evaluation, and instruction; situation-specific conditions which can override those generic factors; variations observed among the school districts; and conclusions that may be helpful to district manager