I have been deeply into this issue for a long time and I have come to the conclusion
that there is perhaps a deep complementary principle at work. It runs sort of: the
more institutionalized the practice, the easier the positivistic evaluation, the more
deviant, the more difficult.
Regardless what we as academic researchers think about such activities, local parent/
taxpayers have to make decisions about where to put their money for their kids. We find
that our LOCAL support committees look for evaluations that are awfully similar
to the NICHD/NSF.
We try to be honest and to please.
mike