From an administrative view, reports an experience in implementing the Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) technique at a residential treatment setting for children. (MP)

Presents a systematic process for performing an analysis of program failure in adult education, including ways to identify the type of failure and questions designed to determine its cause. (SK)

Summarizes major concepts and approaches of the Evaluation Training Consortium project, showing how they relate to evaluation in the human resources development context. (CT)

An innovative new evaluation unit in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is detailed. This unit, the Office of Service Delivery Assessment (SDA), regularly briefs the Secretary on the services delivered to clients at the local level. The process of the SDA is described and conclusions are offered. (Author/GK)

To overcome criticisms of gifted program evaluation, a university evaluation team and a public school program worked to develop evaluation instruments and procedures. The experiences of the first year of the cooperative effort are presented to illustrate the issues, problems, and benefits of such an arrangement. (Author/SB)

A full understanding of how a training program works requires field observations that examine the deep structure as well as the surface behavior of those in the program. Such comprehensive understanding is not available from questionnaires and interviews. (Author/IRT)

Examines the relationship between meaningful program implementation and capacity to assess the impact of James P. Comer's School Development Program in a large-scale study, describing how the impact study became an implementation study because of such factors as changes in study design, disappearing treatment, difficulties implementing randomized…

Developed method for empirically evaluating functioning of peer-based alcohol abuse prevention organization. Used results to design intervention to improve organization's functioning by increasing student control, enhancing cohesiveness, and providing training in leadership skills and alcohol use. Reassessment one year later indicated that…

An analysis of apparent program failure should determine whether the fault lies with the program model, implementation strategy, expectations, or evaluation methods. The evaluation should be planned before completing and carrying out the program design. (SK)

Presents definitions and purposes of delegation, accountability, and empowerment as parts of a system aimed at high performance. It explores how advanced program evaluation methods can make delegation and accountability more effective and empowerment less risky. (SLD)

Presents arguments for conducting program evaluation as a reflection of concern for students. Seeks to "demystify" evaluation, noting that evaluation need not be done only by experts. Discusses types of evaluation and presents principles in planning and guiding evaluations. (JPS)

Discusses ways in which a community-based program evaluation can be enhanced by using a screening tool to delineate the program's evaluative needs, resources, and commitments. Describes use of the Evaluation Pre-Screening Tool and reports on some examples of successful use. (SLD)

Describes the efforts of one community to define, begin, and finally, embrace community evaluation in the evaluation of a Smart Start program in Cumberland, North Carolina. Lists lessons learned in "selling" the evaluation to the community. (SLD)

Community-based organizations (CBOs), typically small and underfunded with transient staff members, are told by funders to care for clients and verify program value. To assist CBOs with evaluations that speak to program effectiveness, many funders wish to expand the evaluation capacity of CBO staff members so that evaluation will occur as long as…

The purpose of the present study was to examine a common practice in some areas of program evaluation, the retrospective pretest, and to present recommendations regarding its use. The authors review literature to emphasize first, that bias is likely in both prospective and retrospective ratings, and second, that under some circumstances,…