The authors discuss the use of multiple evaluation approaches in conducting program evaluations. Specifically, they illustrate four evaluation approaches (theory-driven, consumer-based, empowerment, and inclusive evaluation) and briefly discuss a fifth (use-focused evaluation) as a side effect of the use of the others. The authors also address the…

Describes the oral history project and the team that worked on this oral history of program evaluation. Presents an interview with William R. Shadish, a program evaluation theorist and practitioner. (SLD)

Reasons for unintended consequences of program action are explained. Although this topic has been dealt with extensively in the field of planning, that literature provides little guidance for how evaluation methodologies can be improved. Implications for evaluation are provided by drawing the distinction between consequences that are unforeseen…

The present review examines research on the effects of technology use on reading achievement in K-12 classrooms. Unlike previous reviews, this review applies consistent inclusion standards to focus on studies that met high methodological standards. In addition, methodological and substantive features of the studies are investigated to examine the…

The purpose of this article is to describe a new approach for conducting multi-site evaluations of professional development (PD). The approach extends a popular model of PD evaluation through the creation of individual project profiles that take into account the unique contextual variables of individual projects while providing an evaluation…

The capacity of any professional development effort to achieve durable change in teacher practice is affected by a host of design factors and their precise alignment with multiple delivery strategies. However, how successful professional development (PD) programs achieve an effective mix of these factors and strategies is not well understood. The…

As the evaluation profession has continued to grow and develop, there has been a corresponding concern about how to properly train future evaluation practitioners. Those who teach evaluation strive to develop training opportunities that create the appropriate balance of the practical, how-to knowledge of evaluation with the burgeoning theoretical…

This article discusses how to make process use an independent variable in evaluation practice: the purposeful means of building an organization's capacity to conduct and use evaluations in the long run. The goal of evaluation capacity building (ECB) is to strengthen and sustain effective program evaluation practices through a number of activities:…

All evaluators face the challenge of striving to adhere to the highest possible standards of ethical conduct. Translating the AEA's Guiding Principles and the Joint Committee's Program Evaluation Standards into everyday practice, however, can be a complex, uncertain, and frustrating endeavor. Moreover, acting in an ethical fashion can require…

Extension and evaluation share some similar challenges, including working with diverse stakeholders, parallel processes for focusing priorities, meeting common standards of excellence, and adapting to globalization, new technologies, and changing times. Evaluations of extension programs have helped clarify how change occurs, especially the…

In 1996, United Way of America (UWA) developed and began disseminating the most widely used approach to program outcome measurement in the nonprofit sector. Today an estimated 450 local United Ways encourage approximately 19,000 local agencies they fund to measure outcomes. The authors first describe and then assess the strengths and limitations…

This paper presents the methods and the main results of the 6 studies which were conducted in order to test the validity of the comprehensive model of educational effectiveness. The synthesis of these studies reveals that some support to the model has been provided. It is also demonstrated that 2 characteristics of the comprehensive model…

Achieving the Dream colleges engage in a process of institutional improvement to increase student success. A central component of this process is engaging internal and external stakeholders to help develop and implement interventions or changes in programs and services that improve student success. To determine whether these interventions do…

John Carroll University (JCU) is a Jesuit Catholic institution located in University Heights, approximately 10 miles east of Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1888, the university has a population of 3,400 undergraduates and 800 graduate students. The Division of Student Affairs at JCU comprises 11 units. The mission of the division is the same as that…

In order to assess how completely a Small Learning Community (SLC) and/or Career Academy is implemented in any given site, and to connect the degree of implementation with the amount of improvement in student performance, two kinds of information are needed. The first is information on the quality of implementation, which can be collected by…