Evaluation of secondary school music programs should not be based on performing groups' success. The Music Educators National Conference has suggested that a comprehensive evaluation should examine several aspects of a school music program, including goals and objectives, leadership, staffing, curriculum and scheduling, instructional materials,…

Steps in presenting evaluation recommendations are outlined. The steps include the following: the development of effective recommendations, the presentation of effective recommendations, and the effective following up of recommendations. (TJH)

Offers a case study that examines the methodological problems of evaluating a community relations program in Northern Ireland. Recommends a quantitative and qualitative approach to evaluation and raises issues that must be addressed when evaluating community development programs. (Author/JOW)

Identifies key factors that should be considered by those engaged in the evaluation of overseas development projects to ensure that the evaluation process leads to the empowerment of local stakeholders. A literature review resulted in the development of seven guidelines for evaluation of overseas development projects. (SLD)

Describes the integration of programmatic theory and structural equation modeling to serve as the basic intellectual machinery for designing and evaluating behavioral interventions. Illustrates this integration with the example of a program to reduce sexual risk taking. (SLD)

Uses the results of an instrumental case study to identify issues connected to evaluation participation and its representation and the role of the internal evaluator in democratic, deliberative evaluation. Identified direct participation and participation by representation, sanctioned or unsanctioned representation, and extrinsic and intrinsic…

Uses a case study of an evaluation conducted in a psychiatric institution to illustrate the issues that arise when techniques of deliberative democratic evaluation are applied in an antidemocratic climate. Illuminates strategies for stakeholder inclusion from a deliberative, democratic point of view. (SLD)

Deliberative democratic evaluation and other evaluation approaches that require the linkage of evaluation to social and institutional structures require the application of democratic principles in evaluation and policy decisions that reflect these ideas. Outlines challenges in ensuring that members of diverse groups are represented in evaluations.…

Program-theory approaches to evaluation have gained acceptability over the past 25 years as a means for examining conditions for implementation that are associated with better outcomes and developing detailed program theory. They have also gained confusion, as witnessed in the review of recent studies in this article. (Author/SLD)

The "use of evaluation" once meant the use of evaluation results for making program decisions, but there is a new awareness of the possibility of using many aspects of evaluation. This paper highlights the importance of considering additional prospective users of evaluation, including organizers, client groups, and civil society. (Author/SLD)

The Evaluation Voices approach collaboratively united perspectives of program stakeholders, evaluators, and network partners to strengthen individual program evaluation strategies. This approach is described, with emphasis on the shared experience of evaluators and network partners. (SLD)

Suggests that performance measurement data already being collected could become more useful, at low additional cost, by further analyzing the relationships among the measures, especially across time. Using logic models and analyzing variability among program delivery units could provide evidence for hypothesized connections among delivery,…

Examined the stages of evaluation practice and use at a national multisite community service program with an internal evaluation department. Reviews challenges to evaluation use and organizational supports for it and discusses the integrated theory of use of K. Kirkhart (2000) at both site and national levels. Summarizes lessons learned in this…

Discusses the role that causal models play in program theory evaluation. Considers several types of causal relationships and discusses three causal models derived from systems theory, the theories of virtuous or vicious cycles, symptomatic solutions, and feedback delays. (SLD)

Explores how theory-based evaluation can be used to help conduct formative, reflective evaluation in educational settings. Program theory evaluation identifies links between planned activities and anticipated outcomes. This model helps schools clarify program goals, and builds cooperation and buy-in an evaluation as it encourages reflective…