Discusses reasons randomized experiments in educational research have been so rare and appraises alternatives to experiments that educational evaluators prefer. These alternatives are found wanting whenever a high standard is needed for justifying causal conclusions. (SLD)

Outlines the major intergovernmental and interorganizational challenges associated with doing program evaluation in today's environment and offers recommendations designed to improve evaluation efforts. (SLD)

Proposes a multifaceted approach to making evaluation a part of organizational culture. The approach includes using allies, examples, models, research, process guides, and trainers/developers. (SLD)

Discusses teaching and training about evaluation with metaphors. Helping those who study evaluation perceive analogies and metaphors related to evaluation helps them understand truths about the rich diversity of evaluation. (SLD)

Discusses four reasons why progress in evaluation in private foundations has been so slow and intermittent. These include: (1) inflated claims for the power of evaluation as a guide; (2) foundations' distance from the consequences of their actions; (3) sensitivity to hostile criticism and the difficulties of learning from legitimate criticism; and…

Comments on two articles related to ethical challenges in evaluation and a series of articles on the subject published in the "American Journal of Evaluation" between 1998 and 2001. Considers the problems of ethical challenges in the context of principles and standards for evaluation developed by professional associations. (SLD)

In the latest survey of nursing school deans and nursing researchers, 280 of the nation's 467 accredited schools of nursing were named as being among the best at least once. The University of Washington's School of Nursing was ranked number one for the second consecutive time. (JOW)

The use of the Nominal Group Technique to identify areas for formative evaluation is described. Group characteristics, pertinent group questions, and advantages of the method are outlined. The process depersonalizes results, puts individual concerns into perspective, and focuses on improving the program (not on blaming or evaluating personnel).…

Describes a methodology to facilitate the evaluation of secondary marketing education (ME) programs. Compares the status of ME programs at the national level with a set of national program standards. Also compares the ME program in a selected state with the same standards. (JOW)

Use of statistical measures in public policy analysis must be examined both from the perspective of statistical appropriateness and for policy bias. The need for twofold analysis is illustrated by an examination of two measures used for evaluation of school desegregation. (Author/JOW)

Linkages between utilization and stakeholder participation in the evaluation process are discussed, with emphasis on the communication of results. Data from two small-scale participatory evaluations are used to support the argument that key elements of the participatory process can be linked to meaningful and multiple forms of research…

Kirkpatrick reviews his 1959 article presenting his four-level model of evaluation. He suggests that training professionals should evaluate their programs and understanding those four levels is a good start. The text of the original article is included. (JOW)

Reduced funding and increased accreditation requirements place counseling education programs in a dilemma that demands systematic program evaluation. This article reviews the literature on evaluation of professional programs and proposes a plan for evaluation of counselor education programs. (JPS)

Anticipating and supporting the needs of users of technologies, programs, and services are critical to the success of distance education programs. Principal stakeholders are instructors who teach at a distance, learners pursuing distance education courses, site facilitators, and administrators. (JOW)

A technique developed to monitor the quality of manufactured products, statistical process control (SPC), incorporates several features that may prove attractive to evaluators. This paper reviews the history of SPC, suggests how the approach can enrich program evaluation, and illustrates its use in a hospital-based example. (SLD)