Outlines essential features of program theory evaluation and discusses how it has been used to address concerns about inadequacies of performance information systems. Suggests enhancing the usefulness of program evaluation theory by incorporating information about program contexts, defining success criteria and comparisons for judging and…

Suggests that research, development, and evaluation of social and educational programs should routinely be integrated through a planned variation approach that involves the design, implementation, and evaluation of an enhanced, as well as the standard, variation of a program. Compares the planned variation approach to other types of theory-based…

Studied state school counselor certification requirements with respect to program evaluation expectations. Responses of state certification offices show 19 states and the District of Columbia require some form of program evaluation knowledge and skills, but only Colorado and Washington require knowledge of the program evaluation standards…

Methods suggested by research for evaluating training were compared to survey responses from 202 Canadian organizations regarding actual evaluation practices. Most organizations appeared to evaluate at only one or two of Kirkpatrick's four levels. However, this may be appropriate in light of program objectives, type of organization, and purposes…

Reviews 14 studies that focus on the evaluation of the effects of communication training programs for nurses. Results show limited or no effects on nurses' skills, on nurses' behavioral changes in practice, and on patient outcomes. The majority of the studies had a weak design. Experimental research designs should be pursued in future studies.…

Describes the selection of outcome measures used by the Maudsley Family Research team to assess outcomes--across a broad range of developmental dimensions--of permanent placement for children and adolescents. Developed a package of instruments to examine child emotional, cognitive, social, and academic development; attachment; and self-esteem, for…

Describes theoretical frameworks, including two public health models, that can inform the future development of domestic violence prevention strategies. Provides examples of innovative prevention strategies currently being implemented across the United States and discusses results from evaluations. (SLD)

Describes key aspects of an integrative framework that may help evaluators move beyond paradigm wars and the segmentation of evaluation practices. Proposes a scheme for categorizing evaluation methods with four inquiry modes, or clusters of methods: description, classification, causal analysis, and values inquiry. (Author/SLD)

Illustrates the difficulties of managing conflicts among formal standards in codes of ethics and among professional and personal standards through two examples from evaluation practice. The mediation of human judgment reveals an inevitable subjectivity that threatens the credibility of the field. (Author/SLD)

Opposes the practice of aggregating impacts on outcome dimensions to arrive at one summary assessment of program merit. Suggests that impacts should be kept separate and unweighted, expressed in their own measurement scales. Illustrates this method through an evaluation of the effects of research grants on a university. (SLD)

Shows how to bridge the gap between collaborative evaluations with extensive stakeholder participation and noncollaborative evaluations in which stakeholders do not participate to a great degree. Synthesizes research that shows that interaction with stakeholders helps enhance validity in noncollaborative evaluations. (SLD)

Describes key issues to consider in evaluating community capacity based on four community-based health programs that have included increasing community capacity or a related concept as one of the defined outcomes of their program and their subsequent evaluations. Two programs were rural, and the others, urban. (SLD)

Goal-based training has specific, predetermined objectives, whereas goal-free training involves implementation of innovations whose outcomes cannot be predicted. Evaluation of goal-free training must consider clients' requirements, the effectiveness of the initiative, and application of feedback. (SK)

Compares participants in a parent education program [Parents' Education about Children's Emotions Program (PEACE)] mandated for divorcing parents with a similar sample of individuals who had not participated in such a program. Although the findings provide little evidence for the longer-term impact of this program, the program participants…

Introduces this special issue on multilevel models. The first two articles examine the application of multilevel modeling (MLM) in the evaluation of large-scale multi-site interventions. The next two articles focus on developmental and longitudinal data analysis, and the last two describe innovative applications of MLM. (SLD)