Joseph S. Wholey is Professor Emeritus in the University of Southern California's (USC) School of Public Policy, Planning, and Development. He received his BA from Catholic University, Phi Beta Kappa and his MA in mathematics and PhD in philosophy from Harvard University. His work focuses on the use of strategic planning, performance measurement,…

Nearly all private, government and non-governmental organizations that receive government funding to run social or health promotion programs in the United States are required to conduct program evaluations and to report findings to the funding agency. Reports are usually due at the end of a funding cycle and they may or may not have an influence…

Evaluators face challenges when programs consistently fail to meet expectations for performance or improvement and consequently, evaluators may recommend that closing a program is the most prudent course of action. However, the evaluation literature provides little guidance regarding when an evaluator might recommend program closure. Given…

In 2003 foster youth employed by a foster youth advocacy organization suggested that an evaluation of group home services to foster youth be conducted in Alameda County, California. This report presents the development and conduct of this evaluation study; how funding was obtained; and how foster youth were hired, trained, and employed to produce…

The impact of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is usually understood in relation to schools and districts, but the legislation has also affected community-based organizations that operate school-linked programs. This case study of an after-school program in California demonstrates how educational accountability systems that emphasize students' academic…

This article presents an interview with Eric Barela, a K-12 school district internal evaluator who conducted the Title I Best Practices study for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), Research and Planning Division (formerly known as the Program Evaluation and Research Branch). In this interview, the author focuses not only on the…

The Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation, under the direction of Daniel Stuffelbeam, completed standards for the practice of evaluation. Little is known about the extent of congruence between evaluation practice and the ideal as represented by the standards. The purpose of the study was to obtain information regarding how…

The Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) welfare-to-work program in California was evaluated by the Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC). The evaluation relied on involvement of stakeholders, examination of program implementation, flexibility, the adaptation of evaluation questions and designs during the study, use of random…

This California Evaluation Improvement Project (EIP) Program Evaluation workbook has two purposes. It can be used as a learning and instructional aid while one masters the procedures, techniques, and methods of program evaluation. Used this way, it helps the practitioner summarize and put into practice the subject matter presented in the EIP…

Evaluation practice within state education agencies (SEAs) is reviewed from a management consultant's perspective. The study is based upon a review of literature, discussions with the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory Research on Evaluation Program, and visits to SEAs in California, Montana and Washington. The main findings of the study…

Although the development of new models is essential to the improvement of teacher preparation programs, the California system of accreditation of teacher education programs seems to hinder innovative program development and evaluation. External assessment in California is based on a discrepancy model which works best when applied to static…

This training manual consists of two major sections: a "Handbook for Conducting an Elementary Program Review" and the "Elementary Program Quality Criteria" document. The handbook is designed to assist a program review team in (1) judging the effect of curriculum, instructional methodologies, and effectiveness strategies on…

The Commission for Teacher Preparation and Licensing of the State of California has for the past three years been operating an External Assessment Pilot Project. Community and professional constituents of teacher education programs review those programs to determine whether or not they conform to earlier program plans submitted to the commission…

This guide presents detailed information concerning the purposes and process of program evaluation, the role of the evaluator, and the development of an evaluation plan or design. Instruction is provided in selecting or developing assessment instruments, collecting and analyzing data, reporting evaluation results and applying the findings. The…

Regional Interstate Planning Project (RIPP) participants meet periodically at conferences Sponsored by ten Rocky Mountain area state departments of education to discuss issues of general concern. A meeting was held July 21-23, 1976 in Denver, Colorado, to consider various means of effecting the educational future through evaluation. Excerpts from…