"Theory as Method: Small Theories of Treatments," by Mark W. Lipsey, is one of the most influential and highly cited articles to appear in "New Directions for Evaluation." It articulated an approach in which methods for studying causation depend, in large part, on what is known about the theory underlying the program. Lipsey discussed the benefits…

Asserts that both the Feuer, Towne, and Shavelson article on scientific culture and educational research and the recent National Research Council (NRC) report must be understood in the context of current federal discourse focused on experimentally derived causal explanations of educational program effectiveness. Notes that the NRC report risks…