To what extent does the intense and direct involvement of internal stakeholders, such as program managers and staff members, play a significant role toward evaluation use? Stakeholder involvement is a key element in evaluation and evaluation use is considered within a broader sense that includes organizational knowledge, individual skills, and…

The aim of the present study is to examine the relation between stakeholders as internal evaluators and their systemic positions in light of construal level theory. The study examines the two samples of county representatives, teachers and principals who answered the questionnaire regarding evaluation of the Norwegian assessment program. In…

This article describes an effectiveness evaluation of an intensive case management intervention coordinated by a non-profit organization in a midsize Midwest City. As an effectiveness evaluation, the primary evaluation question was causal in nature; the key task of the evaluative study was to establish and probe connections between the…

As a result of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002, the field of education has seen a heavy emphasis on the use of "scientifically based research" for designing and testing the effectiveness of new and existing educational programs. According to NCLB, when addressing basic cause and effect questions scientifically based…

Post-graduate courses are periodically evaluated in accordance with not always very clear criteria by CAPES (Co-ordinating Committee for Teaching Staff Improvement). These criteria try to measure, among other things, academic productivity (including quantity and quality of scientific production), number of classes given by teachers, time to…

This article describes the planning of a multi-agency and multi-stakeholder evaluation of the implementation of supportive housing. The Ottawa Housing"Plus" Collaborative Communities project is a collaboration between university-based evaluators and members of a local network of supportive housing providers. The objectives of the…

Political groups, social movements, and organizational influences are sources of values which influence an evaluation study. Value positions can help define and delineate an evaluation problem but, if the values influencing the results are not explicit, the evaluative research may be viewed as something other than it actually is. (BW)

Presents highlights of 8 evaluation studies conducted over 25 months in a California school district enrolling about 30,000 students. Examines the eight studies in terms of chronology and outcomes, evaluation functions, superintendent involvement, and the function of various departments in the district's Instructional Services Division. Focuses on…

This article summarizes the school career evaluation study of pupils from the Dutch Middenschool program (experimental schools offering alternative education since 1975). Four stages in student educational career were investigated: initial, school course, final stage, and follow-up. (BS)

The state-of-the-art in program evaluation and the latest approaches to teacher evaluation are described. A general model for personnel evaluation is presented, and a design is suggested for merging the two. The basic premise is that all educational evaluation rests on the evaluation of student needs. (SLD)

The National Literacy Program in Namibia (NLPN) was launched in 1992 with the objective of achieving 80% national literacy among adults. Several evaluations, including an evaluation of system policy and performance, have been conducted. The methodology of these evaluations and the philosophy behind them are discussed. (SLD)

Using the Cognitive Research Trust (CoRT) Thinking Project as an illustration, two problems are discussed: the difficulty of deciding just what to investigate, and how to control the continual development that is necessary throughout the duration of a project. (BW)

Describes the Brazilian National System of Evaluation of Basic Education and analyzes its impact on educational polices and practices, especially at the state level. Data from about 15 interviews, site visits, document review, and a survey completed by representatives of 23 state education departments show the strong points and weaknesses of the…

Used multiple sources of data, including archival material, focus groups and questionnaires, to evaluate a renewal effort that involved a university school of education and human services and three diverse school systems: urban, suburban, and rural. Findings indicate the consistency of efforts to bring about positive change. Makes seven…

A social learning model focusing on intrinsic outcomes of vocational programs is proposed. It would assess technical skills and knowledge, communication skills and literacy, and personal skills and attitudes. Instruments should be devised to measure characteristics of the learning setting, learner involved activities, and nature of consequences of…