Ten evaluation models are examined in terms of their applicability to investigative, emergent design programs: Stake's portrayal, Wolf's adversary, Patton's utilization, Guba's investigative journalism, Scriven's goal-free, Scriven's modus operandi, Eisner's connoisseurial, Stufflebeam's CIPP, Tyler's objective based, and Levin's cost…

Continuing the interchange of ideas about evaluation methodology, the authors argue the advisability of using the entire array of methods to produce useful and persuasive findings. There is, ultimately, a truth to be sought, but no one approach has a monopoly on finding it. (SLD)

An expanded vision of evaluation is offered that accommodates the use of both descriptive information and evaluative information, and which connects evaluation in the naturalistic paradigm with evaluation in the rationalistic paradigm for making informed decisions within programs of education and development. The model of "Information Development…

The evaluation of a science education project for teachers in Durban (South Africa) illustrates some problems inherent in the application of the fourth-generation evaluation approach of Guba and Lincoln. One of the strongest concerns is that full participation by stakeholders may be an unrealistic assumption. (SLD)

Tools for assessing the quality of parent-child interactions in programs for handicapped infants and toddlers include: (1) behavioral observation systems (molar rating, molecular coding); (2) interaction assessment systems (molar rating scales, molecular coding systems, checklists). Considerations in selection should include content validity,…

A teacher education program which merged elementary and special education into one major was evaluated using naturalistic inquiry methodology. A discussion is presented on the methodology, the process, the major findings, and implications for evaluation of teacher education programs. (JD)

Naturalistic and traditional social science models were used to conduct a needs assessment in which 35 stakeholders were interviewed about their perceptions of the functioning of a crisis agency and the needs of the community and the agency. Concept mapping (multidimensional scaling and hierarchical analysis) was used to establish need categories…

The status of formal recommendations is different in the naturalistic evaluation model than in the traditional empirical model. The evaluation of a high school peer support program for alcohol abuse prevention illustrates that reader-generated recommendations may have more usefulness and impact than do evaluator-generated ideas. (SLD)

Included in this document are two reports of studies using data from the same l5 research sites in Alberta, Canada. The first study, "Critical Variables in ECS-Grade One Articulation," documented factors associated with successful articulation of Early Childhood Services (ECS) and primary school programs. Data were collected through…

A framework is proposed for evaluating the learning ecology and processes created by information technology in schools and developing an ecological model for research. The evaluation of Project Comptown, an intervention with extensive use of computers in two Israeli communities (with over 6,000 students), illustrates the framework. (SLD)

This final report documents the findings of a study designed to evaluate the quality and efficiency of early education programs for handicapped children in Louisiana during 1985-86. More than 400 classes in 65 formal programs (residential, home-based, and center-based) serving approximately 5,000 handicapped children ages 3-5 were studied. The…

The purpose of this report was to explore one way in which quantitative and qualitative paradigms in program evaluation can be employed to reinforce each other. An evaluation was conducted of a large number of special education programs for preschoolers with handicaps in Louisiana. Since 1978, Louisiana has funded programs in 65 public school…