Discusses the challenges facing evaluators of welfare reform and the ways that multiple methods can be combined to meet these challenges. Describes the studies reported in this issue. (Author/SLD)

The authors present the argument that evaluation as currently practiced is failing the needs of the social sector, if the goal is to help organizations achieve their mission. Three case studies are presented in which evaluation played a key role in the development of a learning culture within the organization. Each case highlights the positive…

The evaluation field in the United States has seen an increase in evaluations with and of diverse cultural populations, including racial or ethnic populations as well as those cultures and subcultures with special interests, concerns, or needs, such as the youth and gay and lesbian communities. These evaluations have occurred as the populations…

Building the evaluation capacity of K-12 schools is clearly an important goal for the field of evaluation, especially in the current educational environment, which is dominated by issues of accountability and high-stakes testing. The focus on student achievement has forced schools to become more data-driven as they attempt to analyze test scores…