If program evaluation is to continue its decade-long advance as a specialized field and make contributions at both the operational and policy-setting levels, evaluators must receive a basic education in the theoretical, substantive, methodological, and organizational elements pertinent to their roles. (Author)

This article describes an interactive professional development unit that engages both novice and experienced evaluators in (a) learning about the Essential Competencies for Program Evaluators (ECPE), (b) applying the competencies to program evaluation contexts, and (c) using the ECPE to reflect on their own professional practices. The article…

Competent practice in the field of evaluation calls upon many skills, which all can be taught. This paper suggests one perspective on how these evaluation skills could be acquired. A seven-item question-and-answer format is used to respond to a panel discussing structuring a program to prepare professional evaluators. The following questions are…

Four issues which deserve attention by moral education program evaluators when assessing program effectiveness are discussed. The first issue involves how the program might help school people cope with a problem that they believe they have. If school people are interested in problem-related outcomes, they should be willing to facilitate the…

Described is a program for training M.A.-level evaluation researchers within an academic department. The topics covered are devising the curriculum, recruiting students, conducting internships, involving the community, and evaluating the program. (Author/RM)

This paper addresses some of the concerns inherent in evaluating feminists' projects and focuses on three topics: (1) a discussion of some objections raised by feminists about traditional forms of assessment; (2) a description of the strengths and weaknesses of illuminative evaluation as an alternative approach to evaluate feminist programs; and…

The chapters in this book address four major concerns in the field of curriculum evaluation. The first chapter focuses on the formative evaluation of educational programs, concentrating on the link between program development and formative evaluation. The second chapter--"Evaluating Curriculum Implementation"--presents a classification scheme for…

Following an overview of the need for evaluation training, the Analysis of Evaluation Training Materials Project is described and the coverage, methodology, and usability of materials available for training educational personnel in evaluation skills are considered. Problem areas in evaluation, identified by the National Institute of Education…

A ninth grade home economics course, taught in an Australian high school, was evaluated with the goals of providing staff with information on evaluation procedures and obtaining information upon which judgments and recommendations for change about a particular course could be made. Of key importance in this project was the presence of an outside…

The five articles of this theme issue focus on new developments in the evaluation of science education programs that have both substantive and theoretical implications for the field of evaluation. Past and current evaluation approaches are reviewed, and an overview is given of new assessments consistent with new curriculum developments. (SLD)

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…

Amid the growing concern with accountability of mental health service agencies, increased emphasis is being focused on program self-evaluation. Evaluation criteria involve systems management, client utilization, and outcome of intervention. In designing training for self-evaluation, one must deal with issues raised by the new audience of potential…

The Minneapolis Experimental Schools Project (Southeast Alternatives)--a five-year program established in 1971 to test comprehensive change in education--enrolls 2,200 K-12 students, approximately 4% of the public school population. Southeast Alternatives (SEA) is dedicated to four major goals: (1) to provide a curriculum which helps children…

The Franklin Pierce School District, a semi-rural, semi-urban district located south of Tacoma, Washington, was one of the Experimental School Projects (ESP) initially funded by the National Institute of Education. The Franklin Pierce ESP provides an optimal learning environment for each student, with special emphasis placed upon transient,…