GAS (Goal Attainment Sealing) is an administrative technique used to determine program success through defining and measuring program goals. (MB)

Discusses three different settings which illustrate the need for a cost-benefit type of evaluation and then gives examples of objective-based evaluation, goal-free evaluation, and cost-benefit evaluation. (RK)

Many independent schools are now devising or revising procedures for assessing the performance of their teaching staffs. How can they make sure that their evaluation programs will be fair to the teacher and useful to the school and the community? Discusses some common pitfalls in faculty evaluation programs. (Author/RK)

Ten functions of program theory are reviewed: contributing to social science knowledge; assisting policymakers, discriminating between theory failure and program failure, identifying the problem and target group, providing program implementation description, uncovering unintended effects, specifying intervening variables, improving formative use…

Discusses development of the six components of any sound performance appraisal program: (1) explicit job descriptions, (2) definitions of key areas of responsibility, (3) criteria for performance appraisal, (4) methods for data collection and analysis, (5) written procedures, and (6) legal review of all procedures. (PGD)

Literature that presents a complete program planning model was described and analyzed using explicitly defined and uniformly applied descriptive and evaluative dimensions. Several observations about the current state of the program planning literature are made, and recommendations designed to strengthen the literature are offered. (Author/CT)

Identifies evaluation methods for school guidance programs and some of the problems that prevent evaluation. Discusses the process of initiating an evaluation in a four-step model and suggests an experimental or quasi-experimental evaluation design as being the most credible. (JAC)

A review of research on evaluation of inservice and preservice teacher education notes that the lack of outcome data reflects a lack of consensus about the choice of evaluation measures. The use of both trainee and child performance measures is proposed, and an example of such an approach is given. (Author/CL)

This study evaluated a program that was designed to empower staff members form nonprofit organizations to design evaluations that help further their organizational mission, addressing the needs of their clients more effectively and efficiently. In 2001-200, the program was offered in five bimonthly, 2-day sessions. Twenty participants from 10…

The obstacles encountered in an outcomes assessment process were studied, focusing on the specific obstacles that prevent program administration from successfully completing the outcomes assessment process and the degree to which these obstacles operate. Of 135 dental hygiene education program directors surveyed, 107 responded, completing a…

In compliance with California's Proposition 10 (Children and Families First Act), county commissions are being asked to monitor what differences the family support programs they are funding are making in the lives of the children and families they serve. Each commission has the responsibility of selecting a set of indicators to measure the impact…

This paper summarizes the development of the Adolescent Treatment Outcome Module (ATOM) to monitor the outcomes of mental health treatment of adolescents with emotional or behavioral problems. The module is intended to: provide reliable and valid information about outcomes of mental health care; be applicable across severity levels, clinical…

The "CSE Program Evaluation Kit" is a series of nine books intended to assist people conducting program evaluations. This volume, the first in the kit, provides an overview of evaluation activities and a directory to the rest of the kit. Chapter 1 explicates the evaluation perspective that grounds the kit and describes the role of evaluation in…

The issue of treatment fidelity has been a concern in the field of evaluation research. Nearly three decades ago, Cook and Campbell (1975) outlined four types of validity that may influence treatment outcomes. Defining these validity measures has since prompted researchers to closely examine potential threats within the context of program…

The author argues for development of community profiles to serve as the basis for value decisions and a system of participation accounting to evaluate the progress of the community services program. (Author/RN)