The main points made by C. H. Weiss are reviewed, focusing on several ideas that have lead to the preliminary conceptualization of a theory of evaluation use. The social ecological theory of evaluation use developed is presented that sets forth conditions that result in increased evaluation use. (SLD)

Reviews some of the central insights from the preceding chapters of this issue as they relate to historical marker events from the past three decades that have influenced the evaluation profession and expanded notions of evaluation use. (Author/SLD)

Introduces the 21 papers in this special issue on the future of evaluation. These articles suggest a field that is more eclectic in methods, approaches, and practitioners than was the field described in a similar issue in 1994. (SLD)

Reviews the conclusions drawn in articles in this special issue and comments on some of the major themes, including paradigm debates, context issues, the role of evaluators and evaluation, the performance measurement movement, and the impact of new technologies on evaluation. (SLD)

Chelimsky, former head of the Program Evaluation and Methodology Division of the General Accounting Office, suggested that advocacy by evaluators destroys their credibility. Evaluators should, this author argues, be advocates for democracy and the public interest, with the question being how explicitly and how defensibly. (SLD)

Two reviews consider the program-evaluation standards of the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluations. This edition makes the complexity, risks, and power of evaluation clear through descriptive writing and case illustrations. The organization and content of the standards document are described. (SLD)

The reports highlighted in this issue offer an excellent view of the success, value, and contributions of the National Household Education Surveys (NHES) Program. Also discusses the federal statistical system and the role that NHES and other national household surveys play in providing the United States with information needed for policy…

Raises concerns about the procedures used and conclusions drawn in C. Bolon's article on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System 10th grade mathematics tests. Bolon's conclusions do not follow from his data, as described. (SLD)

In the volume reviewed, papers from 15 international experts address how government can use evaluation to guide (or control) education while attempting to decentralize administrative structure and pedagogical content. Thoughtful analysis is provided in highly integrated coverage of theory and practice. (SLD)

In the evaluation scenario presented, that of a mentoring program matching high school juniors and seventh graders, the external evaluator is asked for impact information before enough time has elapsed to provide really meaningful data. The commentators, T. A. Schwandt and D. G. Bonnet, take different approaches to what the evaluator should do.…

Review states that two well-known evaluators have assembled a collection of essays on emerging issues in evaluation. These include global political perspectives, qualitative and quantitative research, the relationship between auditing and evaluation, performance assessment, international evaluation, and methodological issues. (SLD)

Trustworthy information about career assessment instruments and their value for career counseling is difficult to obtain. This text contains information and reviews of a wide range of assessment instruments. The decisions as to what instruments to include for review were based on input from an advisory committee, a review of the literature and of…

Articles in this special issue deal with the assessment of the impact of research and are divided into segments concerning semiquantitative approaches; qualitative approaches; and quantitative and fiscal approaches. These articles illustrate the importance of the role of motivation and associated incentives. (SLD)

Describes the use of MultiLIS, a fully bilingual integrated library-management software package, at Laurentian University. The authority control module is explained, its potential as a control system for multilingual or multithesaurus controlled vocabularies is considered, and an evaluation of the MultiLIS authority module is presented with…