Using a case example of one of the mental health agencies in Florida, we demonstrate the utility of concept mapping for developing a program logic model and articulating a program theory for program assessment. The results of the concept mapping procedure enabled identification of 100 program services as described in statements by staff. Moreover,…

Community-based organizations (CBOs), typically small and underfunded with transient staff members, are told by funders to care for clients and verify program value. To assist CBOs with evaluations that speak to program effectiveness, many funders wish to expand the evaluation capacity of CBO staff members so that evaluation will occur as long as…

Purpose: To propose an evaluation model for the quality implementations in higher education through an analysis of quality systems and program evaluation using a systems approach. Design/methodology/approach: Theoretical background, research and practice of the quality systems in higher education and program evaluation are analysed in conjunction…

"First Things First" is a reform model intended to transform elementary, middle, and high schools serving significant proportions of economically disadvantaged students. Its three main components are: (1) "small learning communities" of students and teachers; (2) a family and student advocate system that pairs staff members and…

With a focus on the use of technology when evaluating programs for Aboriginal people, this article explores the possibility of using visual and oral computer technology to enhance the incorporation of Aboriginal worldviews in program evaluation. The author situates Aboriginal worldviews, including methods of communication and transmission of…

This special series focused on treatment integrity in the child mental health and education field is timely. The articles do a laudable job of reviewing (a) the current status of treatment integrity research and measurement, (b) existing conceptual models of treatment integrity, and (c) the limitations of prior research. Overall, this thoughtful…

Doctoral programs in the humanities and related social sciences are characterized by high attrition and long times to degree. In 1991 the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation launched the Graduate Education Initiative (GEI) to improve the quality of graduate programs and in turn reduce attrition and shorten time-to-degree. Over a 10-year period, the…

We describe changes in adaptive functioning for children enrolled in the Intensive Mental Health Program (IMHP), an innovative model for serving children with the most severe forms of SED. Most children show marked improvements in multiple indicators of role performance and symptomatology. Although a high risk, high need group, most children…

Evaluation capacity building, or ECB, is an area of great interest within the field of evaluation as well as in Extension evaluation. Internal Extension evaluators have long offered training and technical assistance to help Extension educators conduct evaluation. Today ECB in Extension encompasses myriad activities and processes to advance…

Following a brief introduction to the David Douglas School District community and schools located in a partly unincorporated area of Portland/Multnomah County, Oregon, this publication describes the district's prior annual goal-setting process and its evolving Vision 90's strategic-planning and implementation process (SPI). Strategic-planning…

A review of counseling services within Alberta Career Development and Employment is presented in this document. Strategic issues were identified, most of which occur in other vocational counseling organizations. The issues include: (1) adapting to organizational changes; (2) increasing linkages between counseling services; (3) re-defining…

An evaluation tool, the Evaluation Center Cube (ECC), is presented as a vehicle for establishing an analytic framework and uniting evaluation strategies. The ECC was developed in response to the Kellogg Foundation's need to categorize community-initiated funding proposals. As a classification tool, it facilitates proposal analysis and is…

Brief case studies of three projects are presented to illustrate the steps which open "Wonderful Programs" to evaluation research. The evaluator is provided with the perspective needed to believe the evaluation is worth doing. The project staff is then redirected to the need for a new type of evidence. An ongoing review of the commitment…

While there is a recognized need for new and better ways to train soldiers to fight, many training programs developed in response to this need are used poorly or not at all. In part, the failure to use these training programs stems from the lack of established procedures for monitoring implementation and evaluating use. Effective monitoring can…

The paper describes an interactive evaluation process based on E. Brown's transactional evaluation model, and its application to evaluating programs serving children with severe and multiple disabilities or other low incidence populations. The model emphasizes the first part of the assessment process, determining which questions to ask and what…