In reacting to five recent books on program evaluation, eight evaluation perils are discussed: poor preparation of evaluations, programs with unrealistic goals, the mix-up of models, interpersonal conflicts, the morass of measurement, answering evaluation questions, the secondary evaluator as sniper, and hostility from program staff. (CM)

The activities of Educational Testing Service (ETS) in evaluating educational programs are described. Program evaluations are categorized as needs assessment, formative evaluation, or summative evaluation. Three classic efforts which illustrate the range of ETS' participation are the Pennsylvania Goals Study (1965), the Coleman Report--Equality of…

This study evaluates the impact of the first year of "Sesame Street" on preschool televiewing audiences in five sites (Boston, Mass., Durham, N.C., Phoenix, Ariz., suburban Philadelphia, and northeastern California). Chapter I introduces evaluational questions and the research strategy. Chapter II presents sampling procedures for pretest…

An evaluation of the first year of "The Electric Company" is provided. Volume 1 is comprised of the following chapters: I. Introduction; II. Preparing for the Evaluation (Research Design and Sampling Procedures; Field Operations; The Treatment--the in-school viewing treatment, the at-home viewing treatment, and the content of The…