This article presents a view of barriers to effective gifted program evaluation resulting from ineffective tools for measuring growth in gifted students and the human barriers confounding the evaluation process. The role of advocacy in the design, implementation, and utilization of evaluation studies is examined. Long held beliefs and biases…

Notes that, very early in program planning, budgets are estimated for major program components, including evaluation. Proposes heuristic for establishing reasonable evaluation estimates in initial planning. Describes logical sources of information from which to construct such a heuristic. Recommends that, for typical programs and projects, initial…

Explores the current organization development assessment milieu and proposes a model to help clarify assessment. Each feature of the model is defined, and characteristic problems are discussed in light of current methods and theory. Guidelines are proposed to enhance the assessability of potential change activities. (Author)

Explores the problems involved in conducting program evaluation in the field of energy conservation. Highlights similarities between evaluation research and basic research. Examines stages of evaluation research within the context of energy conservation programs and argues that experimental evaluations are desirable and feasible. (Author/MK)

Developed method for empirically evaluating functioning of peer-based alcohol abuse prevention organization. Used results to design intervention to improve organization's functioning by increasing student control, enhancing cohesiveness, and providing training in leadership skills and alcohol use. Reassessment one year later indicated that…

Highlights need for collaboration, integration, and expansion in designing evaluation models for career development programs. Outlines fledgling evaluation model that began to emerge at Symposium on Issues and Solutions for Evaluating Career Development Programs and Services. Notes that model addresses dimensions critical in evaluation of career…

Factors that influence the sample size necessary for longitudinal evaluations include the nature of the evaluation questions, nature of available comparison groups, consistency of the treatment in different sites, effect size, attrition rate, significance level for statistical tests, and statistical power. (Author/GDC)

Functioning-level testing has been proposed as an alternative to grade-level testing for the evaluation of compensatory educational programs in which students score well below their own grade level. Data from two studies, however, suggest an adverse impact on program evaluation from the adoption of functioning-level testing. Two compensatory…

Selectivity bias arises in program evaluation when the treatment or control status of the subjects is related to unmeasured characteristics that themselves are related to the program outcome under study. This situation has the potential to lead to an incorrect estimation of the treatment effect when assignment to treatment and control groups is…

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)

Research investigating training in family therapy is scant. This paper describes existing models of training in marriage and family therapy, major issues pertinent to the evaluation of the effectiveness of such training, and suggests a methodology for such evaluation. (Author)

Part of a graduate program in clinical community psychology was subjected to a jury trial as a form of program evaluation. The theory of the trial as evaluation, the problems of implementation, and a post-trial evaluation are discussed. (Author/MH)

Presents action-theoretical approach to evaluation of career development programs based on constructionist epistemology. Propositions from action-theoretical perspective center around career and action as related, interpretative constructs. Propositions give rise to implications for evaluation of career programs that address ongoing nature of…

The purpose of this publication is to highlight the importance of monitoring and documenting alcohol and drug abuse (AOD) program activities. Section 1 of this publication covers basic ideas in evaluating AOD program implementation, various methods of gathering data, and suggestions on selecting instruments. Section 2 contains abstracts of several…

School-based sexual abuse prevention programs implemented in grades K-6 are summarized according to mode and content of presentation, audience and trainer characteristics, and program length. Means for conducting systematic evaluations of these programs are needed in order to enable educators to decide relative advantages and disadvantages of…