This is an introduction to a set of four papers in the field of evaluation research. A main theme in these papers is the recognition that evaluation research is not a pure objective scientific self-standing activity, but one that interacts within a context and is influenced by the interchanges. (LMO)

Effects of the federal compensatory education policy on the capacity of schools to deliver high-quality services to poor children is examined with a focus on federal assessment of Chapter 1 programs. Alternatives are suggested to improve evaluation usefulness in building organizational capacity by moving beyond a sole focus on student outcomes.…