Evaluation of a nursing practicum designed to involve students in a meaningful research experience in a limited period of time showed its contribution to increasing knowledge in selected areas and changing attitudes in undergraduates. (Author/JOW)

Some of the threats to internal validity that arise when evaluating the impact of water conservation programs during a drought are illustrated. These include differential response to the drought, self-selection bias, and measurement error. How to deal with these problems when high-quality disaggregate data are available is discussed. (SLD)

This special issue deals with the preparation of professional evaluators. Evaluation is considered as a profession that warrants specialized training. Aspects of necessary training and descriptions of current programs are discussed. (SLD)

Summarizes an evaluation of teacher appraisal in schools within one (British) local education authority, using interview data gathered from teachers over a five-month period. An overwhelming majority of interviewees felt they had been well trained to participate in the appraisal process and had benefited from the experience. Several commented on…

This article discusses four Australian case studies in which photographs and videos formed an important source of program evaluation data. In each case, background information is presented, along with ways the visual data were handled and reported. Where available, outcomes are presented to demonstrate the impact of the visual image. (SLD)

Using the example of evaluation in development programs, the author presents arguments for improving evaluation in adult education, including objective achievement, foreseen and unforeseen outcomes, and contributions to community development. (SK)

Research strategies, including types of evaluations, designs, and indicators, developed to assess programs for chronic alcoholics and mentally ill homeless people in Canada are reviewed. Findings from previous evaluations are summarized, and the implications for evaluation practice are considered. (SLD)

Identifies the demand for distributional impact assessment related to forest policies and projects and the linkages between distributional impacts and sustainable development. An integrated model is developed to assess the distributional impact of forest policies and projects. Studying the impact of the introduction of structural particleboard…

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)

Dynamics of a large, expensive, and controversial surface and underground evaluation of a radioactive waste management program at the Yucca Mountain power plant are reviewed. The use of private contractors in the quality assurance study complicates the evaluation. This case study illustrates high stakes evaluation problems. (SLD)

Seven papers are presented, which are designed to introduce evaluators and other consultants to the complex realities of the changing world of business and industry. Topics include how the practice of evaluation is changing in organizations in transition, and evaluation from the perspective of its role in changing organizations. (SLD)

Six case studies are discussed, which illustrate the experimental and pragmatic epistemological paradigms as they function independently, compete with one another, or complement each other. Researchers should consider not only the substantive goals of an evaluation, but also the epistemological goals. (SLD)

This interview with Carolyn M. Callahan, an expert in the field of gifted education, addresses the process of evaluating gifted education programs, techniques for maximizing the impact of the evaluation findings, analysis of evaluation impact, benefits of using an outside evaluator, and parent involvement in program evaluation. (JDD)

Various disparate activities have been defined as outreach, which is an element of social service/disease prevention programs. The history of outreach as a project element within federal social programs, central sources of variations in this element, measures of effectiveness and cost effectiveness, and recurring implementation issues are…

School-based evaluation, the focus of this article, is conceived of as neither a synonym for internal evaluation nor an antonym for external evaluation, but as a combination that is examined through a review of recent research. A school-based evaluation in Israel illustrates combining these approaches in a complementary way. (SLD)