This is the third issue of "The Evaluation Exchange" devoted entirely to the theme of methodology, though every issue tries to identify new methodological choices, the instructive ways in which people have applied or combined different methods, and emerging methodological trends. For example, lately "theories of change" have gained almost…

During the summer and fall of 2003, Education Development Center's Center for Children and Technology (CCT) undertook a formative evaluation of the Intel Innovation in Education institutes. The institutes are one- to two-and-a-half day district-level trainings intended to introduce professional development providers to the online resources and…

Even the best program in education will fail to have the intended impact if its essential elements are not implemented properly. Degree of implementation is, then, critical to draw valid conclusions on program outcomes (e.g., Scheirer & Rezmovic, 1983). Especially important is the information on the fidelity with which a program is implemented.…

Underage drinking prevention has two goals: prevent harm to the individual drinker and prevent harm to society. Modern prevention programs should be measured not by their intentions, but by their consequences: reducing the number of criminal events, reducing the amount of harm to individuals, and reducing the harm to society. This guide discusses…

Mainstreaming evaluation requires establishing aesthetic and ethical frameworks, as well as knowledge and skills, that make "doing" evaluation seem like the right thing. Evaluators and others have worked hard to institute evaluation as a prudent activity for society to support. The phenomenon of mainstreaming itself, however, poses…

This book is an effort to document ideas, processes, and outcomes based on input from many people involved in accountability of interagency collaborative services programs. The goals, processes, instruments, and reporting systems presented have been developed through a team process over a 10-year period of involvement with Iowa's School-Based…

An environmental scanning process was used to solicit opinions about the future of Columbia Basin College, Washington, from various interest groups. The interest groups were formed to research topics and areas important to the future of the college. Ten interest groups, with a total of 37 members, were founded and the scanning process was also…

This study examines key theoretical principles of learning-oriented evaluation for HRD programs. Practical guidelines for the implementation of learning-oriented evaluation are also developed based on the related literature. This study suggests that evaluation should be a learning process in which information and knowledge are socially constructed…

This research brief describes how to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis. The first task is to find out if there are differences in the costs of operating program alternatives through the following steps: (1) describing each program alternative and its components and potential benefits; (2) determining the costs of the alternatives by…

This digest examines features of both process and impact evaluations to help officials of youth programs assess the programs for which they are responsible. With proper planning, evaluation can be part of a program without having to compete for attention and resources with the services the program is trying to provide. A process evaluation…

This document provides some guidance to those who are exploring the connections between service-learning and evaluation. Categories are defined in the document by highlighting the following seven questions: (1) What do I need to know about the important issues involved in evaluating my service-learning program? (2) Do you have a model of…

This guide is designed to help school district leaders promote comprehensive school reform (CSR) and to assist schools in evaluating the implementation and outcomes of their CSR models. The guide discusses why evaluation is critical and how to use it as a tool for continuous improvement in CSR models. Summative and formative evaluations are…

This paper gives a brief overview of how qualitative and quantitative interviews can be combined to get a fuller picture of a program and its outcomes. This concept is illustrated through a discussion of evaluations of the Employment Intervention Demonstration Program, a multi-site research demonstration project funded by the Substance Abuse…

This guide was written to provide basic program evaluation principles and procedures to aid educators in planning and conducting evaluations of school programs. Examples help the reader gain competence and confidence in program evaluation. The guide is meant to serve as a reference as the program evaluator conducts the five tasks of program…

This monograph describes a variety of approaches to understanding how cost and quality are related and offers analytical tools. The analyses focus on the direct cost of instruction for a course, a course of study, or an academic program and do not include related support services such as the library or academic computing. Following an introductory…