Multilevel programs--that is, programs with multiple levels of administration, funding, and implementation--present dynamic and challenging environments for the conduct and use of evaluation. The challenges include questions, priorities, audiences, and purposes that vary at each level. This chapter discusses the challenges as well as the…

Examples from the evaluation of a program in which data collection systems were developed jointly by the program's staff and evaluators are described. The Louisiana SPUR (Special Plan Upgrading Reading) Project was evaluated by the Louisiana Department of Education Bureau of Evaluation. SPUR involves 63 of the state's 66 public school systems and…

An overview of the 1988-89 pilot study and 1989-90 field test for the Georgia Media Specialist Evaluation Program is provided. Development of an annual evaluation program for media specialists began in 1987 with the formation of an advisory committee of media specialists, administrators, university personnel, and Georgia Education Department…

The Vermont Vocational Special Needs Evaluation System is a statewide system for evaluating special projects for disadvantaged and handicapped students enrolled in secondary level vocational education programs. A program used for training individuals to serve as external evaluators for the system is presented. This document consists of four…

Educators in North Carolina, recognizing a need to develop a more objective, performance-based teacher evaluation system, determined that evaluation of teachers should have both formative and summative outcomes and should focus on improvement of teacher skills. The Teacher Performance Appraisal System (TPAS), a companion to the North Carolina…

This article concerns recommendations made in a report to Congress and the Department of Education on evaluation of federally supported education programs. The work covers local, state, and federal efforts to address questions about why and how well evaluations are done, and about how results are used. The recommendations are directed toward…

The Visiting Team Guidelines for Evaluation of Pennsylvania School Districts was prepared as a companion document for the three Pennsylvania Educational Needs Assessment Self-Study Guides for elementary schools, middle/junior high schools, and secondary schools. The purpose of these guidelines is to assist personnel of the school district and…

Recommendations are made to Congress and the Department of Education on evaluation of federally supported education programs. The work covers local, state, and federal efforts to address questions about evaluation procedures and practices, and the use of evaluation results. The recommendations are directed toward improving the quality and…

The evaluator's role in planning/implementing an evaluation of a new program to train school administrators in performance appraisal skills is described. This case study of the evaluators' broadening roles uses E. Chelimsky's continuum (1987) to analyze political processes and decision making involved in the evaluation of a state-funded program.…

The Michigan accountability system, based on statewide objectives-referenced testing at two grade levels generated considerable controversy, including this response to criticisms of an evaluation of the program by a panel of three persons. The contract under which the evaluation was performed is quoted to show that the authors of the report were…

A case study description of work toward developing an evaluation model for implementation of a statewide principal incentive program illustrates the achieving of consensus when multiple stakeholders' interests were involved. The type of training and background needed by evaluators are also considered. In response to the Educational Improvement Act…

The Guidelines for Educational Program Auditors in Utah were prepared to help educational program auditors (EPAs) deliver high quality services with a minimum of effort; they were intended to serve as a text for EPA training sessions, as a handbook and policy guide for EPAs and their assistants, and as a standard for judging the quality of EPA…

The Board of Regents (BoR) and State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) selected four external consultants to review and evaluate redesigned graduate programs for educational leaders and teachers. In addition, personnel from the Louisiana Department of Education reviewed all K-12 undergraduate teacher preparation programs and…

Program evaluation strategies and techniques based on materials developed by the California Evaluation Improvement Project were discussed at this meeting of the Regional Interstate Planning Project (RIPP). RIPP members represent the State Departments of Education of ten western states, and have met periodically over the past nine years to discuss…

The Board of Regents (BoR) and State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (SBESE) selected external consultants who possessed knowledge of current research and effective practices to review and evaluate redesigned programs for educational leaders and teachers. In addition, personnel from the Louisiana Department of Education reviewed all…