The impact of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is usually understood in relation to schools and districts, but the legislation has also affected community-based organizations that operate school-linked programs. This case study of an after-school program in California demonstrates how educational accountability systems that emphasize students' academic…

The misuse of evaluation is discussed. Boundaries of misutilization are not well understood, and distinctions between misutilization and non-use or abuse are not clear. In general, the responsibility for evaluation misuse is with the user, while the responsibility for misevaluation is with the evaluator. A distinction is also needed between…

Ethnographic methods can be a valuable supplement to our understanding of the limits and possibilities of social science research by addressing the question of subjectivity directly. When ethnographers enter a social situation, they explain themselves and participants see them primarily in the role of fieldworker. But field researchers also have…

The author presents his opinion that educational evaluation has much similarity to the nonfiction narrative, (defined as a series of events ordered in time), particularly as it relates a current situation to future possibilities. He refers to Stake's statement that evaluation is concerned not only with outcomes but also with antecedents and with…

Provides ten suggestions to help in choosing and using an outside evaluator. (IRT)

Discusses how one ensures a high degree of unbiased research and subsequent utilization in environmental contexts that are often described as competitive, self-serving, and survival-oriented. The causes of political problems and their dimensions are discussed along with strategies for minimizing them. (Author/IRT)

An incident from evaluation practice is examined to aid understanding of moral problems in evaluation. Six characteristics are identified and discussed. Types of research needed on the moral aspects of evaluation practice are presented. Suggestions for aiding evaluators in dealing with moral problems are outlined. (Author/DWH)

Some of the major moral and ethical dilemmas illustrated by authors in this special journal issue are highlighted. From an ethical viewpoint, the complexity of evaluation activities is likened to "quicksand" terrain in which directional or warning signs should be erected to aid personal choices when such issues are encountered.…

Examined outcome expectancies of people who conduct appraisals. Interviews with 32 appraisers in the newsprint industry showed that appraisers perceived no consequences to them of conducting appraisals. Questionnaires completed by 39 appraisers in the banking industry provided moderate support for alternate hypothesis that appraisers perceive…

This paper reviews some of the literature related to evaluator certification programs and expresses a concern over the unilateral implementation of such a program by an evaluation organization like the American Evaluation Association. Such a move could lower the economic incentives that evaluators from developing countries would have to join their…

Program evaluation must be practiced by all members of all trades, disciplines, professions, or any other group of people whose efforts are aimed at making a difference. There is a role for "content free" evaluation methodology resources, but not for a professional "content free" evaluator. (RL)

The author provides a checklist of questions for directors of programs undergoing external evaluation, concerning the evaluation effort (purpose, focus, criteria, outcome) and the evaluators (selection, experience, approach, meta-evaluation). (SK)

Proposes an ethical principle to guide evaluators of cooperative education programs: that all actions of the evaluator contribute to a competent, fair, and useful assessment. Applies this principle to each element of the evaluation process. (SK)

Studied the self-reported evaluation practices of eight evaluation theorists and the real-world practices of 138 program evaluators. Derived a comparative framework to illustrate the similarities and differences among the eight theories as they are applied. (SLD)

Discusses the concept of process use as an important distinction between the evaluation theories of E. House and D. Fetterman, thus helping to explain the discordant results of C. Christie for these two theories. (SLD)