This document is comprised of the 1998 issues (issues 3 and 4 are combined) of a quarterly newsletter produced by the Harvard Family Research Project to share new ideas and experiences in evaluating systems reform and comprehensive child and family services. Regular columns include: "From the Director's Desk,""Theory and…

Many communities are trying to build sustainable societies, melding the wisdom of nature with culture, by undertaking various projects and initiatives. Although many projects may contribute to community sustainability, it is difficult to know which are most urgent or will be most effective. The purpose of this document is to introduce the concept…

The amount of literature on program evaluation decreased in 1996, continuing a trend begun in the late 1980s. One exception to this is the literature on assessment. Another frequent issue is the technique of evaluation. Many examples of research on evaluation are from international settings, where accountability and evaluation appear to be…

The history of the African people before slavery and colonization illustrates the ways in which different pictures of reality are created by which data are selected and ignored. The model of inquiry that verifies historical accuracy can help all program evaluators provide greater truth and equity for their clients. (SLD)

Discusses techniques that teachers and caregivers can use to assess the social development of young children. Indicates how anecdotal records, running records, checklists, rating scales, and standardized tests allow educators to determine the social competency of children and plan appropriate intervention strategies. (MDM)

Three trends that are projected for the future of evaluation are greater use of evaluation research in litigation; increasing integration of the social and natural sciences for certain kinds of evaluation research; and a move away from conventional statistics toward data analysis. (SLD)

Effects of question length and explicitness of directions (format) were examined for 97 university students answering open-ended consumer satisfaction questions at 9 health promotion workshops. Question format, but not length, was related to the usefulness of answers. Implications for use and construction of open-ended questions are discussed.…

The future of program evaluation is bright if evaluators do not ignore their roots in quantitative research. The current interest in qualitative approaches and the call for a "fourth generation" in evaluation should not override training in quantitative research. Qualitative research should complement, rather than replace, traditional…

Three exploratory studies involving 116 students examined the relevance of a developmental model for approaching supervision of graduate students in evaluation studies. The model includes three stages and eight developmental tasks in each stage. Three case studies support using the developmental model in conceptualizing student progress. (SLD)

Seven articles focus on child and adolescent mental health services, highlighting major evaluation issues, considering the contribution of evaluation to improvement of these services, and describing efforts to overcome distinctive problems in these areas. Policymakers and providers of services are optimistic about the use of evaluation of program…

Introducing a wider perspective of evaluation into the school by developing school-based evaluation mechanisms is discussed. The approach is based on conceptual development derived from U.S. perspectives on program evaluation, actual work in schools with teachers and principals in Israel, and empirical studies in the United States. (SLD)

Describes a case study focusing on the first year of a three-year change initiative in which holistic curriculum was implemented in a kindergarten through grade-eight school (Simcoe Street School) in Ontario (Canada). Documents the success of the implementation and its continued use as part of school philosophy. (SLD)

The process used in Papua New Guinea to integrate national and district health planning in a decentralized setting is described, highlighting the key elements of participation, learning by doing, and integration. The importance of this three-pronged approach for program development and application is discussed. (SLD)

Dissemination approaches of the U.S. Department of Education are explored in the context of federal efforts to recognize the best, considering relatively systematic approaches to recognition and the five vulnerable evaluation areas of (1) undefined universes; (2) noncomparable goals; (3) identifying reproducible conditions; (4) saturation; and (5)…

After describing inadequacies of current U.S. Department of Education funding strategies in identifying and sharing the best of research and development, this article outlines an alternative vision centered on using evaluation to guide replication. How to overcome constraints in implementing this vision for federal education leadership is…