The purpose of this holistic case study with a mixed methods approach was two-fold: first, to investigate the extent to which elementary teachers in the BTSD sustained the use of formative assessment reform to regulate instruction, and second, to explore the factors that promoted fidelity to formative assessment reform. Although this study…

As part of a multiyear research study on the preparation of educators to use assessment data for instructional improvement, the present study is a pilot test of a research-based professional development intervention for career-technical teachers. Forty-eight educators at nine sites in five states participated in a 1-day workshop followed by…

To propose recommendations for implementing an outcomes-based assessment program review in a California community college district, a grounded theory analysis was performed within the district. The findings generated were cross-referenced with findings from a multi-institutional case study analysis. A key finding from the cross-reference was the…

It is hard to overestimate the significance of the master planning process. The process is one of the most salient strategies that the Maryland State Department of Education utilizes for improving student achievement and closing the achievement gap. Until recently, many local school systems (LSSs) treated planning as a local endeavor that merely…

This guide is designed to inform school directors about the value of a data dashboard and to provide information on how districts can create a data dashboard for school directors. A data dashboard is a tool for viewing and analyzing student achievement and performance data. Key data for monitoring student achievement and directing policy level…

The proposed model for vocational education evaluation is based on an instrumental/incremental definition of evaluation utilization and various subject-specific influences on utilization. Critical components are the identification of issues for vocational education and the application of a dynamic cycle of evaluation for linking evaluation…

Explores the problems of theory-based evaluation, describes the nature of potential benefits, and suggests that the benefits are significant enough to warrant continued effort to overcome the obstacles and advance its use. Many of the problems are related to inadequate theories about pathways to desired program outcomes. (SLD)

Offers a vision of responsiveness as the political inclusion of marginalized human service providers and end users through one evaluator's critical and sustained efforts to enact this vision in practice. Discusses difficulties in the active inclusion of the critical reference group, usually service users, in evaluation. (SLD)

Provides a conceptual framework for considering the distinction between evaluation use and evaluation influence and the relationship between evaluation use and knowledge use. Clarifies and expands some of the established definitions of concepts related to evaluation use. (SLD)

Describes a utilization-focused evaluation "gone awry" when two of the primary intended users left the program and were replaced. Discussion centers on the potential choices for use when intended users are no longer part of an evaluation. (SLD)

The role of the evaluator in insuring utilization and quality of evaluation results is discussed. Topics covered include a utilization-focused vision of accountability, overcoming staff fears of evaluation, eliciting the right information from users, situational responsiveness, and advocacy. (TJH)

Presents an integrated theory of evaluation influence that is broader than previous constructs of use and includes the dimensions of source, intention, and time. The resulting framework addresses process-based use and results-based use; intended and unintended use; and episodic and instrumental use. (SLD)

"Evaluation Theory, Models, and Applications" is designed for evaluators and students who need to develop a commanding knowledge of the evaluation field: its history, theory and standards, models and approaches, procedures, and inclusion of personnel as well as program evaluation. This important book shows how to choose from a growing…

The study of the consequences of evaluation, or more specifically of evaluation use or utilization, represents a significant portion of the body of research on evaluation. Much has been written on the evolution of the multidimensional concept of evaluation use, most recently the examination of consequences of evaluation that are not a function of…

This article presents an interview with Michael Patton whose professional evolution has contributed to the way evaluation in the United States is understood and practiced today. Patton is an evaluation and organizational development consultant who spent 18 years at the University of Minnesota (1973-1991), including 5 years as the director of the…