USING EVALUATIONS - DOES EVALUATION MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

• NCJ Number: 60289
• Author(s): M C ALKIN; R DAILLAK; P WHITE
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 270 pages
• Corporate Author: Sage Publications, Inc
• Sale Source: Sage Publications, Inc
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: SAGE LIBRARY OF SOCIAL RESEARCH, VOLUME 76

Annotation

FIVE CASE STUDIES OF PROGRAM EVALUATION IN SCHOOLS ARE PRESENTED IN AN ANALYSIS OF EVALUATION UTILIZATION AND IMPACT.

Abstract

THE CASE STUDIES INVOLVE PROJECTS FUNDED UNDER THE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT TITLE I AND TITLE IV-C PROGRAMS. THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDIES IS TO DETERMINE WHETHER EVALUATIONS INFLUENCE PROJECT DECISIONMAKING AND OPERATIONS AND, IF SO, HOW. THE METHODS USED IN THE CASE STUDIES ARE DESCRIBED. EACH STUDY REPORT INCLUDES DETAILS OF THE EVALUATION PROCESS AND ITS IMPACT. ON THE BASIS OF THE STUDIES, CONCLUSIONS ARE DRAWN ABOUT THE IMPACT OF EVALUATIONS, AND A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF EVALUATION UTILIZATION IS DEVELOPED. THE CASE STUDIES SHOW THAT EVALUATION DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE, THOUGH NOT ALWAYS IMMEDIATELY AND NOT ALWAYS IN THE EXPECTED FASHION. EVALUATION UTILIZATION MAY BE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS: THE CONSIDERATION OF EVALUATION INFORMATION (BY A LOCAL CLIENT OR OTHER USERS) AS THE DOMINANT INFLUENCE OR AS ONE OF MULTIPLE OR CUMULATIVE INFLUENCES IN MAKING DECISIONS (OR IN SUBSTANTIATING PREVIOUS DECISIONS OR ACTIONS, OR IN ESTABLISHING OR ALTERING ATTITUDES) RELATED TO PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT, FUNDING, OPERATIONS, STRUCTURE, METHODS, OR COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE. THE FOLLOWING FACTORS (AND THEIR INTERRELATIONSHIPS) ARE DETERMINANTS OF EVALUATION UTILIZATION: PREEXISTING EVALUATION BOUNDS, ORIENTATION OF USERS, EVALUATOR'S APPROACH AND CREDIBILITY, ORGANIZATIONAL AND EXTRAORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS, INFORMATION CONTENT AND REPORTING, AND ADMINISTRATOR'S STYLE. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED.