Download or read book Program Evaluation Theory and Practice written by Donna M. Mertens and published by Guilford Press. This book was released on 2012-02-20 with total page 642 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This engaging text takes an evenhanded approach to major theoretical paradigms in evaluation and builds a bridge from them to evaluation practice. Featuring helpful checklists, procedural steps, provocative questions that invite readers to explore their own theoretical assumptions, and practical exercises, the book provides concrete guidance for conducting large- and small-scale evaluations. Numerous sample studies—many with reflective commentary from the evaluators—reveal the process through which an evaluator incorporates a paradigm into an actual research project. The book shows how theory informs methodological choices (the specifics of planning, implementing, and using evaluations). It offers balanced coverage of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches. Useful pedagogical features include: *Examples of large- and small-scale evaluations from multiple disciplines. *Beginning-of-chapter reflection questions that set the stage for the material covered. *"Extending your thinking" questions and practical activities that help readers apply particular theoretical paradigms in their own evaluation projects. *Relevant Web links, including pathways to more details about sampling, data collection, and analysis. *Boxes offering a closer look at key evaluation concepts and additional studies. *Checklists for readers to determine if they have followed recommended practice. *A companion website with resources for further learning.
Download or read book Program Evaluation and Performance Measurement written by James C. McDavid and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2012-10-25 with total page 561 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Program Evaluation and Performance Measurement: An Introduction to Practice, Second Edition offers an accessible, practical introduction to program evaluation and performance measurement for public and non-profit organizations, and has been extensively updated since the first edition. Using examples, it covers topics in a detailed fashion, making it a useful guide for students as well as practitioners who are participating in program evaluations or constructing and implementing performance measurement systems. Authors James C. McDavid, Irene Huse, and Laura R. L. Hawthorn guide readers through conducting quantitative and qualitative program evaluations, needs assessments, cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses, as well as constructing, implementing and using performance measurement systems. The importance of professional judgment is highlighted throughout the book as an intrinsic feature of evaluation practice.
Download or read book Preparing the Next Generation of Earth Scientists written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-11-03 with total page 95 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Earth science, which in this context does not include oceanic, atmospheric, and space sciences, is vital to the wellbeing of the United States and many of its issues, such as water resources, are expected to grow in importance. An earth science workforce will be needed to deal with this issues and it\'s important that this workforce draw on the talents of all citizens. Thus, federal education programs can be implemented to help attract and retain students on an earth science pathway; however, tight funding means agencies need to invest in programs that actually work. As a result, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Office of Science Quality and Integrity asked the National Research Council (NRC) to establish a committee to carry out a study, organized around a workshop, to address several tasks including: examining recent earth science education programs with a research or training component, both formal and informal, in these federal agencies; indentifying criteria and the results of previous federal program evaluations, and summarizing the knowledge and skills identified in recent NRC workforce reports that are needed by earth scientists in their careers. Preparing the Next Generation of Earth Scientists: An Examination of Federal Education and Training Programs presents the committee\'s finding. The investigation was completed through information provided by federal agency managers and published articles and reports. A 2-day workshop was also held to examine federal earth science education programs and efforts to leverage resources. The report includes the workshop agenda, a glossary of abbreviated terms, and more.
Download or read book Evaluating Programs to Increase Student Achievement written by Martin H. Jason and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2008-03-27 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This updated edition on evaluating the effectiveness of school programs provides an expanded needs-assessment section, additional methods for data analysis, and tools for communicating program results.
Download or read book Developing an Effective Evaluation Plan written by Department of Human Services and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-02-13 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This workbook applies the CDC Frameword for Program Evaluation in Public Health. The purpose of this workbook is to help public health program managers, administrators, and evaluators develop a joing understanding of what constitutes an evaluation plan, why it is important, and how to develop an effective evaluation plan in the context of the planning process.This workbook is intended to assist in developing an evalution plan but is not intended to serve as a complete resource on how to implement program evaluation.
Download or read book Program Evaluation in Practice written by Dean T. Spaulding and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-12-19 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An updated guide to the core concepts of program evaluation This updated edition of Program Evaluation in Practice covers the core concepts of program evaluation and uses case studies to touch on real-world issues that arise when conducting an evaluation project. This important resource is filled with illustrative examples written in accessible terms and provides a wide variety of evaluation projects that can be used for discussion, analysis, and reflection. The book addresses foundations and theories of evaluation, tools and methods for collecting data, writing of reports, and the sharing of findings. The discussion questions and class activities at the end of each chapter are designed to help process the information in that chapter and to integrate the information from the other chapters, thus facilitating the learning process. As useful for students as it is for evaluators in training, Program Evaluation in Practice is a must-have text for those aspiring to be effective evaluators. Includes expanded discussion of basic theories and approaches to program evaluation Features a new chapter on objective-based evaluation and a new section on ethics in program evaluation Provides more detailed information and in-depth description for each case, including evaluation approaches, fresh references, new readings, and the new Joint Committee Standards for Evaluation
Download or read book Utilization Focused Evaluation written by Michael Quinn Patton and published by SAGE Publications, Incorporated. This book was released on 1986 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second edition of Patton's classic text retains the practical advice, based on empirical observation and evaluation theory, of the original. It shows how to conduct an evaluation, from beginning to end, in a way that will be useful -- and actually used. Patton believes that evaluation epitomizes the challenges of producing and using information in the information age. His latest book includes new stories, new examples, new research findings, and more of Patton's evaluation humour. He adds to the original book's insights and analyses of the changes in evaluation during the past decade, including: the emergence of evaluation as a field of professional practice; articulation of standards for evaluation; a methodological synthesis of the qualitative versus quantitative debate; the tremendous growth of 'in-house' evaluations; and the cross-cultural development of evaluation as a profession. This edition also incorporates the considerable research done on utilization during the last ten years. Patton integrates diverse findings into a coherent framework which includes: articulation of utilization-focused evaluation premises; examination of the stakeholder assumption; and clarification of the meaning of utilization. --Publisher description.
Download or read book Evaluating Occupational Health and Safety Research Programs written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2009-11-12 with total page 133 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Each year, approximately 5,000 fatal work-related injuries and 4 million non-fatal injuries and illnesses occur in the United States. This number represents both unnecessary human suffering and high economic costs. In order to assist in better evaluating workplace safety and create safer work environments, the Institute of Medicine conducted a series of evaluations of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) research programs, assessing the relevance and impact of NIOSH's work on improving worker safety and health.
Download or read book How to be Involved in Program Evaluation written by Keith McNeil and published by R&L Education. This book was released on 2005-06-16 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this book is to improve the direction and utility of the evaluation by program directors in charge, and the implementation of the evaluation by the evaluator. The authors contend that both of these goals can best be met by understanding each individual role. How to be Involved in Program Evaluation: ·Provides a framework for understanding evaluation and the value of working within an evaluation model ·Provides an overview of the General Evaluation Model (GEM) ·Reviews the components of GEM from the viewpoint of the Evaluator and the Program Director—to emphasize the joint effort of the two persons ·Presents aspects of evaluation as a profession, including standards developed by professional organizations, desired traits of the Evaluator, and advantages and disadvantages of the Evaluator coming from outside the organization as compared to inside the organization ·Discusses the need for data collection instruments, and presents various examples, along with the advantages and disadvantages of the various evaluation instruments ·Discusses the crucial role of reporting evaluation results ·Discusses how the General Evaluation Model can be used to evaluate an entire school This book will be a valuable reference to program directors and evaluators.
Download or read book A Practical Guide to Program Evaluation Planning written by Marc A. Zimmerman and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2009 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book guides evaluators in planning a comprehensive, yet practical, program evaluation—from start to design—within any context, in an accessible manner.
Download or read book Evaluating Professional Development written by Thomas R. Guskey and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2000 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explains how to better evaluate professional development in order to ensure that it increases student learning, providing questions for accurate measurement of professional development and showing how to demonstrate results and accountability.
Download or read book Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation written by Joseph S. Wholey and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-11-04 with total page 754 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Praise for the third edition of the Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation "Mix three of the most highly regarded evaluators with a team of talented contributors, and you end up with an exceedingly practical and useful handbook that belongs on the reference shelf of every evaluator as well as program and policy officials." Jonathan D. Breul, executive director, IBM Center for The Business of Government "Joe Wholey and his colleagues have done it again a remarkably comprehensive, thoughtful, and interesting guide to the evaluation process and its context that should be useful to sponsors, users, and practitioners alike." Eleanor Chelimsky, former U.S. Assistant Comptroller General for Program Evaluation and Methodology "Students and practitioners of public policy and administration are fortunate that the leading scholars on evaluation have updated their outstanding book. This third edition of the Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation will prove once again to be an invaluable resource in the classroom and on the front lines for a public service under increasing pressure to do more with less." Paul L. Posner, director, public administration, George Mason University, and immediate former president, the American Society of Public Administration "The third edition of the Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation reflects the evolving nature of the field, while maintaining its value as a guide to the foundational skills needed for evaluation." Leslie J. Cooksy, current president, the American Evaluation Association "This third edition is even more of a must-have book than its earlier incarnations for academics to give their students a comprehensive overview of the field, for practitioners to use as a reference to the best minds on each topic, and for evaluation funders and consumers to learn what is possible and what they should expect. I've been in evaluation for 35 years, and I used the first and second editions all the time." Michael Hendricks, Ph.D., independent evaluation consultant
Download or read book The Basics of Project Evaluation and Lessons Learned written by Willis H. Thomas and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2018-02-06 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For some organizations, Lessons Learned (LL) is an informal process of discussing and recording project experiences during the closure phase. For others, LL is a formal process that occurs at the end of each phase of a project. Regardless of when they are performed, if you are a project team member, chances are you will soon be required to present
Download or read book Interactive Evaluation Practice written by Jean A. King and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2012-04-12 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: You′re about to start your first evaluation project. Where do you begin? Or you′re a practicing evaluator faced with a challenging situation. How do you proceed? How do you handle the interactive components and processes inherent in evaluation practice? Use Interactive Evaluation Practice to bridge the gap between the theory of evaluation and its practice. Taking an applied approach, this book provides readers with specific interactive skills needed in different evaluation settings and contexts. The authors illustrate multiple options for developing skills and choosing strategies, systematically highlighting the evaluator′s three roles as decision maker, actor, and reflective practitioner. Case studies and interactive examples stimulate thinking about how to apply interactive skills across a variety of evaluation situations. "From beginning to end, this book is an indispensable resource for those responsible for the evaluation process. In essence, here′s a chance to learn from masters about acquiring mastery. What could be more useful?" Michael Quinn Patton, Author of Utilization-Focused Evaluation "At long last, a book that explicitly addresses the importance of interpersonal dynamics in evaluation practice!" Hallie Preskill, Executive Director, Strategic Learning and Evaluation Center, FSG "As an evaluator who frequently interacts with a variety of stakeholders and who provides graduate-level evaluation training, I find Interactive Evaluation Practice to be an exceptional addition to the evaluation literature and a useful guide to interacting with various stakeholder groups." Chris L. S. Coryn, Western Michigan University
Download or read book NIH Extramural Center Programs written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2004-04-21 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Grants for research centers located in universities, medical centers, and other nonprofit research institutions account for about 9 percent of the National Institutes of Health budget. Centers are popular because they can bring visibility, focus, and increased resources to bear on specific diseases. However, congressional debate in 2001 over proposed legislation directing NIH to set up centers for muscular dystrophy research highlighted several areas of uncertainty about how to decide when centers are an appropriate research mechanism in specific cases. The debate also highlighted a growing trend among patient advocacy groups to regard centers as a key element of every disease research program, regardless of how much is known about the disease in question, the availability of experienced researchers, and other factors. This book examines the criteria and procedures used in deciding whether to establish new specialized research centers. It discusses the future role of centers in light of the growing trend of large-scale research in biomedicine, and it offers recommendations for improving the classification and tracking of center programs, clarifying and improving the decision process and criteria for initiating center programs, resolving the occasional disagreements over the appropriateness of centers, and evaluating the performance of center programs more regularly and systematically.
Download or read book Program Evaluation written by Susan P. Giancola and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2020-01-03 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Program Evaluation: Embedding Evaluation into Program Design and Development provides an in-depth examination of the foundations, methods, and relevant issues in the field of evaluation. With an emphasis on an embedded approach, where evaluation is an explicit part of a program that leads to the refinement of the program, students will learn how to conduct effective evaluations that foster continual improvement and enable data-based decision making. This text provides students with both the theoretical understanding and the practical tools to conduct effective evaluations while being rigorous enough for experienced evaluators looking to expand their approach to evaluation.
Download or read book Program Evaluation written by John M Owen and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2012-07-18 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers a straightforward, practical introduction to evaluation for beginners and practitioners. It shows how to identify appropriate forms and approaches, using an original framework. The authors examine the role of evaluation in program development, and offer techniques for involving stakeholders in the planning process and for disseminating the evaluation findings. They use references to recent research and international examples.
