| Session Title: Exploring the Sacrifice Fly Phenomenon in Evaluation Use |
| Think Tank Session 570 to be held in International Ballroom D on Friday, November 9, 11:15 AM to 12:00 PM |
| Sponsored by the Evaluation Use TIG |
| Presenter(s): |
| Emmalou Norland, Institute for Learning Innovation, norland@ilinet.org |
| Discussant(s): |
| Joe Heimlich, The Ohio State University, heimlich.1@osu.edu |
| Beverly Sheppard, The Institute for Learning Innovation, sheppard@ilinet.org |
| Julia Washburn, National Park Service, julia@jlwashburn.com |
| Abstract: The Parks as Resources for Knowledge in Science- (PARKS) project evaluation, completed in 2000, is one of the largest and most sophisticated cluster evaluations ever conducted of US National Park Service education programs. A stakeholder approach guided the planning, implementation, and sharing of the findings. Methodologically, it had all the bells and whistles. Results showed impact across programs. So why, several years later, were the evaluation and its results relatively unknown to those who could have benefited the most? Evaluators followed all the 'rules' that should have placed it in the 'home run' category of evaluation use. Instead, until October 2006, it wasn't even sitting on the shelves of likely users of the information. Building upon this example and others, participants in the think tank will wrestle with the issues of evaluations in which immediate evaluation use seems to be sacrificed for future evaluation influence. |