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Strategies for Increasing the Number of African Americans Entering the Field of Evaluation
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| Presenter(s):
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| Charita Ray-Blakely, Texas A&M University, crayblake@neo.tamu.edu
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| Abstract:
Research suggests that the number of African American workers, in a great majority of professions such as academia, is minimal in comparison to the overall number of workers in that industry. The professional field of evaluation is no exception. Because there are many reasons contributing to this state, it is unlikely that one solution is achievable. Legislation such as Affirmative Action was enacted as a weapon to combat this inconsistency, but is far from an accepted solution. This study will, from an African American perspective, elucidate and explore the issue of awareness, serving as a contributor to the troubling shortage of African American's entering the field of evaluation. Through exploration of this issue, suggestions for increasing the number of African American's entering the field of evaluation will be made.
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Culture Within Context: Innovative Strategies That Will Increase Ethnic Diversity Within the Evaluation Field
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| Presenter(s):
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| Jade Caines, Emory University, jcaines@emory.edu
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| Abstract:
Based on recent data from the American Evaluation Association's internal scan, evaluators from racial/ethnic minority groups have limited representation within AEA membership. This leads to the assumption that evaluators at large are not racially/ethnically diverse. AEA must address these disparities. Evaluation studies must utilize the knowledge, skills, and abilities of ethnically diverse teams. Context, however, matters and calls for a multi-tiered approach aimed at increasing ethnic diversity within the field. Therefore, I propose a three-strand educational approach: First, AEA should create mentorship/shadow programs targeting secondary students. Second, an aggressive marketing campaign can help expose undergraduate/graduate students to the field. Third, workshops aimed at career-changers can highlight the opportunities available in, as well as the benefits of, the evaluation field. With increased federal mandates and a piercing focus on evaluation, there is no time to waste. AEA must step up to the challenges facing this field. The time is now.
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