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The Interface Between Evaluation Policy, Quality Evaluation, and Mission/Service Alignment: A Comparative Analysis of Human Service Organizations
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| Presenter(s):
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| Kristin Kaylor Richardson, Western Michigan University, kkayrich@comcast.net
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| Abstract:
Evaluation policy can play a significant role in how, when and why an agency conducts evaluation, as well as create a context to support quality evaluation work. This paper highlights methods and findings of a systematic, empirical comparison of the nature, scope and influence of evaluation policy in multiple human service organizations. A range of qualitative methods were used to study how evaluation policy (implicit and explicit) functions in a sample of American and Canadian organizations providing child and family mental health services. Agencies were compared on a variety of dimensions, including statement of mission, vision and values, service provision and policy, and evaluation policy and practice. Implications of study findings for improving the quality of evaluation work in human service settings, as well as for future research in the area of evaluation policy and evaluation practice will be discussed.
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The Interplay of Evaluation Requirements and Political, Economic, and Technological Developments: A Historical Study of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act From 1965 to 2005
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| Presenter(s):
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| Maxine Gilling, Western Michigan University, maxine.gilling@wmich.edu
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| Abstract:
Program evaluation does not take place in a vacuum. Instead, evaluation is influenced by a number of political, economic and technological factors. These influences include changes in executive and legislative branch leadership, new political coalitions, shifts in ideology and new reform movements. The major event that influenced the establishment of contemporary educational program evaluation was the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. Since then there have been nine major reauthorizations to ESEA. This study examines the Interplay of Evaluation Requirements and Political, Economic, and Technological Developments through a historical study of the evolution of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.
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Importing Randomized Evaluations From Medicine to Education and International Development: Pitfalls, Policy Implications, and Recommendations
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| Presenter(s):
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| Rahel Kahlert, University of Texas, Austin, kahlert@mail.utexas.edu
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| Abstract:
The paper analyzes how randomized evaluations spread from medicine, to education, and international development. Translating the principles of randomization from biological to educational and social phenomena is difficult and more complex than testing drugs.
The paper has three parts: The first part refers to Evidence-Based Medicine, which made RCTs the research method of choice, but introduced impartiality bias. The second part analyzes the shift toward scientifically based, randomized evaluations in U.S. education, (No Child Left Behind, 2001). Third, randomized evaluations have been on the rise in international development for the last decade.
The paper concludes with a comparative analysis of what role randomized evaluations play in U.S. education and international development aid, using evidence-based medicine as a backdrop. Limitations of “transferability”, policy implications and recommendations are discussed, especially how RCTs can be more effectively translated between policy fields, and how they can be strengthened by qualitative data collection and analysis.
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