Evaluation in Today’s World. Veronica G. Thomas
efforts.
There is much to trace in the evolution of evaluation, and it is impossible to neatly fit it into a single chapter. Our attempt was to trace the historical evolution of evaluation to the present time through a more inclusive and social justice lens. We covered notable, and sometimes ignored, events and people contributing to this evolution. Other noteworthy events and influencers not mentioned in this chapter are found elsewhere throughout this text. Currently, there are numerous professional evaluators, with diverse perspectives, around the world conducting evaluations in a variety of areas such as health, education, and criminal justice. These evaluators are employed in a myriad of settings including universities, research institutes, government agencies, K–12 school districts, and private industry. Knowledge of the evolution of program evaluation, its various traditions, and key figures/events within a sociocultural context can better help these and aspiring evaluators appreciate current evaluation perspectives, recurring issues, and persistent gaps.
The evaluation of programs designed to ameliorate social problems is not going away. And, undoubtedly, program evaluation will continue to evolve in a changing and increasingly diverse society. The challenge to the profession as it evolves into the future is to continue its push to make evaluations more socially just, inclusive, methodologically sound, and useful to intended users.
Supplemental Resources
Major Evaluation Journals
American Journal of Evaluation, launched in 1981, publishes original, peer-reviewed, often highly cited articles that explore the decisions and challenges related to conceptualizing, designing, and conducting evaluations including issues ranging from choosing program theories to implementing an evaluation to presenting the final report to managing an evaluation’s consequences. https://journals.sagepub.com/home/aje
Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation, first published in 1985, publishes full-length articles (in both French and English) on all aspects of the theory and practice of evaluation, real-life cases written by evaluation practitioners, and practice notes that share practical knowledge, experiences and lessons learned. https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cjpe/index
Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, established in 1979, publishes rigorous, policy-relevant original research of interest to those engaged in educational policy analysis, evaluation, and decision making from multiple disciplines, theoretical orientations, and methodologies. https://journals.sagepub.com/home/epa
Evaluation: The International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice is an interdisciplinary, international peer-reviewed journal launched in 1995, whose purpose is to promote dialogue internationally and to build bridges within the expanding field of evaluation. www.tavinstitute.org/what-we-offer/journals/evaluation-the-international-journal-of-theory-research-and-practice/
Evaluation and the Health Professions, established in 1978, is a peer-reviewed, quarterly journal that provides health-related professionals with state-of-the-art methodological, measurement, and statistical tools for conceptualizing the etiology of health promotion and problems and developing, implementing, and evaluating health programs, teaching and training services, and products that pertain to a myriad of health dimensions. https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ehp
Evaluation and Program Planning, initially published in 1978, has as its primary goals to publish articles that assist evaluators and planners to improve the practice of their professions, develop their skills, and improve their knowledge base. www.journals.elsevier.com/evaluation-and-program-planning/
Evaluation Review: A Journal of Applied Social Research, published since 1977, seeks to bring together the latest applied evaluation methods used in a wide range of disciplines. https://journals.sagepub.com/home/erx
Journal of Multi Disciplinary Evaluation, initially published in 2004, is a free, online journal published by the Evaluation Center at Western Michigan University focusing on the profession and discipline of evaluation. http://journals.sfu.ca/jmde/index.php/jmde_1
New Directions for Evaluation, a quarterly thematic journal first published in 1978 by the AEA, publishes empirical, methodological, and theoretical works on all aspects of evaluation. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1534875x#pane-01cbe741-499a-4611-874e-1061f1f4679e01
Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation is a peer-reviewed online journal, first published in 1999, whose purpose is to provide free access to articles that can have a positive impact on assessment, research, evaluation, and teaching practice. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/pare/
The Evaluation Exchange, the Harvard Family Research Project’s evaluation periodical, launched in 1995, publishes brief articles addressing current issues facing program evaluators and highlights innovative methods and approaches to evaluation. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/connections/harvard-family-research-project-the-evaluation-exchange
CDC Evaluation Resources
www.cdc.gov/eval/resources/index.htm
www.cdc.gov/eval/tools/index.htm
These links include a variety of evaluation manuals, tools, self-study guides, and other evaluation-related resources.
University Programs in Evaluation
This AEA website provides a listing and description of university graduate programs or certificate programs either directly in evaluation or with available concentrations in evaluation. To be listed, a program must include a sequence of at least three courses focusing directly on evaluation supported by other coursework in appropriate methodologies.
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One of the faces is turned to the right, is cut on a light-colored paper, and consists of one half of a jigsaw puzzle piece. The other face is turned to the left, is cut on a dark paper, and consists of the other half of the puzzle piece.
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