{"title":"From the Section Editors: International Advances in Evaluation","authors":"Caitlin Blaser Mapitsa, Alysson Akiko Oakley","doi":"10.1177/10982140241265061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10982140241265061","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":505377,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Evaluation","volume":"52 40","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141799805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rebecca M. Teasdale, Cherie M. Avent, Ceily Moore, María B. Serrano Abreu, Xinru Yan
{"title":"“It Has to Be the Common Thread”: Weaving Attention to Racial Equity and Justice Across Lines of Inquiry and Evaluative Criteria","authors":"Rebecca M. Teasdale, Cherie M. Avent, Ceily Moore, María B. Serrano Abreu, Xinru Yan","doi":"10.1177/10982140241260069","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10982140241260069","url":null,"abstract":"Evaluators must attend to the destructive forces of racialization and racism to contribute to social transformation. Thus, evaluators are called to center culture, context, equity, and social justice during each step of the evaluation process. Here, we focus on the step(s) in which evaluators define program quality and specify evaluative lines of inquiry. We interviewed 29 social justice-oriented evaluators to examine lines of inquiry for programs in which racial equity or justice played a role. Our findings illuminate the definitions of quality and lines of inquiry evaluators pursued and the values that shaped those definitions of quality. We document empirical examples of how evaluators were responsive to contexts and communities and navigated pre-set lines of inquiry. Our findings further illuminate how evaluators can weave attention to racial equity and justice as the “common thread” across lines of inquiry and create opportunities and structures for centering racial equity and justice.","PeriodicalId":505377,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Evaluation","volume":"36 29","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141800137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Communicative-Kvmecegeam Evaluation in Education Within a Mapuche Context: Proposal of an Approach","authors":"Miguel Del Pino, María Paz Vásquez Ramírez","doi":"10.1177/10982140241241050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10982140241241050","url":null,"abstract":"The Communicative-Kvmecegeam evaluation approach in education is the result of extensive research and reflections within the Mapuche context in the south-central and southern regions of Chile. This approach is inspired by recognition and participation as dimensions to overcome socio-educational inequality seen in this context and is consistent with the transformative paradigm of evaluation. This approach first accounts for an educational evaluation based on territorial, cultural, social and linguistic components. Second, it integrates evaluation cycles that account for orientations, methodologies and participatory evaluation procedures with various people—teachers, family members, Elders—who offer their knowledge to guide the evaluation. Finally, the article presents some lessons learned to date, such as the transition from a traditional concept in evaluation to a more processual and formative one within the framework of social justice.","PeriodicalId":505377,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Evaluation","volume":"19 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141818297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ha Pho, Marian A. Dyer, Jaime Vallejos, J. Lohmeier
{"title":"Applying the Participatory Evaluation Measurement Instrument in the Evaluation of a Public School Program for Teachers","authors":"Ha Pho, Marian A. Dyer, Jaime Vallejos, J. Lohmeier","doi":"10.1177/10982140241241048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10982140241241048","url":null,"abstract":"Although most evaluators are familiar with participatory evaluation (PE), the ability to measure stakeholder participation in an evaluation remains challenging. Based on Cousins and Whitmore’s (1998) PE theoretical model, Daigneault and Jacob (2009, 2012, 2014) developed an instrument for measuring the degree to which an evaluation can be considered participatory. The present study used Daigneault and Jacob's Participatory Evaluation Measurement Instrument (PEMI) in the evaluation of a public school district's educator mentoring program. The evaluators examined the benefits and challenges of using the instrument in public school settings. This paper details the procedure of using PEMI to explore the level of stakeholder participation in the evaluation case and uses a process similar to the mini-ethnography method to reflect on the experiences of the evaluators through the procedure. Findings show that in addition to accurately capturing the perceived level of participation, PEMI may be utilized in the planning phases of evaluation.","PeriodicalId":505377,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Evaluation","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140968605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michael A. Harnar, Allison M. Prieur, Kari Ross Nelson
{"title":"Using Cognitive Complexity to Understand Role-Play as a Pedagogical Tool in Graduate Evaluation Education","authors":"Michael A. Harnar, Allison M. Prieur, Kari Ross Nelson","doi":"10.1177/10982140241242128","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10982140241242128","url":null,"abstract":"In response to a call for more research on evaluator education, this paper explores the use of role-play as an in-class activity for students in a graduate course in evaluation. We describe the activity in detail and use the Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes taxonomy as a tool to describe the cognitive complexity of student responses in the activity. Using a collaborative autoethnographic approach, we found that the role-play activity provided the opportunity for students to exhibit knowledge of evaluation theories and for us to observe the complexity of their responses.","PeriodicalId":505377,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Evaluation","volume":" 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140997283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluation Capacity Building Through Community-University Partnership","authors":"Sarah Suiter, Kathryn Y. Morgan, Sara Eccleston","doi":"10.1177/10982140231209499","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10982140231209499","url":null,"abstract":"Evaluation is essential to achieving program outcomes, especially when stakeholders engage with evaluation and make use of the findings. Both of these activities require evaluation capacity that might not be present in community-based organizations. In this paper, we describe how community-university partnership models can support evaluation capacity building (ECB). The basic framework for our ECB initiative was a semester-long, master's-level university course in which 5–6 community partners worked with small groups of 3–4 students to design an evaluation plan. We used mixed-methods to assess (1) if organizations implemented the evaluation plans developed in the course; (2) how organizations used the findings; and (3) what evaluation skills participants continued to use after the course ended. We found that organizations that implemented their evaluation plans gained intended outcomes of ECB, such as improving practice and communicating with stakeholders. These results suggest that community-university partnerships for developing ECB can be effective.","PeriodicalId":505377,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Evaluation","volume":"116 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139785827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluation Capacity Building Through Community-University Partnership","authors":"Sarah Suiter, Kathryn Y. Morgan, Sara Eccleston","doi":"10.1177/10982140231209499","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10982140231209499","url":null,"abstract":"Evaluation is essential to achieving program outcomes, especially when stakeholders engage with evaluation and make use of the findings. Both of these activities require evaluation capacity that might not be present in community-based organizations. In this paper, we describe how community-university partnership models can support evaluation capacity building (ECB). The basic framework for our ECB initiative was a semester-long, master's-level university course in which 5–6 community partners worked with small groups of 3–4 students to design an evaluation plan. We used mixed-methods to assess (1) if organizations implemented the evaluation plans developed in the course; (2) how organizations used the findings; and (3) what evaluation skills participants continued to use after the course ended. We found that organizations that implemented their evaluation plans gained intended outcomes of ECB, such as improving practice and communicating with stakeholders. These results suggest that community-university partnerships for developing ECB can be effective.","PeriodicalId":505377,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Evaluation","volume":"67 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139845508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Blaine Worthen: Good Steward of AJE and More","authors":"Melvin M. Mark","doi":"10.1177/10982140231225235","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10982140231225235","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":505377,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Evaluation","volume":"400 1-6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139877729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Blaine Worthen: Good Steward of AJE and More","authors":"Melvin M. Mark","doi":"10.1177/10982140231225235","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10982140231225235","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":505377,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Evaluation","volume":"32 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139817837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"And When We Say Our Last Goodbye…: In Memory of and Salute to Stafford Hood","authors":"Rodney Hopson","doi":"10.1177/10982140231224701","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/10982140231224701","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":505377,"journal":{"name":"American Journal of Evaluation","volume":"64 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139534649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}