Program Theory in Evaluation: Challenges and Opportunities (Issue 87: New Directions for Evaluation-EV..PE)
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More About This Title Program Theory in Evaluation: Challenges and Opportunities (Issue 87: New Directions for Evaluation-EV..PE)

English

This issue explores the current state of program theory as it has developed over the last ten years and examines the role program theory can play in a range of new areas that have recently arisen in evaluation. The contributors draw on a review of the literature to discuss the history of program evaluation, its diversity in application, and its strength and limitations in practice, including the special challenges related to causal inference. They describe opportunities for program theory to help evaluators in areas such as measuring performance, replicating successful programs, helping program staff understand the support evaluation, and conducting meta-analysis. They outline a future agenda for program theory evaluation, explain why it is essential that there be an increase in real-world tests and applications, and more. This is the 87th issue of the quarterly journal New Directions for Evaluation.

English

ROGERS is director of the Program for Public Sector Evaluation in the Faculty of Applied Science, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia. HACSI is research fellow at the Harvard Children's Initiative and teaches history at the Harvard Extension School. PETROSINO is research fellow at the Center for Evaluation, Initiatives for Children Program, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and research associate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. TRACY A. HUEBNER is coordinator for comprehensive school reform at WestEd.

English

1. Program Theory Evaluation: Practice, Promise, and Problems Patricia J. Rogers, Anthony Petrosino, Tracy A. Huebner, Timothy A. Hacsi
2. Ascertaining Causality in Theory-Based Evaluation E. Jane Davidson
3. The False Choice Between Theory-Based Evaluation and Experimentation Thomas D. Cook
4. Which Links in Which Theories Shall We Evaluate? Carol Hirschon Weiss
5. Causal Models in Program Theory Evaluation Patricia J. Rogers
6. Whether and Why? The Potential Benefits of Including Program Theory Evaluation in Meta-Analysis Anthony Petrosino
7. Using Program Theory to Replicate Successful Programs Timothy A. Hacsi
8. Theory-Based Evaluation: Gaining a Shared Understanding Between School Staff and Evaluators Tracy A. Huebner
9. Developing and Using a Program Theory Matrix for Program Evaluation and Performance Monitoring Sue C. Funnell
10. Summing Up Program Theory Leonard Bickman
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