Title: Evaluation Planning III: Identifying and Selecting the Evaluation Questions and Criteria
1Evaluation Planning III Identifying and
Selecting the Evaluation Questions and Criteria
Dr. Suzan Ayers Western Michigan
University (courtesy of Dr. Mary Schutten)
2Evaluation Questions
- Evaluations are conducted to answer questions and
to apply criteria to judge the value of something - Evaluation Questions provide the direction and
foundation for the evaluation - They articulate the focus of the study
3Criteria and Standards
- Criteria used to identify the characteristics of
a successful program (measure) - Standards designate the level of performance the
program must achieve on these criteria to be
deemed a success (performance) - Without standards, evaluator can not judge the
results, without criteria unable to judge the
program itself
4Phases of Identifyingand Selecting Questions
- Divergent phase a comprehensive laundry list
of potentially important questions and concerns
many sources, all questions are listed - Convergent phase evaluators select from the
laundry list the most critical questions to be
answered - Criteria are developed after the convergent phase
5Divergent Phase Sources
- Questions, concerns, values of stakeholders
- Policy makers (legislators, board members)
- Administrators, managers (direct program)
- Practitioners (operate program)
- Primary consumers (clients, students, patients)
- Secondary consumers (affected audiences)
- What is their perception of the program? What Qs
or concerns do they have? How well do they think
it is doing? What would they change if given the
chance?
6Stakeholder Interview Questions fig 12.1
- What is your general perception of the program?
What do you think of it? - What do you perceive as the purposes?
- What do you think the program theory is?
- What concerns do you have about the program?
Outcomes? Operations? - What major questions would you like the
evaluation to answer? Why? - How could you use the information provided by
these questions?
7- Use of evaluation models/approaches
- Objectives-oriented are goals defined and to
what extent are they achieved? - Management-oriented questions about CIPP
context (need), input (design), process
(implementation), product (outcomes) - Participant-oriented consider all stakeholders
and listen to what they have to say. Process of
program is critical - Consumer-oriented checklists and sets of
criteria to help determine what to study what
standards to apply - Expertise-oriented standards and critiques that
reflect the view of the experts in the field
8- Findings and issues raised in the literature in
the field of the program - Evaluator should be conversant with salient
issues in the programs area - Use existing literature to help develop causative
models and questions to guide the evaluations - Literature search may be a useful start to the
planning process
9- Professional standards, checklists, instruments,
and criteria developed or used elsewhere - Standards for practice exist in many fields,
including PE and athletics - Views and knowledge of expert consultants
- If expertise in the content area, they may
provide a neutral and broader view - They can be asked to generate a list of questions
and can identify previous evaluations of similar
programs
10- Evaluators own professional judgment (p. 244)
- Trained to raise thoughtful questions
- Is the purpose of the program really serving an
important purpose? - Are goals and objectives consistent with
documented needs? - What critical elements and events should be
studied and observed? - Summarizing suggestions from multiple sources
- P. 245-6
11Convergent Phase
- Three reasons to reduce to the range of variables
- There will always be a budget limit
- If the study gets very complicated, it gets
harder and harder manage - Audience attention span is limited
- Who should be involved?
- Evaluator
- Stakeholders
- Sponsor
- Parties affected by the evaluation
12Determining Which Questions to Study (Cronbach,
1980)
- Who would use the information? Who wants to know?
Who will be upset if this question is dropped? - Would an answer to the question reduce
uncertainty or give info not now available? - Would the answer to the question yield important
information? - Is this question merely of passing interest or
does it focus on critical issues of continued
interest? - Would the scope of the evaluation be seriously
limited if this question were dropped? - Is it feasible to answer this question given the
available financial and human resources? Time?
Methods? Technology?
13Convergent Phase
- Sit down with sponsor and/or client and review
the laundry list and the items marked as doable
(from 12.2 matrix) - Reduce the list via consensus
- Advisory board typical format
- Provide the new list with a short explanation
indicating why each is important and share with
stakeholders
14Matrix for Selecting Questions Fig 12.2
Would the evaluation question. Be of interest to
key audiences? Reduce present uncertainty? Yield
important information Be of continuing (not
fleeting) interest? Be critical to the studys
scope? Have an impact on the course of events? Be
answerable in terms of , time,
methods/technology?
15Criteria and Standards
- Developed to reflect the degree of difference
that would be considered meaningful enough to
adopt the new program - Absolute Standard a defined level is met/not met
- Learn stakeholders range of expectations and
determine standards from that - Relative Standard comparison to other groups or
standards - Typically use the statistical concept of
significance and effect size to determine if the
program is that much better than what is in
place (p. 253 expl)
16- Flexible (not indecisive)
- Allow new question, criteria, and standards to
emerge - Remember, the goal for this step is to lay the
foundation to create a meaningful and useful
evaluation