education

Ethical Standards in Evaluation Since the mid-1970s, the field of evaluation has been active in developing different ethical codes or standards. (See Fitzpatrick [1999] for a discussion of the history of ethical codes in evaluation and a comparison to codes in other disciplines.) Currently, the two most prominent codes for evaluation in the United States […]

What Kinds of Ethical Problems Do Evaluators Encounter? Studies of practicing evaluators reveal the types of ethical challenges that evalua- tors face. Morris and Cohn (1993) surveyed members of the American Evaluation Association and found that nearly two-thirds of the evaluators had encountered major ethical challenges in their evaluation work. Their analysis of the types

Here are a few of our suggestions for establishing and maintaining good com- munications during an evaluation: 1. In planning the evaluation—writing the proposal or preparing the contract—build in time for communication. Remember to include time for communication through meet- ings, meetings, and more meetings! Discuss evaluation plans and results orally with key groups first.

Establishing and Maintaining Good Communications As this discussion on working in a political context indicates, good evaluation work involves much more than knowing how to collect and analyze data. Our recom- mendations for working in a political environment often concern communicating with stakeholders. But, interpersonal skills and communication are important enough to merit a separate

Interacting with the Political System. Vestman and Conners (2006) describe three different positions in which evaluators may interact with the political system: 1. The evaluator as value-neutral. In this position, the evaluator tries to protect or separate the evaluation from politics in order to maintain its perceived legitimacy and objectivity. Evaluators are rational methodologists who

Political, Interpersonal, and Ethical Issues in Evaluation 69 needs, not more. As Carol Weiss has remarked, “Politics is the method we have as a nation to resolve differences and reach conclusions and decide policy issues. We don’t always like the way it turns out, but it’s an essential part of our system” (Weiss & Mark,

How Is Evaluation Political? The term “politics” has been applied so broadly to so many different phenomena that it has all but lost its meaning. It has come to stand for everything from power plays and machinations within a school or organization to political campaigns or relations among governmental agencies. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary reflects these

Evaluation and Its Political Context Was it mere naïveté that accounted for the initial failure of evaluation researchers to anticipate the complexities of social and political reality? These researchers [evaluators] were mentally prepared by the dominant Newtonian paradigm of social science for a bold exploration of the icy [unchanging] depths of interplane- tary space. Instead,

Political, Interpersonal, and Ethical Issues in Evaluation Orienting Questions 1. Why is evaluation political? What are some of the actions an evaluator can take to work effectively in a political environment? 2. Why are communication skills important in an evaluation? 3. What are some of the key standards by which we judge a good evaluation?

Which of the recent trends we described do you think will have the most impact on evaluation in the future? Why? Major Concepts and Theories 1. Commissions to report on specific problems, objective tests, and accreditations were among the early forms of evaluation. During the Depression, social scientists began working for the federal government to