This article is an invited commentary and analysis of the authors' completed systematic evaluation of Child Protective Services (CPS) differential response (DR) models. I write this commentary based on 25 years of public child welfare experience followed by 13 years as a social work professor and researcher. In their review of DR, the…

In this commentary, we examine Braverman's insights into the trade-offs between feasibility and rigor in evaluation measures and reject his assessment of the trade-off as a zero-sum game. We, argue that feasibility and policy salience are, like reliability and validity, intrinsic to the definition of a good measure. To reduce the tension between…

In this article, the authors responded to nine commentaries by 17 contributors to their article, "Issues in Differential Response." The authors found that a majority of the respondents agreed with the major conclusions of "Issues in Differential Response." However, there were varying degrees of disagreement regarding the…

Describes the management planning and control system (MPCS) model for handling program cutbacks (reverse resource allocation), which incorporates elements of zero base budgeting, goal programing, and the effectiveness evaluation-resource allocation process. Applies MPCS to cutbacks at the College of Business Administration at the University of…

The traditional view that an activity's comparative impact on collective welfare ought to guide resource allocation is refuted. A paradigm of a multisystem society with the non-fungibility of investment resources an essential issue in project appraisal is presented. (SLD)

The Task Force on Resource Allocation for Program Evaluation was established by Division H of the American Educational Research Association at the 1978 Annual Meeting in Toronto. This paper presents the recommendations of the Task Force concerning the allocation of resources for program evaluation. Program evaluation is needed to provide…

A program can be evaluated, and a cost-benefit ratio can be calculated to five decimal places, without ever directly examining outcomes. A useful vocabulary in economics and an understanding of the concepts involved is provided evaluators by an economist. (Author/RL)

Is it ethical to select clients at random for a beneficial social service, then deny the benefits to a control group for the sake of science? Participation of control groups in planning, implementation and evaluation of social programs may resolve ethical issues. (Author/CP)

If properly handled, reallocation can provide a rich opportunity for enhancing quality, but there is no easy way to reallocate resources. Planning will remain the key to resolving the thorniest issues of reduction. (Author/MLW)

Implementation of a systematic approach to allocation of limited resources for the accomplishment of priority objectives for the St. Louis Park Public Schools (St. Louis Park, Minnesota) was established in 1986, in an effort to provide enhanced, understandable financial reporting and to demonstrate that school district resources are being used to…

In response to a provision of the Education Amendments of 1978 concerning evaluation practices and procedures, this report examines four aspects of evaluation in education which focus on how funds allocated to evaluation can be spent more effectively and yield more useful results. On this basis, groups of recommendations are made to both Congress…

While the model of peer evaluation has limits in its use in research resource allocation, it is vital for the equilibrium of the science structure and the university's mission, as evidenced in the University of Quebec at Trois Rivieres's pilot exercise in research evaluation. (Author/MSE)

Many problems are encountered when evaluating a complex, decentralized national program such as 4-H. Good effects of the federal evaluation mandate include local concern with program quality. Bad effects include that local agencies are forced to utilize noxious methodologies or to collect information they consider to be unimportant. (Author/GC)

Preventive consultation, rather than focusing on individuals or specific problems, focuses on the environmental factors within a social setting that contribute to the incidence and prevalence of a specific problem. The ecological paradigm is a useful assessment for directing the design of a preventive consultation. The design focuses on the life…

The three general categories that encompass the legitimate uses to which test data can be put (i.e., public reporting at the local, state, or regional level; identifying needs and allocating resources; and making judgments about promotion and graduation) are identified and examples are offered of policymakers' use and misuse of test results. (LC)