Background: Stakeholder participation is an important trend in the field of program evaluation. Although a few measurement instruments have been proposed, they either have not been empirically validated or do not cover the full content of the concept. Objectives: This study consists of a first empirical validation of a measurement instrument that…

This article describes rates of missing item responses in personal digital assistant (PDA) assessments as compared to paper assessments. Data come from the evaluation of a classroom-based leisure, life skills, and sexuality education program delivered to high school students in Cape Town, South Africa. Analyses show that the paper assessments had…

Background: Injury is the leading cause of death for persons aged 1-44 years in the United States. Injuries have a substantial economic cost. For that reason, regional systems of trauma care in which the more acutely injured patients are transported to Level-I (L-I) trauma centers (TCs) has been widely advocated. However, the cost of TC care is…

The authors examined whether paper-and-pencil and Web surveys administered in the school setting yield equivalent risk behavior prevalence estimates. Data were from a methods study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in spring 2008. Intact classes of 9th- or 10th-grade students were assigned randomly to complete a…

Evaluation of teaching at universities is traditionally realized in terms of student ratings. Curriculum evaluation is rarely done in a systematic manner. More often, the emphasis is placed on a particular aspect, which is only of little help in terms of modifying education. A very prominent example is that of medical education. Here, evaluations…

The Administrative Decision-Making Skills Project, undertaken for the New Zealand State Services Commission, is described. A philosophical model of decision making and the associated teaching/learning package for government officers is evaluated. The project, including instruments, methodology, and major findings, is evaluated. (Author/LMO)

The concept of "preevaluative research" is examined in the context of a museum exhibition evaluation. It is viewed as distinct from an evaluability assessment. The exhibit preevaluative study indicates that instrumentation and implementation issues are likely to benefit from such activities, but that design and analysis may suffer.…

This article focuses on the distinction between needs assessment and demand assessment and presents a methodology for operationalizing and measuring demands. Results are reported of a survey of a national sample of 32 university and college administrators to assess their need and demand for an adult student opinion package. (Author/LMO)

A mixed-method program evaluation, concurrently using both qualitative interview data and quantitative questionnaire data, was conducted. It illustrated significant design and analysis issues related to integrating quantitative and qualitative methods, specifically between-method and cross-paradigm triangulation. (Author/GDC)

This article presents procedures for improving professional group cooperation in responding to mailed survey questionnaires which differ from those used with general populations. The procedures deal with: (1) improving the cost-benefit ratio of cooperation; (2) being sensitive to confidentiality concerns; and (3) allowing respondents a full range…

Reasons for not returning a questionnaire were studied among Lutheran church members sent a postcard to indicate no intention of replying. The analysis is based on 431 returned postcards. For most nonresponders, the interest value of the questionnaire topic was not high enough. Many who returned the negative reply card would be resistant…

A study was designed to test ordinal and interval properties of rating scales, similar to those commonly employed in evaluation research. The analysis was based on data generated by the use of paired comparisons and direct scales. The conclusion was reached that such rating scales appear to possess metric properties. (Author/LMO)

Recognizing that community acceptance of potential juvenile justice treatment programs often determines the success or failure of the programs, an assessment model was developed to assist in policy planning. The procedure applies the tenets and methods of subjective expectancy utility models. (Author/GK)

An interjudge reliability test was conducted to evaluate questionnaires used in the surveillance of residential care institutions in Israel. Results from 32 institutions (evaluated by two surveyor teams--one social worker and 1 nurse per team) and the variance in reliability were used to improve the questionnaires and their administration. (SLD)

The accuracy of a subject-generated coding system for anonymous questionnaire responses was studied using a collateral, anonymous sticker identification system as a standard. Results with 745 middle school students who took pretests and posttests show the effectiveness of the subject-generated coding system. (SLD)