Evaluation Review

This study examined the effect of variations of program evaluation purpose and methodology on decision-making information needs of various stakeholders. Respondents provided one of three levels of service in the context of early childhood special education. The results generally supported the hypothesis that program evaluation purpose (formative or summative) and methodological approach (quantitative or qualitative) differentially affect the decision-making information needs of individuals responsible for different levels of service provision (adminis trative, direct service, or parental). These results have clear implications for evaluation practice and policy development in early childhood special education.

A 2-year supermarket intervention in 20 pair-matched stores tested whether a nutrition education program could produce changes in food purchasing behavior. Food sales data for 2 intervention years were compared with baseline year data. The evaluation presented challenges related to the quasi-experimental study design and to the high variability and auto- and cross-sectional correlations in the data. A complex time series model was used to take these factors into account and to test for intervention effects.

Consideration of statistical techniques to analyze the impact of seat belt use laws on traffic accidents and consequences suggests that the Box-Jenkins (ARIMA) method is preferable. This approach was applied to monthly fatalities, injuries classified by level of severity, and total accidents in Illinois. The most serious injuries did decline by over 500 per month. The ARIMA model did not indicate an overall increase in accidents or injuries, in contrast to a simple before-after comparison. It is estimated conservatively that the seat belt law provides benefits of $15 million per month in Illinois.

The Family Development Center (FDC) is an important local welfare reform demonstration located at Lafayette Courts, one of Baltimore, Maryland's largest public housing developments. The FDC approach consists of bringing an array of services on-site and coordinating the delivery of these services to address the myriad of problems facing poor families. To determine if the program was beginning to meet its goal of achieving family economic independence, an evaluation was conducted to investigate the program's early effects during its first 2 years of operations. Using a quasi-experimental design, examining both primary and secondary data, and incorporating a multivariate strategy, the research found that the FDC was successful at increasing participation in programs designed to increase people's labor market participation and earnings. Participation in the FDC was accompanied by increased educational aspirations, higher self-esteem, and a greater sense of control over one's life. Importantly, families'economic circumstances were not altered by participating in the FDC in its early years. On the contrary, employment among non-FDC participants increased, whereas that of FDC participants de clined This research found that higher levels of participation in education programs explained lower rates of labor market participation by FDC participants, suggesting that human capital investment strategies, like the FDC, may not lead to economic gains over the short term. But if investment in human capital brings with it increased economic returns, the accompanying absence from the labor market may indicate a longer-term payoff. This suggests that a longer amount of time will be necessary to determine if the FDC is able to help families become economically independent.

This article focuses on an attempt to integrate stress and coping theory into a framework of evaluation research. An expanded evaluation paradigm is illustrated: This paradigm encompasses the careful study of treatment implementation and considers patients'life context factors and how they influence treatment entry, duration, and outcome. Examples of the value of this paradigm are taken from a program of research on the long-term outcome of alcoholism and depression. Implications are drawn for comprehensive assessment and diagnosis, designing and improving intervention programs, and expanding stress and coping theory.

The problem of combining interval level "bipolar" data so that every "plus-minus" (or logical) combination produces a unique scale point is a ubiquitous problem faced by both applied and theoretical researchers in the social sciences. To solve an applied research problem recently, a set of equations was developed that combined all "plus and minus" data combinations into unique values and scale points. These equations were tested through computer simulations and empirical tests, and the resulting index scores were approximately interval and linear and easy to use and interpret logically. These equations and findings are reported in this article.

A useful methodology for coding themes directly from audiotape is described, and issues and methods by which reliability can be established are presented. Attention is given to both the importance of audiotape use in qualitative research and the ways in which audiotape use can be expanded. Comparison is made between reliability estimates from coding themes directly from audiotape and coding themes from transcripts. A study is presented in which the reliability of direct coding from audiotapes, to develop conceptual categories and code concerns of professionals being trained on school-based support teams, was evaluated The results of this study suggest that the direct coding of audiotapes provides the qualitative researcher with another reliable option in the collection and analysis of data. Research implications are discussed