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Completing Your Evaluation Dissertation, Thesis, or Culminating Project
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Completing Your Evaluation Dissertation, Thesis, or Culminating Project



September 2020 | 232 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
This practical, user-friendly resource helps students successfully complete an evaluation capstone: a dissertation, thesis, or culminating project where a student conducts an evaluation as their capstone experience. Authors Tamara M. Walser and Michael S. Trevisan present a framework to support students and faculty in maximizing student development of evaluator competencies, addressing standards of the evaluation profession, and contributing to programs and disciplinary knowledge. Their framework, and this book, is organized by six fundamentals of evaluation practice: quality; stakeholders; understanding the program; values; approaches; and maximizing evaluation use. Throughout the book they use the metaphor of the journey to depict the processes and activities a student will experience as they navigate an evaluation capstone and the six fundamentals of evaluation practice. In pursuit of a completed capstone, students grow professionally and personally, and will be in a different place when they reach the destination and the capstone journey is complete.

 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
PART 1: Essentials for Your Journey
 
Chapter 1 • The Evaluation Capstone
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Overview

 
What Is Evaluation?

 
What Is an Evaluation Capstone?

 
Chapter Summary

 
 
Chapter 2 • Working Productively With Your Committee
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Overview

 
The Evaluation Capstone as a Process and a Product

 
Nontechnical Skills in Evaluation Education and Practice

 
Important Nontechnical Skills for Evaluation Capstones

 
Choosing a Capstone Chair and Committee Members

 
Communicating With Your Capstone Chair and Committee

 
Chapter Summary

 
 
PART 2: Navigating the Six Fundamentals of Evaluation Practice
 
Chapter 3 • Quality: Addressing Professional Evaluation Standards and Guidelines
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Overview

 
What Are the Program Evaluation Standards?

 
Culturally Responsive Evaluation Practice

 
Evaluator Competencies

 
Other Guidance for Evaluation Practice

 
Meta-Evaluation of Your Evaluation Capstone

 
Chapter Summary

 
 
Chapter 4 • Stakeholders: Working With an Evaluation Client and Other Program Stakeholders
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Overview

 
Who Are Program Stakeholders?

 
Developing a Stakeholder Engagement Plan and Log

 
Elements of Effective Stakeholder Interactions

 
Chapter Summary

 
 
Chapter 5 • Understanding: Developing Understanding of a Program
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Overview

 
Why Does the Program Exist?

 
What Is the Program, and How Is It Intended to Work?

 
In What Context Does the Program Operate?

 
Conducting a Review of the Literature for Your Evaluation Capstone

 
Chapter Summary

 
 
Chapter 6 • Values: Engaging Values Through Evaluation Purpose, Questions, and Criteria
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Overview

 
Engaging Values

 
Evaluation Purpose Statement

 
Evaluation Questions

 
Evaluation Criteria

 
Remaining Flexible

 
Chapter Summary

 
 
Chapter 7 • Approaches: Applying Evaluation Approaches
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Overview

 
Evaluation Theories, Models, and Approaches

 
Taxonomies of Evaluation Approaches

 
Choosing an Evaluation Approach

 
The Relationship Between Evaluation Approach and Design

 
Developing the Evaluation Design

 
A Note About Validity and Trustworthiness for Evaluation

 
Chapter Summary

 
 
Chapter 8 • Use: Maximizing Evaluation Use
Guiding Questions

 
Chapter Overview

 
Laying the Groundwork for Evaluation Use

 
Additional Ideas About Increasing Evaluation Use

 
Types of Evaluation Use

 
Developing Evaluation Findings and Recommendations

 
Developing an Evaluation Communication Plan

 
Evaluation Capstone Reporting Formats

 
Chapter Summary

 
 
References
 
Index

"The book provides a more practical approach/guide for conducting program evaluation."

Augustine Hammond
Augusta University

"A superbly written and important treatise that fills a wide gap."

Katrin Anacker
George Mason University

“This is an excellent guide for students undertaking an evaluation capstone project.”

Amy Donley
University of Central Florida

I feel like I have co-teaching partners in the classroom using this text. This is a diverse resource to be used in a classroom setting or for individualized academic research advising for culminating projects.”

Frances Kayona
St. Cloud State University

This text is a ‘must-have’ for the student who is conducting an evaluation dissertation study. It contains the essentials for developing a research rationale using the Program Evaluation Standards. It also combines the practical points of conducting a study with the academic requirements of completing a dissertation.”

John D. Tiller
Tennessee State University

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