Spring
2001
Required
Texts
Mohr, Lawrence B., Impact
Analysis for Program Evaluation, second edition, (Newbury Park, California: Sage
Publications, 1995).
Weiss, Carol H., Evaluation, second edition, (Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1998).
Additional reading material is available on the Schedule and
Readings page.
Note: some of the links will take you to the library where the
material is on “electronic reserve.” These are noted by the abbreviation ER. To access documents on ER, you will need to enter
the course password: evaluate2001 (it is case sensitive). You need to have Adobe
Acrobat loaded on the computer you are using to access these documents. You may also check out “hard copies”
from the Reserve Reading room, if you wish.
Course
Requirements
Homework assignments: 35% of final grade
Over the course of the semester, 8 short assignments will be
made to give you the opportunity to apply the concepts and analytical techniques that we
have discussed in class. Each will be graded on a scale from 1 to 10, based on a
demonstration of your understanding of what you are being asked to do, completeness, and
whether or not it was turned in on time. (Since these are designed to reinforce the
material covered in the lecture, they should be completed as soon as possible after that
lecture). Of these, the one that received the
lowest score (or was not turned in at all) will be dropped and thus won’t affect your
grade.
Homework 1 on Outcome Lines
Homework 2 on Process Evaluation
Homework 3 on Regression Analysis
Homework 4 on Regression Discontinuity
Homework 5 on Quasi-Experimental Designs
Homework 6 on the Criterion Population
Design
Homework 7 on Time Series Design
Homework 8 (optional) on Control Variables,
Interval Level Data and Multiple Outcomes
Style sheets explaining the following three assignments in greater
depth will be available early in the semester.
Evaluation Critique:
25% of final grade, due March 14
This assignment requires you to critically assess an evaluation
undertaken by a government or nonprofit entity of your choosing. Please show me the evaluation report you intend to
critique by Feb. 21 so that I can ensure it has enough substance for you to complete the
assignment. (If you can’t locate an
evaluation report for this assignment, let me know and I can provide you with one).
Evaluation Design:
30% of final grade, due May 16
For this assignment, you will prepare a paper outlining
a research proposal for a process and impact evaluation of a governmental or nonprofit
program or policy. A one page summary of your
proposed topic is due on March 21.
Presentation of
Evaluation Design: 10% of final grade, on May 16
For this assignment, you will prepare a short briefing on your
evaluation design. The purpose of this
assignment is to give you practice in developing a coherent and succinct presentation that
describes your plan to your (agency) client. The
use of overheads, handouts or PowerPoint is strongly recommended. An additional part of this assignment is for you
to constructively critique the designs presented by your classmates. See the style sheet for further details.
You are expected to come to class having read the assigned
material and ready to discuss the content of that material.
Class participation will be the determining factor when your average falls on the
border between two grades.
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