Program Evaluation as an Evolutionary Process

Abstract

This article discusses ongoing program evaluation as an evolutionary process in which the form of evaluation changes in response to the questions to be addressed. The concept implies that as programs evolve over time, so should the evaluation designs; furthermore this evolutionary process can result in different evaluation approaches being used in subsequent cycles of investigation. The concept of evaluation as an evolutionary process is illustrated with two examplesfrom a large school district in Florida. One evaluation dealt with a systemwide reading laboratory program at the secondary level; the other was concerned with an alternative educational program for sixth-grade students at a sample of schools. In both examples the form of evaluation used to gather information about ongoing programs evolved over several years of operation in response to evaluation findings and newly identified concerns.