Research Guides: Higher Education Administration (HEA) Guide: Program Evaluation and Planning

A Review of Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

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Program Evaluation and Planning

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From data analysis to program management methods and more, evaluating and planning for the success of each program is a crucial aspect of Higher Education Administration. Below you will find some useful articles and reports to help bring context to this important element of higher education leadership.

Useful Articles

Below you will find a sample of reports, case studies and articles that outline the process of program evaluation, planning and analysis. Click through and read on for more information.

The Feasibility of Program-Level Accountability in Higher Education: Guidance for Policymakers. Research Report Policymakers have expressed increased interest in program-level higher education accountability measures as a supplement to, or in place of, institution-level metrics. But it is unclear what these measures should look like. In this report, the authors assess the ways program-level data could be developed to facilitate federal accountability.

Improving Institutional Evaluation Methods: Comparing Three Evaluations Using PSM, Exact and Coarsened Exact Matching

Policymakers and institutional leaders in higher education too often make decisions based on descriptive data analyses or even anecdote when better analysis options could produce more nuanced and more valuable results. Employing the setting of higher education program evaluation at a midwestern regional public university, for this study we compared analysis approaches using basic descriptive analyses, regression, standard propensity score matching (PSM), and a mixture of PSM with continuous variables, coarsened exact matching, and exact matching on categorical variables. We used three examples of program evaluations: a freshman seminar, an upper division general education program intended to improve cultural awareness and respect for diverse groups, and multiple living learning communities. We describe how these evaluations were conducted, compare the different results for each type of method employed, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each in the context of program evaluation.

Data-Informed Policy Innovations in Tennessee: Effective Use of State Data Systems

Analysis of student-level data to inform policy and promote student success is a core function of executive higher education agencies. Postsecondary data systems have expanded their collection of data elements for use by policymakers, institutional staff and the general public. State coordinating and governing boards use these data systems for strategic planning, to allocate funding, establish performance metrics, evaluate academic programs, and inform students and their families. This report discusses efforts at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to support policy innovation with data and information resources.

Other Resources

A Practical Guide to Program Evaluation Planning by Debra J. Holden; Marc A. Zimmerman This link opens in a new window
ISBN: 9781412967754
Publication Date: 2008
A Practical Guide to Program Evaluation Planning: Theory and Case Examples provides a step-by-step process to guide evaluators in planning a comprehensive, yet feasible, program evaluation--from start to design--within any context. No book currently on the market delineate the required steps for preparing to conduct an evaluation. The co-editors of this text developed a model to guide the complex process of planning for program evaluations in a variety of settings. This model, entitled Evaluation Planning Incorporating Context (EPIC), builds on previous work by providing a practical, applied step-by-step process for planning a program evaluation in any setting. Contributing authors then use the EPIC model to describe an evaluation process that they followed in a variety of settings. The EPIC model and the case examples presented in this book provide evaluators with the conceptual tools and a framework for thinking about the pre-evaluation tasks that may be necessary for a successful, useful, and informative evaluation. Key Features - Presents a new evaluation planning model that provides a step-by step process for how to plan for a program evaluation in any context; - Introduces students to the issues in planning for an evaluation within selected contexts using case studies; - Focuses on planning prior to design by providing practical guidance to plan an evaluation from the start, before a design can or has been determined.
Practical Program Evaluation by Huey T. Chen This link opens in a new window
ISBN: 9780761902331
Publication Date: 2004
Practical Program Evaluation: Assessing and Improving Planning, Implementation, and Effectiveness introduces students to the real world of evaluation, focusing on issues that arise in professional practice.