Violations of Evaluation Standards

Abstract

This study uses a series of items, derived from the Joint Committee Standards, to examine the frequency and seriousness of violations in program evaluations. Each item represents one of the 30 standards and reflects the pitfalls or common errors accorded to that standard. Respondents to the survey had varied experiences in evaluation ranging from no experience to teaching and/or regularly practicing evaluation. Results indicated that propriety and accuracy standards were viewed as the most serious violations, but that utility and feasibility are perceived as occurring more frequently. Experience with program evaluation also interacted with respondents' ratings, with experienced respondents emphasizing different standards than did those with less experience.