Part of the Web Site of  Dr. Jeffrey Oescher

EDL 832  Index Page

Course Syllabus

Prerequisites

There are no formal prerequisites for this class other than admission to the doctoral program in educational leadership. You will be well served, however, to have completed EDF 800 - Introduction to Research Design or an equivalent educational research course.
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Catalog Description

This course is designed to provide students with the skills required to plan and implement various program evaluation models. It is also intended to provide the skills necessary for effectively using the program evaluation standards developed by the Joint Committee on Standards for Evaluations of Educational Programs. Back to Top

Course Rationale and Goals

The current accountability movement in education has fostered interest in program evaluation exceeding that ever experienced in the field. People - the public, policy makers, administrators, teachers, and students - are interested in knowing in very specific terms how well schools are doing, how to tackle the difficult problems facing them, or how to improve their performance. Evaluation offers stakeholders a variety of ways to obtain information that can inform these decisions.

As a field, evaluation has changed in many ways over the last several years. Quantitative and qualitative methods for collecting and analyzing data have become common. The involvement of new and different stakeholders in the evaluation process has increased. Alternative uses of evaluation have expanded the way in which evaluations are designed. These and similar innovations have and will continue to enrich the field.

The overall goal of this course is to familiarize the student with planning and conducting program evaluations. This is no easy task given the ever-changing dynamics in the field. However, four goals have been identified that should provide a sound basis for understanding not only past perspectives but current and future issues. These goals are as follows.

1. Become familiar with the purposes of evaluation as well as the basic types of evaluation.
2. Develop an understanding and appreciation of the basic concepts of objective-oriented, management-oriented, consumer-oriented, expertise-oriented, and naturalistic and participant oriented approaches to evaluation.
3. Plan an effective program evaluation.
4. Develop the appropriate methodology to conduct a program evaluation.

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Course Organization

The course is organized around the four goals discussed above. For each goal you will be provided a set of topics related to that goal, resources that will give you perspective on these topics, readings from the text and other sources, and an assignment.
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Required Text

Fitzpatrick, J.L., Sanders, J.R. and Worthen, B.R. (2004). Program Evaluation: Alternative Approaches and Practical Guidelines (3rd. ed.). Boston: Pearson Allyn and Bacon.
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Reference Texts

Sanders, J.R. and The Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation. (1994). The Program Evaluation Standards. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

American Psychological Association. (2004). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th. ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

An exhaustive bibliography of publications related to program evaluation can be found on the web site of the American Evaluation Association.
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Technological Aspects of the Course

Course Web Site: The following web site has been created for this class.

http://www2.selu.edu/Academics/Faculty/joescher/edl832
This site contains information related to educational research in general and this class specifically. Here you will find the class syllabus, course goals and resources related to them, assignments, general information to help you search the internet and ERIC, links to the Blackboard web site, and, perhaps most importantly, links to the PGA and other really, really important web sites.

Blackboard Site: This course will use the Blackboard (Bb) site at Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU). The site can be accessed through the following link.

http://blackboard.selu.edu/
The use of this site is important for several reasons. First, all of the information on the web site will be accessible through Bb. This includes the syllabus, course goals and resources, etc. Second, the Discussion Board module will be used extensively during the semester as an ongoing effort to keep the formal class meetings to a minimum. Third, SLU policy requires all e-mail communication between you and the instructor to be handled through the services provided by the University. Blackboard facilitates such communication.
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Course Assignments

Three assignments are required in this course. The first is a project related to your understanding of several evaluation models discussed in the text. The second assignment is a project in which you will be required to plan a program evaluation, the third addresses methodological issues related to conducting this evaluation.

Requirements for each assessment will be provided upon assignment of the assessment.
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Assessment and Evaluation

Course grades will be assigned on the basis of the average of all assessments.
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Class Attendance, Decorum, and Academic Integrity

Your success in this class is in part dependent upon your "attendance" and participation in class. Because much of this class is being taught online, you are expected to "attend" several activities. Examples might include the discussions on Bb or compressed video classes, any group meetings related to assignments or assessments, presentations of your work, or any formal class meetings being held. There will be no exceptions, so please plan your semester accordingly. Your participation in all of these activities is expected to be at a level commensurate with a doctoral study.

Free discussion, inquiry, and expression is encouraged in this class. Behavior that interferes with either (a) the instructor's ability to conduct the class or (b) the ability of students to benefit from the instruction is not acceptable. Examples may include routinely entering class late or departing early or arguing in a way that is perceived as "crossing the civility line." Behavior which is deemed inappropriate and cannot be resolved by the student and the faculty member may be referred to the Office of Judicial Affairs for administrative or disciplinary review as per the Code of Student Conduct which can be found at Student Affairs Handbook.

Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. Behavior that violates these standards is not acceptable. Examples are the use of unauthorized material, communication with fellow students during an examination, attempting to benefit from the work of another student and similar behavior that defeats the intent of an examination or other class work. Cheating on examinations, plagiarism, improper acknowledgment of sources in essays and the use of a single essay or paper in more than one course without permission are considered very serious offenses and shall be grounds for disciplinary action as outlined in the current General Catalogue.

The class will meet formally on August 29th on the SLU Nursing School campus in Baton Rouge. Additional meetings will be discussed at this time, and an appropriate schedule of classes will be developed and distributed.
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Appointments and Office Hours

Some students might desire additional clarification and/or information on some of the topics. Formal office hours have been scheduled on the SLU campus in TEC 212. These are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons (2:00 - 5:00) and Monday and Wednesday evenings (8:00-8:30). Specific appointments can be arranged at other times convenient to your schedule. Due to the online nature of this course, other forms of communication (e.g., e-mail, telephone, video conferences, etc.) are available.
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ADA Information

If you are a qualified student with a disability seeking accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you are required to self-identify with the Office of Disability Services in Room 203 of the Student Union. No accommodations will be granted without documentation from the Office of Disability Services.
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College of Education and Human Development Conceptual Framework

The COEHD's Conceptual Framework provides direction for the development of effective professionals. It is a living document that continuously evolves as opportunities and challenges emerge. All aspects of this course are aligned with the Conceptual Framework, including the course objectives and assessments. The four components of the Conceptual Framework are Knowledge of Learner (KL), Strategies and Methods (SM), Content Knowledge (CK), and Professional Standards (PS). Diversity (DV) and Technology (TY). A discussion of the conceptual framework can be found on the COEHD website.
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Important SLU Dates

Really Important Dates

Class Schedule

The following schedule provides an overview of the topics being discussed and the assignments for this class.

Class Schedule -   Spring 2008

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