Accountability Uses of a Statewide Compensatory Education Program Evaluation.

Louisiana's State-Funded Compensatory/Remedial Program requires two different evaluations: a study of the statewide program and local evaluations conducted by the 66 public school systems involved in the program. The State Education Agency (SEA) evaluation unit is responsible for (1) conducting the statewide evaluation and (2) exercising quality assurance over, and providing technical assistance to, the local evaluations. State Board of Education policy requires that both evaluations apply the Standards for Evaluations of Educational Programs, Projects, and Materials. This paper is written from the point of view of evaluation management and discusses the accountability uses of the processes and information for statewide and local evaluations. It identifies the organization and management relations developed to carry out the evaluations and discusses the issues arising in implementing evaluations that affect more than a single program or organizational unit. The issues discussed include maintaining the legitimacy of the evaluations and other SEA efforts, balancing the needs of other programs, using the evaluation information, balancing the dual role of the SEA evaluation unit, and assuring quality in the evaluation. (Author/PN)