Washington Evaluators
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WHAT: VSA Arts International Research Symposium DATE: June 10th, 2004 TIME: 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM LOCATION: The Smithsonian Institution Castle Commons Recent investigations have addressed the unique and important vale of arts integration, yet the importance of arts-related educational experiences for students with disabilities has not been widely explored. This symposium will examine three examples of arts integration in an effort to more clearly understand the impact of arts integration on students with disabilities. Presentations will focus on the work of the represented organizations, including their research and evaluation efforts. A discussion period will follow the presentations. Discussant: Rob Horowitz, Teachers College, Columbia University Presenters: Lawrence Riccio, School for Arts in Learning, Washington, D.C. Lupe Casillas Lowenburg, Ysleta Independent School District, El Paso, Texas Elizabeth Calvo de Suzuki, Fundacion Suzuki, Buenos Aires, Argentina WE Brown Bag on June 16th, 2004 TITLE: The Impact of Educational and Cultural Exchanges: Evaluation of Selected U.S. Department of State Exchange Programs PRESENTERS: Ted Kniker, Tamara Martin, Kellie Isbell, and Karen Aschaffenburg Office of Policy and Evaluation Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs U.S. Department of State PLACE/DATE: U.S Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 301 4th Street SW, Washington DC 20547, Room 840 Wednesday, June 16th, 2004, 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m. DIRECTIONS: Take orange or blue line metro to the Federal Center SW stop. Come up the escalators and turn left onto D street. Walk one block (past the Design Center) and turn right onto 4th Street SW. The entrance is on the left side of the street (immediately before the McDonald's). Sign in at security, and we will escort you to the conference room. Light refreshments will be served. Due to Security Considerations, please RSVP to sittdm@state.gov no later than June 14th, 2004. Synopsis This brown bag discussion will focus on how the U.S. Department of State evaluates the impact of educational and cultural exchange programs it supports and administers and will share the results of several different evaluations. The Office of Policy and Evaluation in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is ultimately responsible for conducting evaluations that assess how well programs are meeting the broad goal of fostering "mutual understanding" (as set forth in the Fulbright Hayes Act of 1961, which is the authorizing legislation for all of the Bureau's exchange activities), in addition to meeting more specific legislative and program-level goals. In the first part of the discussion, Ted Kniker, Chief of Evaluation, will give an overview of how the Office actually goes about conducting these different evaluations, will highlight some of the challenges and opportunities, and will link evaluation efforts to performance measurement requirements. Following that, his staff will present the results from a number of different program evaluations, showcasing different program goals, target audiences, and world regions. Reception and keynote addresss by Dr. Karen Kirkhart, Professor, Syracuse University and Past President, American Evaluation Association Members and Friends of Washington Evaluators are cordially invited to attend a reception and keynote addresss by Dr. Karen Kirkhart, Professor, Syracuse University and Past President, American Evaluation Association, on the topic,"Multicultural Competence: A Question of Validity in Evaluation." The reception and address will take place at Howard University (Main Campus), Blackburn Center, Gallery Lounge on Monday, June 21, 2004 at 6:00 p.m. Below is a description of Dr. Kirkart's keynote address. Please RSVP to Veronica G. Thomas or Brooke Wilson by June 16, 2004 Title: Multicultural Competence: A Question of Validity in Evaluation Presenter: Dr. Karen Kirkhart, Syracuse University Keynote Abstract: Standards governing the practice of evaluation in education require the evaluation of evaluation itself, a process of judgment referred to as meta-evaluation. In judging the merit or worth of evaluation, validity is a key (some would say, the key) criterion. The central premise of this presentation is that validity requires consideration of culture. This address presents a framework for thinking about culture as a validity concern, argues that cultural considerations must be infused in the standards of our profession, and explores the intersection of validity and multicultural competence. First, the presentation introduces multicultural validity as a framework for examining threats to validity from a cultural perspective. Multicultural validity refers to the accuracy or trustworthiness of understandings and judgments across dimensions of cultural difference. Evidence that either supports or threatens multicultural validity may be considered under four categories: methodological justifications, interpersonal justifications, consequential justifications, and experiential justifications. Each of these is considered in turn, with illustrations relevant to participant projects. Second, the standards that support the validity of evaluation must attend to culture. The presentation examines how three source documents can be used to support multicultural validity. These documents include: (1) the American Evaluation Association's Guiding Principles for Evaluators, (2) the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation's Program Evaluation Standards, and the (3) AERA/APA Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. Third, the presentation explores the relationship between cultural competence and multicultural validity, a relationship clouded by the fact that cultural competence is sometimes used to refer to a personal attribute (knowledge, skill, attitude) and sometimes used to refer to procedures carried out or activities performed exercising those personal attributes (e.g., culturally competent counseling, culturally competent systems of care, culturally competent evaluation). In closing, the address argues that casting culture in terms of validity is not only conceptually accurate but also strategically important. Validity is not marginalized; it is mainstream. Validity broadens conversations, rather than restricting them. Validity issues intersect with ethical concerns. Validity calls attention to the consequences of understandings and actions. Perhaps most significantly, validation is an open-ended process, keeping us mindful that the journey toward multicultural competence in evaluation is ongoing. WELCOME ALL
Please join Washington Evaluators (WE) for a potluck networking event to greet the arrival of the summer solstice . . . and each other! WHAT: Summer Solstice Celebration DATE: Tuesday, June 22nd, 2004 TIME: 5:30pm - 8:00 pm LOCATION: 400 8th St. N.W. Floor 3, outdoor patio (Residence of Dr. Norma Fleischman, President of WE) DIRECTIONS: located at 8th and D N.W., near two metro stations, Archive and MCI Center Parking is available for $15 in the building's garage. Categories for Potluck: Beverage: Beer, Wine, Soda, Water Veggies and dip platters Fruit and cheese platters Crackers and cheese platters Munchies, chips, pretzels, etc. Main dish: your choice Desserts A refrigerator and micro wave are available for storage and preparation RSVP to Valerie Caracelli at (202) 512-9792 by June 15th. Please indicate the dish you plan to bring and your contact information. WHAT: 26 Courses for Evaluators DATE: July 19th - 30th, 2004 INFORMATION: www.EvaluatorsInstitute.com CONTACT: Midge Smith, PhD, Director The Evaluators' Institute 116 Front Street, Rm 236 Lewes, DE 19958 302-644-0990 Twenty-six (26) courses for evaluators, ranging from one to four days each, will be offered in Washington, DC, for 11 days, July 19th - 30th, 2004. The courses cover many topics of importance to evaluators, from the more general topics like evaluation theory, evaluation research methods, and evaluation design to specialized topics like outcome/impact assessment, cost-benefit analysis, performance measurement, using technology in evaluation, and so on. You can see complete details at www.EvaluatorsInstitute.com or we will send you a brochure, if you will send us your postal address. Certificates in Evaluation. All the courses you take through the Institute will contribute to your meeting the qualifications for one or more of the certificates for evaluators that the Institute is now offering. These certificates are patterned after university work in that you will first need to complete coursework (the first two certificates) and then, if you choose, you can go for the master evaluator certificate where you will defend your knowledge. Note, though, that you can achieve one or two or three certificates, which can lend credibility to your qualifications, before moving to the "final" master evaluator level. Details are at our webpage www.EvaluatorsInstitute.com. Also, you can receive a transcript showing your progress toward the certificates by sending a stamped (60 cents) and self-addressed envelope to the TEI office. |
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