1. Implement a New Curricular Program (but not determine its effectiveness).

In this type of project, because it is a major undertaking, you have chosen to limit yourself to implementing the new program or curriculum and leave the determination of its effectiveness to a later time.

There is nothing wrong with this. Often the task of implementing a new program or curriculum is such a major effort that it would not be possible during the time of your dissertation period for you to also carry out an evaluation of the program's impact on student achievement-an equally large undertaking.

However, though establishing a new program is an entirely respectable task in its own right, having chosen to do only the implementation in your project, you will not be able to reach any conclusions or make any statements about the program's effectiveness or its impact on student achievement. That will have to await the completion of an outcome evaluation.

Your evaluation will be of the formative (not the summative) type. Your evaluation task is to determine how well the new curriculum or program was implemented. Thus, you will need to assemble credible, objective evidence (not simply your own judgments) on the following types of questions:

1. Does the program exist?
2. Is it operating as it is supposed to?
3. If not, what changes are needed to make it operational?
4. Are funds being appropriately spent?
5. Has the program hired and trained competent staff?
6. Have the necessary books, materials, and equipment been purchased and made available to the teachers and students?
7. Is the program serving the intended students?
8. Are they receiving the intended educational information and services?

This kind of evaluation will tell you whether the program is up and running and potentially capable of having an impact-information that is administratively invaluable. It is essential to complete this type of evaluation before undertaking a summative, impact, or outcome evaluation. It makes no sense to evaluate the effectiveness of a program that does not exist-even though we regrettably see many instances of this.

If you decide that you want to both implement the new curriculum and assess its effectiveness in improving achievement, you must carry out both a formative and summative evaluation. See evaluation design #2 Implement and Determine the Effectiveness of Program to Improve Achievement Scores.

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