Sage Publishing The Practice of Evaluation: Partnership Approaches for Community Change

The Practice of Evaluation: Partnership Approaches for Community Change provides foundational content on evaluation concepts, approaches, and methods, as well as applied, practical examples, with an emphasis on the use of evaluation and partnership approaches to effect change. Review "I really like the way this book is not about just methods, it is about practice, and reflects my own approach to teaching evaluation: lots of real-world examples, methods that fit the contexts and feasibility, and a text that is both readable and builds on classic concepts." -- Jerry Hinbest "The editors and authors have made challenging evaluation concepts easy to understand, and available in one concise, well-written resource. Thank you for making this information available for students and practitioners alike!" -- Jennifer E. LeBeau "This book provides valuable, relevant information that will help students learn to appreciate and utilize program evaluation as practitioners in various fields. The focus on collaboration makes it relevant to current real-world realities of organizations and systems." -- Skye N. Leedahl "This book is comprehensive and well-structured. The new models and ways of thinking introduced are refreshing, and the examples provided cover various settings and will resonate with readers from diverse backgrounds. I will definitely refer to this book when conducting the internal evaluation of our next grant, and I can’t wait to share some of the take-aways with my students." -- Minjuan Wang About the Author Dr. Ryan P. Kilmer is Professor of Psychology and Director of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ Social Aspects of Health Initiative at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he has been on the faculty since receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Rochester in 1999. A community and child clinical psychologist, his work has focused on children and families and: (1) using evaluation to refine programs, improve service delivery, and guide system change and local policy; and (2) understanding factors influencing the development of children at-risk for emotional, behavioral, and/or academic difficulties, particularly risk and resilience and youngsters’ adjustment to trauma. Dr. Kilmer has partnered with diverse community stakeholders, directing or co-directing (with Jim Cook) projects that respond to community needs, functioning on collaborative teams, and mentoring early career professionals and students. His evaluation and applied research experience includes efforts funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Institute of Education Sciences and extends across areas and populations, including mental health, child welfare, education, public housing, early childhood, and integrated care. Across these efforts, many of them multi-year collaborations, he has sought to improve the services and supports provided to children and families, many of whom have traditionally been marginalized or underserved. His broader professional involvements – including as President of the Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice – demonstrate his investment in social justice and child and family well-being. At UNC Charlotte, he has been honored for his teaching, training, and community engagement with the Bonnie E. Cone Early-Career Professorship in Teaching, the Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentoring Award, and the Provost’s Faculty Award for Community Engagement. Dr. James R. (Jim) Cook, Professor of Psychology, has been on the faculty at UNC Charlotte since 1980, after receiving his Ph.D. from Indiana University.  Consistent with his identity as a community psychologist, he has worked to foster community change that improves the lives of people who: (1) are economically and socially disadvantaged; and (2) have disabilities, with special emphasis on the needs of children and families. With faculty and students, he works in partnership with community pr