Case Studies: Overview | Pre-Implementation | Formative | Summative
The following case study pages outline three basic stages of evaluation: pre-implementation, formative, and summative. Each case study page includes an overview of and key steps for that particular stage, a see it in action section with concrete examples, and resources with links to tools and additional information. For a brief overview of each page, see the descriptions below.
Pre-Implementation
The pre-implementation stage of evaluation consists of both the collection of initial data as well as the formation of a plan of action to guide the evaluation process. It is important to determine the goals and scope of the evaluation at the beginning as this will give direction to the overall process. This page contains examples of pre-implementation procedures and online tools and resources to assist districts in structuring this stage of their evaluation.
Formative
Formative evaluation, sometimes referred to as implementation evaluation, generates information used to guide decision-making about a program or reform's desirability, feasibility, fidelity to stated goals, and soundness in producing desired results. Unlike a summative evaluation that judges the ultimate success of the entire program, a formative evaluation is an ongoing process that provides administrators with data in "real-time" so that they can improve the implementation effort mid-course. Formative evaluation should provide a snapshot of program implementation in action and explore whether the program is on track to accomplish its intended goals.
Summative
Summative evaluation, sometimes referred to as impact evaluation, assesses overall program achievement by determining the degree to which a program has accomplished its intended goals. Whereas a formative evaluation looks at individual components while they are being implemented, the summative evaluation incorporates all data to reach a conclusion about the overall value of the implemented program. This kind of evaluation is crucially important to many stakeholders, including state legislatures and grant-making foundations, which often require their grantees to demonstrate results before releasing more funds. The outcomes that are assessed most often by a summative evaluation are whether or not a specific program improves student achievement - on metrics such as state and local student achievement tests - and what differences it has made in the school.