A Model for Assessing the Degree of Implementation in Field-based Educational Programs

The emphasis in program evaluation during the past few years has been almost exclusively on outcome measures (Revicki & Rubin, Note 1). More recently, however, the need for assessing the degree of implementation of an innovation as a systematic part of program evaluation has been stressed (Charters & Jones, 1973; Churchman, 1979; Fullan & Pomfret, 1977; Hall & Loucks, 1977; Leithwood & Montgomery, 1980; Stufflebeam, 1971; Newfield, Note 2; Stallings, Note 3). The rationale for conducting such assessments, as described by Charters and Jones (1973), lies in the fact that many evaluation studies fail to determine if the experimental program is, in fact, different from the control program. The absence of implementation data could lead to the appraisal of what Charters and Jones (1973) call non-events and could lead to erroneous or misleading conclusions regarding the innovation. Fullan and Pomfret (1977) identify several different, but related, reasons for studying implementation: (1) for documenting the features of the innovation; (2) for identifying