Clarifying TermsThroughout this Guide a number of terms have been used which relate to the approaches to family literacy evaluation used throughout this guide. Alternative Assessment refers to assessment procedures and techniques that aim to measure the different ways literacy is used and how it develops in contexts which match actual personal, social and workplace uses. An equivalent term is authentic assessment. Examples of alternative assessment include surveys, observation checklists, interviews, conferencing, logs, and performance/writing folders. Assessment refers to the application of specific tools or techniques to obtain information about program objectives and/or track learner progress. Evaluation is the problem solving process of analyzing and integrating assessment information at different periods of time in order to set and refine program objectives, document learner progress, and determine the overall effectiveness of the program. It is understood that the aims and objectives of program evaluation will vary, depending on the stage of a program's development. Thus, Weiss and Jacobs (1988) have identified five levels of program evaluation with related effective strategies for conducting evaluation as follows:
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