Evaluating Mainstream Programs: Capitalizing on a Victory

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Abstract
Evaluation of mainstream programs is becoming a prominent concern in recent special education literature. In contrast to past conceptualizations of program evaluation, current writers in this area are advocating the use of formative rather than summative evaluation models, at least in the initial stages of program development. The present paper is not antithetical to this perspective. However, it argues that mainstream programs require elaborate conceptualizations of evaluation, conceptualizations which are more capable (in comparison with traditional formative evaluation models) of handling the dynamic and complex nature of the component processes involved in mainstreaming. This position is congruent with recent in-depth discussions of mainstreaming as an educational reform. An extensive literature on planned organizational changes and responsiveness to change and innovation provides its primary support base. Davis's (1973) A VICTORY model of factors associated with organizational change represents one distillation of this literature. A VICTORY is presented descriptively, drawing parallels among its 8 factors and aspects of mainstream programs. Although formal, proven instruments for making use of A VICTORY in formative evaluations have not yet emerged, the model itself suggests potential strategies. General guidelines for identifying purposes, sampling, and instrumentation requirements are presented briefly. Conclusions call for evaluators to: (a) deal actively with the complexities, intricacies, and dynamics in the organizational context of mainstream programs, and (b) deemphasize generalizability as a goal for evaluation in favor of focus on program-specific interactions, their precise descriptions, and documentation.

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