ABSTRACT
Recognizing the struggles inherent in evaluation research emphasizes both the importance and the difficulty in designing and implementing research on programmatic interventions. As shown in this chapter, studies of literacy interventions differ in the extent to which they pursue implications f or practice, theory development and policy; most often, interest in practice and policy prevails over that in theory. We argue that evaluations of programmatic interventions can, in fact, contribute to the three areas of theory, practice, and policy through caref ul design and a grounding in both literacy theory and classroom practice, a view not held by all concerned with evaluation (see Wolf, 1990).
