Evaluation is often the last thing many program leaders consider in developing and implementing their induction/mentoring program. However, it is the best way to find out if a program is effective, how it can be improved, and how to move it forward with continuous program improvement.

Evaluation is not an end-of-the-year, one-time activity. To be useful, evaluation should take place throughout the year to obtain information that enables effective decision-making that leads to program growth. As with any other component of an induction/mentoring program, the evaluation component can be improved over time. Successful evaluation is achieved when the results are useful. This can lead to adding additional evaluation strategies and sharing the results with others. These efforts can lead to research on induction that will benefit both individual programs as well as others.

An evaluation program can be very complex, but most program leaders start with a small, do-able project. It is better for program leadership to jump in and get started—and try to answer a question that is important to their individual induction/mentoring program—than to spend time waiting until the perfect moment to conduct a large research study.

The Standard 9 Subsections address the following issues:

While examining Standard 9, keep the following questions in mind:

• Why use program evaluation and what should it focus on? How should program leadership plan for and conduct this evaluation?
• How should the evaluation data be organized, analyzed, compiled, and shared—and what are the next steps?
• How does evaluation contribute to mentor accountability and continuous program improvement?
• How do these data contribute to statewide induction and mentoring initiatives and to state and federal policy?

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