In EE

A systematic process that critically examines a program's merit, worth or significance by collecting and analyzing information about a program’s activities, characteristics, and outcomes. The goal is to improve the program's effectiveness, and/or to inform programming decisions (Patton, 2001).

,

The guarantee of fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. The principle of equity acknowledges that there are historically underserved and underrepresented populations and that providing equal or identical treatment to all does not improve the fairness of these unbalanced conditions (Oregon State University, 2021).

is an aspirational value for both evaluation processes and program results. Groups and individuals differ in their

Referring to ability diversity and a variety of abilities and disabilities. These variations include differences in cognitive, social-emotional, and physical abilities. Differences in abilities may need more individualized approaches to instruction and evaluation (PennState Extension, 2017).

to create and enjoy healthy communities, and evaluators must acknowledge this disparity. Different life experiences lead to different ways that people make sense of the world. Evaluations have

The ability to influence others and impose one's beliefs. All power is relational and unequally distributed globally and in society. Some individuals/ groups hold greater power than others, gaining them greater access to resources (Racial Equity Tools, 2020).

to influence which viewpoints are reflected in decision-making processes and through resource allocation. Persons operating in an evaluation role need to design studies and protocols that recognize

Relative levels of power between two or more people or groups can impact the interaction between each other. Power dynamics is an invisible force that can affect our daily lives on an intuitive basis, without knowing we are being affected by it (Hanna-Wayne, 2019).

, and the reality of white

The flip side of oppression, privilege constitutes advantages we receive, consciously or unconsciously, by virtue of one or more of our identities, called “dominant identities”. These advantages are upheld by systems of power that advantage certain groups over others, and include ideologies such as racism, sexism, cissexism (transphobia), heterosexism (homophobia), elitism, classism, ableism, nativism, colonialism, ageism, and sizeism (collectively “the isms”). Privilege includes the freedom from stress, anxiety, and fear of harm related to your identity. (The Avarna Group, 2020)

and

The relationship between institutions that perpetuates and/or exacerbates unequal outcomes for individuals (National Equity Project, 2017).

. On the back end, reports should resist simplistic stereotypical representations of people.

People who directly, or indirectly, protect a status quo. Gatekeepers create or define rules for a movement to promote their own well-being, rather than taking in a larger picture (The Establishment, 2016).

, such as funders and supervisors, who commission and oversee evaluations have an obligation to establish and support policies and practices that contribute to equitable processes and outcomes by design (e.g., require grantees to employ people who share lived experiences in communities of interest, allow time for relationship building, support research designs that are relevant and responsive to stakeholders, invest in longer-term capacity-building for organizations and communities).

Authentic

“Engagement refers to the degree of attention, curiosity, interest, optimism, and passion that [learners] show when they are learning or being taught, which extends to the level of motivation they have to learn and progress in their education” (Great Schools Partnership, 2016). Engagement can be with students, with the teaching, with learning, in research, with educators, and/or with the community (Groccia & Hunter, 2012).

is essential to EE evaluation. It requires humility and sensitivity, recognizing the inherent strengths and wisdom present in all evaluative contexts. NAAEE Community Engagement Guidelines remind us that authentic engagement is oriented toward collaboration, inclusivity, capacity-building, and civic action that contributes to healthier communities and equitable outcomes for all. Authentic engagement includes persons impacted by the program directly and indirectly (e.g., program providers, program participants, non-participants, supervisors, funders), paying special attention to issues of power and privilege. Ideally, participants are involved in evaluations as team members, designers, decision-makers and implementers of the evaluation (rather than as data sources only). This means setting aside

Refers to time, money, and other in-kind resources.

, time, and

Can be geographically based (neighborhoods, towns, cities, etc.) or based on interest, identity, culture, belief, profession, etc. In environmental education community is often thought of as a system of systems including both natural, social, and economic systems (NAAEE, 2017).

-centered support systems to build trusting, respectful, and genuine relationships to ensure multiple voices are incorporated in meaningful ways. Given their day-to-day demands, practitioners may wrestle with the pressure to slow down the process for systemic change to happen. Funders can support this process by providing capital, creating connections, or supporting the equitable involvement of stakeholders. 

eeVAL strives to increase our understanding of what it means to create and achieve healthier communities for all. Yet, “healthier” can mean different things to different people. Even words such as “environment,” “evaluation” and “education” mean different things to different people. As such, we must question whose truths are represented, measured, and elevated for consideration, and what kinds of knowledge are valued as a result. We acknowledge and celebrate the process and products that come from deep curiosity. Deep curiosity incorporates multiple perspectives and methods of inquiry rooted in the cultures, histories, and traditions of the local context where an

A systematic process that critically examines a program's merit, worth or significance by collecting and analyzing information about a program’s activities, characteristics, and outcomes. The goal is to improve the program's effectiveness, and/or to inform programming decisions (Patton, 2001).

takes place. This means setting aside

Refers to time, money, and other in-kind resources.

, time, and space for

Can be geographically based (neighborhoods, towns, cities, etc.) or based on interest, identity, culture, belief, profession, etc. In environmental education community is often thought of as a system of systems including both natural, social, and economic systems (NAAEE, 2017).

-centered processes to develop data collection tools to reflect deep curiosity. Funders can support this value by providing funding, time, and creating connections to make this possible, and be open to the different

Indicators are measures that demonstrate whether a goal has been achieved. We rely on indicators in everyday life. For example, if you have a goal to lose weight and improve your overall health, you may measure success using indicators such as the number of pounds lost, a change in your body mass index, lowered cholesterol, or even an increase in your perceived energy level. In an evaluation context, indicators provide the information needed to answer the evaluation questions. 

of impact.

EE

A systematic process that critically examines a program's merit, worth or significance by collecting and analyzing information about a program’s activities, characteristics, and outcomes. The goal is to improve the program's effectiveness, and/or to inform programming decisions (Patton, 2001).

advances a commitment to lifelong learning and continuous critical reflection. This means continuous growth at both the individual and organizational level that require humility, self-reflection, personal growth, and

The way in which individuals and groups hold themselves to goals and actions as well as the values to which they hold themselves responsible. Can be internally or externally imposed (ICMA, 2021).

. Areas of growth for an individual include examining

Associations or assumptions (negative or positive) that people unknowingly hold. The theory of implicit bias rests on the idea that much of our social behavior is driven by learned stereotypes that operate automatically—and therefore unconsciously—when we interact with other people. Implicit bias means that racial prejudices (and other areas of diversity) affect individuals’ decisions as well as their behavior toward people of other races, whether or not they are aware of it. Also known as unconscious or hidden bias (Saats, 2013, cited in Racial Equity Tools, 2020).

and difference (inclusive of race,

A social construct that divides people into smaller groups based on characteristics such as a shared sense of group membership, values, behavioral, patterns, language, history, and ancestral geography (Racial Equity Tools, 2020).

, gender, age,

The type of attraction one feels for others, often described based on the gender relationship between the person and the people they are sexually attracted to (The Avarna Group, 2020).

, social class,

A physical, mental, or cognitive impairment or the perception of such an impairment that impacts a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities due to the way society is structured. In these cases, special accommodations are necessary to ensure an individual’s engagement. The adoption of the ADA makes it illegal to discriminate against people based on their disabilities (ADA National Network, n.d.).

, language, and educational level). Everyone carries implicit bias and has a role in addressing how their bias influences evaluations. Areas of growth for an organization include establishing policies that allow individuals and the organization as a whole to question assumptions and practices. Organizations that make a commitment to critical reflection celebrate approaches to new ideas and avoid “right and wrong” thinking. Funders can contribute 

Refers to time, money, and other in-kind resources.

to support a diverse and inclusive learning network that cultivates transformative potential for organizations, programming, staff, communities, and the

The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates, especially as affected by human activity; its ethical, social, cultural, and economic dimensions also play a part (Environment, 2018; Tbilisi Declaration, 1977).

.

High quality EE program

A systematic process that critically examines a program's merit, worth or significance by collecting and analyzing information about a program’s activities, characteristics, and outcomes. The goal is to improve the program's effectiveness, and/or to inform programming decisions (Patton, 2001).

balances sociopolitical, ethical, and

"The technical qualities of assessments, such as validity, reliability, and fairness, are considered before drawing conclusions about assessment results. [For example, v]alidity is the degree to which an assessment measures what it is supposed to measure" (CSRC Report, 2017).

.

These considerations involve the intersection of social and political factors, such as social attitudes, government policies, or political preferences.

encompass attention to the political, social, historical, cultural, and organizational factors that influence evaluation processes and outcomes. Ethical considerations encompass careful attention to the use and impact of evaluation, especially as it relates to persons who hold the least

The ability to influence others and impose one's beliefs. All power is relational and unequally distributed globally and in society. Some individuals/ groups hold greater power than others, gaining them greater access to resources (Racial Equity Tools, 2020).

among us (e.g., youth, practitioners, non-degree holders, members of non-dominant cultural groups). Technical considerations encompass the entirety of planning, implementation and reporting typically present in any evaluation. High quality evaluation is culturally responsive and central to all programming. Funders can advance high-quality evaluations by focusing on values as measured outcomes and proposing funding cycles that allow grantees to attend to ethical considerations over and above the mechanics of an evaluation.

Individually we know some things, collectively we know a lot. Collective

A systematic process that critically examines a program's merit, worth or significance by collecting and analyzing information about a program’s activities, characteristics, and outcomes. The goal is to improve the program's effectiveness, and/or to inform programming decisions (Patton, 2001).

allows for learning to be shared beyond organizations and networks of organizations to convey many evaluation processes, stories, and impacts. As a result, stories and impacts are amplified to backbone support organizations, those in related fields, funders, and those considering entering the field.

Collective evaluation extends evaluation accomplished in networked improvement communities, adding that the networked organizations share those components beyond the network for learning and improvement in the field at large (Clark et al., in prep).

means the journey is part of the learning. In this spirit, collective evaluation draws on multiple forms of knowledge, and allows for different approaches, outcomes, forms of measurements. Collective wisdom and evaluation efforts will benefit and strengthen environmental education for all. Funders can host convenings and run requests for proposals to help grantees aspire to and co-create collective evaluation networks and processes. Together, organizations and networks commit to critical reflection while demonstrating the positive impacts of our collective EE efforts.