In regards to program evaluation, the use of formative and or summative evaluation

would be more appropriate and useful in the work setting of the author. Under the administration
of the Taiyuan City government Department of Education, Taiyuan Mercan School was
established in 1997 as an after school English training institution (Mercan School, n.d.). The
author is employed by Mercan School at this present time. McDavid (2006) mentioned Program
evaluation is intended to be a flexible and situation-specific means of answering questions,
testing hypothesis, or describing program processes (p. 357). In addition, McDavid avowed
evaluations can focus on a broad range of issues, spanning program resources to program
outcomes, and generally are intended to yield information that reduces the level of uncertainty
about the issues that prompted the evaluation. An evaluation can be either formative or
summative. McDavid (2006) declared formative evaluations are aimed at producing findings,
conclusions and recommendations that are intended to improve the program (p. 375).
Furthermore, McDavid avowed that a summative evaluation is intended to render judgments on
the program. By utilizing the formative and or summative evaluation method, programs amid
Mercan School will be monitored for feedback (formative evaluation). When data is collected
and analyzed, the results are used to help decide whether a program within Mercan School
should be continued or improved (summative evaluation).
References
McDavid, J. (2006). Program evaluation and performance measurement: An introduction to
practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Mercan education. (n.d.). In Taiyuan Mercan School. Retrieved from
http://www.mercanschool.com/english_version/index.html