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Evaluation Review
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Curriculum Evaluation and Revision in a Nascent Field

The Utility of the Retrospective Pretest—Posttest Model in a Homeland Security Program of Study

William V. Pelfrey, Sr

Stanford University and the Naval Postgraduate School, pelfrey{at}uwm.edu

William V. Pelfrey, Jr

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Although most academic disciplines evolve at a measured pace, the emerging field of homeland security must, for reasons of safety and security, evolve rapidly. The Department of Homeland Security sponsored the establishment of a graduate educational program for key officials holding homeland security roles. Because homeland security is a nascent field, the establishment of a program curriculum was forced to draw from a variety of disciplines. Curriculum evaluation was complicated by the rapid changes occurring in the emerging discipline, producing response shift bias, and interfering with the pre—post assessments. To compensate for the validity threat associated with response shift bias, a retrospective pretest—posttest evaluative methodology was used. Data indicate the program has evolved in a significant and orderly fashion and these data support the use of this innovative evaluation approach in the development of any discipline.

Key Words: Homeland Security • evaluation • retrospective pretest/posttest

Evaluation Review, Vol. 33, No. 1, 54-82 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0193841X08327578
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