Evaluation as a Photograph: A Continued Reflection
After writing about how statistics help us adjust the lens when looking at student data, I kept thinking about the metaphor. If statistics are the lens, then evaluation findings are the photo. They capture a moment in time, shaped by the angle we chose, the focus we selected, and the context surrounding the scene.
Every evaluation reflects a specific setting, a specific group of participants, and a specific point in time. Change any of those conditions and the picture looks different. This is why an evaluation should never be treated as a permanent portrait of a program. It is a snapshot, one view into a larger story that continues to evolve.
Evaluation as a Moment in Time
When I am asked to conduct a new evaluation, I begin with conversations about what leaders want to see. In other words, I want to know what photo they hope to capture. To do this, evaluators must be specific. We ask about the point in time: Are we looking at the current year? Are we hoping to establish trends across multiple years? Or are we focusing only on the summer term? This matters because evaluation findings will reflect that specific time frame, not a generalization of the entire program.
We also need to understand the participants and their characteristics, how implementation looks, what the expected outcomes are, and what resources support the work. Participant characteristics are especially important when dealing with student data (read my blog post about “We Can’t Ignore Student Demographics in Education” for more details about this). Implementation also matters because it shapes outcomes; sometimes the issue is not program effectiveness but challenges in how it was delivered. Expected outcomes can vary across populations, contexts, or even leadership priorities, so it is important to clarify what those outcomes are for the specific evaluation. And resources tell us about the conditions under which the program is operating.
Many educational programs work within limited budgets, and they do the best they can with the resources available. Right now, we are seeing funding cuts across federal, state, and local levels, yet students are still in classrooms and still need to be served. In these conditions, evaluation becomes even more relevant. Tracking programs and conducting evaluations is one of the best ways to understand how limited resources are affecting the work and where adjustments may be needed.
Just like lighting, location, and timing influence a photograph, program conditions shape evaluation findings. Staffing patterns, student needs, resources, and implementation stages all influence what the evaluation captures regarding the expected outcomes. Because of this, findings are never the full story. They are a snapshot of what was happening at that moment.
One Photo is Never Enough
Each evaluation project represents a single snapshot of a program. Although it can be helpful, it cannot answer every question, show long-term growth, or reveal consistency across years.
Think about what happens when you show someone a photo. You tell the story behind the moment. For example, a few days ago I shared pictures from my trip to San Francisco for the NASDME Conference for the Migrant Education Program. One photo meant a lot to me because it showed my excitement about visiting Alcatraz. I also happened to be wearing a cute pair of sneakers I bought specifically because they worked with a broken toe. In that photo, my facial expression, the shoes, and the place all had a context and a meaning.
Evaluation projects work the same way. We take a snapshot of a program and explain the story around it. Programs are alive. They shift, adapt, and respond to new challenges and new needs. A one-time evaluation captures only one stage in that evolution.
This is why ongoing evaluation is essential. In education, we need both formative and summative evaluation. Formative evaluation gives us continuous photos along the way. It helps us understand what is working, what needs adjustment, and how implementation is unfolding in real time. Summative evaluation provides the broader snapshot at the end of a cycle, showing outcomes and overall impact.
Over time, these photos reveal:
• how the program is developing
• whether progress is happening
• where patterns are emerging
• what needs attention
• how implementation changes across years
• what improves with support
• and what strengthens with time
Think about it this way, one photo provides information and multiple photos provide perspective.
Building a Story Through Multiple Snapshots
Early snapshots may show variation as a program takes shape with no clear outcomes, while later ones may reveal stronger implementation and clearer outcomes. Over time, these snapshots become a type of photo album. It becomes a visual history of the program, documenting its strengths, challenges, turning points, and progress.
This is where evaluation becomes most meaningful. Not in one report or one year of data, but in the steady collection of snapshots that reveal the fuller, more honest story. Evaluation helps us understand how programs grow, what influences their outcomes, and what supports will help them continue improving.
Evaluation, much like photography, asks us to look closely and document what we see. But we also have to remember that one image can never capture the full story of a program. Schools change from year to year. Students grow. Staff shift. New needs emerge. The context around a program is always moving.
Good evaluation recognizes this. It respects the fact that progress takes time and that understanding impact requires more than a single snapshot. It values the series of photos taken across multiple points in time, because that is what shows direction, growth, and stability.
Every evaluation is a photograph. And when those photographs are placed together, we begin to understand the real story: not just the moment that was captured, but the movement happening across years.
