THE REVIEW IS BASED ON AN ANALYSIS OF PROGRAM DOCUMENTS, INTERVIEWS WITH EVALUATORS AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS, AND SITE VISITS TO ONE OF THE PROJECTS. THE DISCUSSION FOCUSES ON THE IMPACT OF POLITICAL CONFLICTS -INCLUDING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LOCAL AND NATIONAL PERSPECTIVES -- ON THE EVALUATOR'S JOB. ESP MANAGERS AND EVALUATORS FOUND THAT FEW ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAMS WERE CLEAR AND PREDICTABLE. THE CONCEPT OF EDUCATIONAL EXPERIMENTATION WAS IN ITSELF ELUSIVE AND TENDED TO BE DEFINED IN IDIOSYNCRATIC TERMS. LOCAL EXPECTATIONS OF EXPERIMENTS REVOLVED AROUND THE NEEDS AND POLITICS OF THE LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE USE OF EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION PROCEDURES FURTHER COMPLICATED THE SITUATION. THE REVIEW ILLUSTRATES HOW POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS AFFECT EVALUATION IN THREE WAYS: (1) THE FACT THAT THE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS WITH WHICH THE EVALUATION IS DEALING ARE THEMSELVES THE PRODUCTS OF POLITICAL DECISIONS; (2) THE NEED FOR EVALUATIVE EVIDENCE OF PROGRAM OUTCOMES TO COMPETE FOR ATTENTION WITH OTHER FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE POLITICAL DECISIONMAKING; AND (3) THE IMPLICITLY POLITICAL NATURE OF EVALUATION ITSELF. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)