WE AI in Evaluation User Group

Led by the Washington Evaluators, January 23,2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm ET

Session Topic: Evaluating AI in Context: What Evaluators Need to Know

Join us to explore a central question: How can evaluators apply familiar social science approaches to evaluate AI systems used in real-world settings?

In this session, guest speaker Angeline Spain examines why AI systems increasingly pose evaluation challenges that extend beyond technical performance metrics.Instead, she encourages us to reframe AI tools as part of broader socio-technical systems whose performance depends on how they are implemented, used, and adapted within organizations. Using examples from health care, education, and child welfare, the session highlights evaluation strategies that many practitioners already use and shows how they can be applied to AI-enabled programs. We will also discuss practical challenges in building lifecycle-oriented evidence, including context sensitivity, fairness and access considerations, and translating findings into actionable insights for learning and decision-making.

Angeline Spain, Ph.D. is an applied research leader with 14 years of experience leading large-scale research and evaluation initiatives across health care, education, and the public sector. She has held roles at the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, where she led multidisciplinary teams and managed complex, mission-driven research portfolios. Trained in methods and organizational leadership, her work focuses on translating evidence into insights that support real-world learning and impact.

This event is FREE and open to WE and AEA members only. To become a member visit https://washingtonevaluators.org/membership. If you have questions about this event, please email programs@washingtonevaluators.org