Assertion (A) Analysis

Assertion (A) states that non-equivalent control groups are common in quasi-experimental research. This is true. Quasi-experimental designs often lack random assignment of participants to groups, resulting in pre-existing differences between the control and experimental groups, hence they are termed 'non-equivalent'.

Reason (R) Analysis

Reason (R) states that quasi-experimental designs are highly useful in policy and program evaluation research. This is also true. These designs are frequently employed in real-world settings, such as policy or program evaluations, where random assignment might be impractical, unethical, or impossible.

Relationship Between Assertion and Reason

While both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true statements, Reason (R) does not provide the correct explanation for Assertion (A). The usefulness of quasi-experiments in policy evaluation (R) is a separate point from the reason why they feature non-equivalent control groups (which is primarily due to the lack of random assignment).

Conclusion

Both statements (A) and (R) are factually correct, but the utility of quasi-experiments in evaluation (R) does not explain the presence of non-equivalent control groups (A). Therefore, the correct option is that both are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.