This article describes the development, implementation, and exploratory evaluation of a professional development series that addressed educators' knowledge and use of the terms "research-based" and "evidence-based" within Human Sciences Extension and Outreach at one university. Respondents to a follow-up survey were more likely…

From a utilization-focused evaluation perspective, the success of an evaluation is rooted in the extent to which the evaluation was used by stakeholders. This paper details the "Expectations to Change" (E2C) process, an interactive, workshop-based method designed to engage primary users with their evaluation findings as a means of…

Dwindling public funding as well as greater competition for grant dollars create a challenge for Extension. For Extension to remain a financially viable organization, educators have to be able to produce substantive, measurable program outcomes and impacts. Evaluative data can inform program development and delivery, and helps administrators…

Sustainability Camps provide an opportunity for Extension educators to be in the forefront of sustainability outreach and to meet the growing demand for sustainability education. This article shares development, implementation, and evaluation of an Extension Sustainability Camp for youth, grades 4-6. Camp impact was measured via daily pre-and…

Higher rates of smoking initiation and continuation by female compared with male adolescents, as found in many developed countries, may call for gender-specific prevention programs. Risk factors of smoking initiation and continuation were examined prospectively (1997-2002) among 3205 Dutch elementary schoolchildren (mean age 11.64) in an…

The results of a follow-up study on local school district development and implementation of minimal competency testing (MCT) programs are reported. Critical questions regarding: (1) motivation and purposes; (2) selection of tests, procedures, and standards; and (3) impact, follow-up, and change are examined. The follow-up study investigated…

Since 1958, the California Youth Authority has undertaken a wide diversity of research projects which span the range of activities in which the department is involved. These include program evaluation and development, measurement and classification, followup studies, and experimentally designed demonstration projects. Studies have been directed at…

Focused on the program evaluation activities of high school counselors. Data obtained indicated school counselors evaluated about 40 percent of guidance program activities included in a questionnaire, but only 19 percent were formally evaluated. This compares with 36 percent reported for formal follow-up studies ten years earlier. (Author/RC)

Presented are evaluations of eight 1973-75 objectives of the Oregon Model Center for children with learning disabilities. The center was developed to facilitate expansion of the Educational Evaluation Center, a diagnostic-prescriptive center at Oregon College of Education. Among objectives evaluated are: studying the process of the Education…

The last of a seven volume report on a national survey of individualized education programs (IEPs) for handicapped children, reviews findings from a followup study designed to identify those school district factors that contribute to the informativeness and internal consistency of IEPs. Five districts in five states selected for the followup…

To determine the appropriateness of courses and programs offered to teacher education students at the University of Southern Mississippi, an annual follow-up of graduates is conducted. Each first year teacher in a sample from the total group is treated in the following manner in order to get needed information. First, a teacher education faculty…

To determine the appropriateness of courses and programs offered to teacher education students at the University of Southern Mississippi, an annual follow-up of graduates is conducted. Each first year teacher in a sample from the total group is treated in the following manner to get needed information. First, a teacher education faculty member…

The Brevard District Plan for placement and follow-up is intended for all secondary students, including dropouts, disadvantaged, adult students, and graduates. The areas of placement may be in gainful employment, educational institutions, or a combination of both. The plan specifies procedures for implementing placement and stipulates the type of…

This review paper discusses the implications of the California Statewide Longitudinal Study (SLS) of community college students for 2-year vocational education. After introductory material examining problems in vocational student follow-up, the paper presents relevant findings from the SLS, discusses their significance for vocational education,…

Focus group findings were compared with survey findings for three studies in which both methods were used. Studies conducted on voluntary sterilization in Guatemala, Honduras, and Zaire with over 2,000 subjects confirm that focus groups yield information similar to that obtained from surveys and are useful in program planning. (SLD)