Extension professionals must demonstrate organizational value to garner public awareness and support. Measuring and communicating outcomes that have public value can be challenging. In this study, Ripple Effects Mapping incorporating the Community Capitals Framework was used to evaluate a childhood obesity prevention study, iCook 4-H, of…

Youth at risk for school failure need community and school supports to reduce the likelihood of developing delinquent behavior. This article provides an overview of community and school approaches aimed at intervening on the school-to-prison pipeline. Community and school efforts are emerging that take into account empirical evidence demonstrating…

This article presents an interview with Katrina Bledsoe, a senior research associate with Planning, Research & Evaluation Services (PRES) Associates in Washington, D.C. Dr. Bledsoe was a faculty member in the Psychology Department at The College of New Jersey. She was trained under Stewart Donaldson at Claremont Graduate University (CGU) and…

Community coalitions (CCs) have labored with some difficulty to demonstrate empirical evidence of effectiveness in preventing a wide range of adolescent problem behaviors. Training and technical assistance (TA) have been identified as important elements in promoting improved functioning of CCs. A reliable, valid, and inexpensive method to assess…

Outcomes evaluation of community partnerships to prevent substance abuse poses many methodological challenges. The nine articles of this special section illustrate the variety of approaches evaluators have taken to studies that are often complicated because of small sample size. (SLD)

To debunk the myth that evaluation is a process better left to people with a PhD, this guide describes how organizations and coalitions can develop and utilize an evaluation strategy to make underage drinking prevention programs successful and effective. This booklet first describes the purpose of evaluation as well as the myths and facts about…

This guide addresses several issues related to the evaluation of drug abuse prevention programs for minorities, including: (1) planning; (2) the role of the evaluator; (3) selection of an evaluation methodology; (4) selection of data collection instruments; (5) selection and training of data collection staff; (6) collection and analysis of data;…

Presents a three-dimensional model for conceptualizing existing prevention programs, defining and measuring effects of prevention programs, and making a connection between those programmatic effects, and the interests of the funder. This paper describes the methodology and its use for promoting the efficiency and effectiveness of substance abuse…

Used qualitative methods to describe beliefs and attitudes related to evaluation and to identify factors influencing evaluation capacity, based on interviews with 61 community-based organizations, 9 health departments, and 28 technical assistance providers. Identified four factors influencing evaluation behavior, and developed a model describing…

Underage drinking prevention has two goals: prevent harm to the individual drinker and prevent harm to society. Modern prevention programs should be measured not by their intentions, but by their consequences: reducing the number of criminal events, reducing the amount of harm to individuals, and reducing the harm to society. This guide discusses…

This guide details what coalitions and organizations need to do to insure the enforcement and judicial communities are active partners in the effort to reduce underage drinking. One of the first tasks discussed is the necessity for groups to understand the needs and concerns of law enforcement and to recognize that underage drinking enforcement…

Primary prevention is a major concern in psychology, but data regarding intervention effectiveness, particularly effect sizes (ES) appear to be lacking. A thorough literature search of Psychological Abstracts, community psychology journals, and textbooks yielded 47 primary prevention articles, 22 of which were data-based, and none of which…

This workbook is designed to help communities and program administrators assess the success of their Title V delinquency prevention programs, but it may serve as an evaluation tool for other prevention efforts as well. It provides information and resource aids on program planning, conducting evaluations, tracking programs, describing activities,…

The Aboriginal Healing Foundation (AHF), based in Ottawa (Ontario), works with Canada Native communities to reduce incidents of physical and sexual abuse, children in care, suicide, and incarceration among residential school survivors and their families. This guide has been prepared to help communities evaluate their AHF-funded activities in the…

Community-based organizations (CBOs), particularly minority-based CBOs, are instrumental in the delivery of HIV/AIDS prevention programs and services. Despite a tremendous need, many CBOs lack the capacity to plan, implement, and evaluate targeted prevention interventions to serve culturally diverse populations. This article describes a…