Extension has developed a strong evaluation culture across the system for the last 15 years. Yet measures are still limited to the private value of programs, looking at problems in a linear way and at isolated efforts. Across the country, Extension evaluators and administrators need to step up to help answer the "so what?" question about…

In this article, we critique two recent theoretical developments about collaborative inquiry in evaluation--using logic models as a means to understand theory, and efforts to compartmentalize versions of collaborative inquiry into discrete genres--as a basis for considering future direction for the field. We argue that collaborative inquiry in…

School program evaluation researchers face a set of overlapping questions concerning our roles in the field: For the sake of "the data" and in quest of "the truth," am I a shrewd researcher before all else? For the sake of community-building and establishing respectful, reciprocal relationships with my school partners, am I first a gracious school…

Scholars, practice professionals, and policymakers should welcome the new era of evidence-based programming and policies, but these constituencies need to be realistic about the complexities, uncertainties, and limitations that lie beneath what could easily become a simplistic process. This paper discusses some of the requirements for the…

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…

Discusses common themes in five papers on rural community psychology: myth that rural life is naturally supportive, importance of community needs in designing prevention programs, risks of labeling diseases, rural psychologists as developers/advocates, using advice/direct suggestion, thinking in systems/ecological terms, role/boundary conflicts,…

NASPE's Teacher Toolbox is an instructional resource site which provides educators with a wide variety of teaching tools that focus on physical activity. This service is provided by NASPE to support instructional activities as well as promote quality programs. New monthly issues support NASPE's mission to enhance knowledge, improve professional…

Community education is concerned with the development of the individual and the development of the community to improve the quality of life. Community colleges act as catalysts by coordinating citizen and agency participation and community resources to improve educational opportunities for all. (SK)

The belief that solutions to educators' problems and requirements for competent personnel must come from external sources and increased public interest in education is examined. Economic conditions result in pressure for higher achievement and increased cost effectiveness. Evaluation will shift to combined data base emphasis and public relations…

The effectiveness of the community board in the mental health system specifically and in human service systems generally depends, to a large extent, on how the board's role and scope are defined and how its organizational structure and staffing procedures are developed. The development of community boards should be based upon the premises that (1)…

Much has been made of the advantages of active support and person-centred planning, both of which have gradually been evolving and changing over the last 25-30 years. The latter is now mandated in the UK as part of the "Valuing People" strategy on disability (Department of Health UK, 2001), and is also central to the follow-up policy…

Outlines several survival strategies for community education contact persons in community colleges and community agencies. Poses 10 questions and relates them to situational examples providing true-to-life comparisons which can be used to identify a potential problem in an agency or institution. Provides a 10-point self-rating scale.

The process called deinstitutionalization, whether of the elderly or mentally disabled, involves complex issues, not the least of which are economic, physical, social, and psychological costs; any attempt to further this process perforce needs a comprehensive, specific plan suited to community needs and to those who are to be served. A workable…

Curriculum design model provides a conceptual basis for ongoing planning and appraisal of the school system by members of the community. (JOW)

Two approaches for evaluating community development are: community stories--locally developed ethnographies for community-led change; and sponsor-backed evaluation using coproduced indicators and standards. (SK)