Understanding resources available in a community is essential before any 4-H youth development professional can begin addressing local needs. Conducting a community assessment generates valuable information about the unique components and resources of a specific community. This information then provides a foundation for identifying specific…

Data-driven decision making is part of our everyday lives. For example, we examine our children's immunization charts in order to indicate what vaccinations they have received, as well as what vaccinations are missing and expired. We use information, like a chart, to make decisions about what to do and what not to do. Data-driven decision making…

This article describes the process and role frontline access and public service staff play in needs assessment and evaluation of user services, specifically in understanding the voice of the customer. Information includes how the University of Arizona Libraries have incorporated daily data collection into the strategic planning process, resources…

A longitudinal multimethod intervention project studying the relationship between work stress and health combined qualitative and quantitative techniques such as semistructured individual and focus group interviews, field tests, and surveys. The multifaceted approach strengthened the research process and confidence in the outcomes of needs…

The purpose of the research project was to develop a comprehensive evaluation model that could be used to revise and improve adult education programs. The Jefferson County School System was selected for testing the model, and the problem was to determine how adequately the system provided quality adult education programs to meet the needs of the…

This guide is designed to help educators plan and carry out evaluations of adult education programs. Following an introduction, Section 2 discusses how the evaluation process fits into the concept and normal cycle of program development. Section 3 describes the stages of the evaluation process, including needs assessment, program planning, process…

Five data collection techniques and two sampling methods were examined in terms of costs, rates of return, quality of the data collected, and degree of representativeness in assessing needs and interests of public television viewers in rural areas. Data collection techniques were (1) mail only, (2) mail incentive, (3) telephone only, (4) mail and…

Describes the activities of the federal government, state governments, and library associations in generating statistics on U.S. libraries, and discusses the problems that arise from a lack of coordination. Issues discussed include standardized definitions, scope and coverage, data collection and aggregation, data analysis and interpretation,…

This report presents an analysis of the statistics concerning the status of education for students with special needs in member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Special needs students are defined as those who have disabilities with clear biological causes, or who are experiencing learning difficulties, or who…

A one-week VTAE (Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education) Researcher Workshop was designed to increase the research competencies of Wisconsin VTAE staff members working with research and evaluation projects through a hands-on approach. Based on a needs assessment conducted with the participants, the agenda included sessions on various aspects…

The first of two papers compares two models (the market based model and the prevalence model) for analyzing data from annual state surveys to determine future special education personnel needs and discusses critical issues in data collection. These data are required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act which asks states to project…

The value of microcomputer modeling tools and spreadsheets to help college institutional researchers analyze proposed capital projects is discussed, along with strengths and weaknesses of different software packages. Capital budgeting is the analysis that supports decisions about the allocation and commitment of funds to long-term capital…

This project was conducted to refine and expand previous research indicating the need for an instrument counselors can use in working with area secondary schools and potential students to assess their progress in making career and training decisions. Instruments developed during this research process were pilot tested at two area schools and…