A questionnaire was sent to 1,705 Texas farmers and ranchers who had either purchased farm management software provided by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service (purchasers) or had participated in Extension Service short courses and had purchased farm management software (participant/purchasers). A total of 489 farmers/ranchers responded.…

In home study, testing is the primary method of interacting and exchanging information with students. However, both the testing methods and the administration of most home study examinations are disappointing. The preparation of most examinations is often an afterthought, with little if any attention given to how such exercises might contribute to…

St. Petersburg Junior College's (SPJC's) College for Kids program was initiated in fall 1981. Over the years, the program evolved from an afterschool program for gifted students into a summer program suitable for all students from ages 6 through 12. The program operates between 8:30 in the morning and 2:30 in the afternoon for 9 or 10 weeks, with…

Results of student and parent assessments of a 1986 summer orientation at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, are presented. A total of 805 students and 372 parents completed an evaluation form that used a Likert scale. Of the 18 questions, 7 were identical for both students and parents. These concerned the overall rating of the…

This report concerns an assessment of the quality of life in Family Housing villages at the University of Florida (UF) which was conducted in April 1986. Section I presents survey particulars such as number of respondents (N=1,551) and rate of survey return (85.7%). Section II contains Hansen's Seven-Step Model for needs assessment which was…

During fall 1986, the Older Adult Services (OAS) program at De Anza Community College (California) administered a needs assessment survey to a representative number of students registered in OAS classes. The study sought to determine the mean age, educational and occupational background of the population served; and to determine students'…

In November 1984, a study was conducted at Napa Valley College (NVC) to assess student satisfaction with the college's programs and services. An in-class survey was completed by 835 day and evening students enrolled in credit classes during the fall 1984 semester. Study findings included the following: (1) most students were attending NVC to…

A study was conducted by the Community Services Department at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) to evaluate participant satisfaction and suggestions for future direction for the department's comprehensive program of non-credit courses. A questionnaire was administered in class to 307 participants between April 1, and June 1, 1987, focusing on…

This paper describes how the Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL) operated the first study groups, what topics they investigated, what fruit they bore, and what the study group members and AEL staff later said they would do differently or the same way next time. Major topics discussed in the paper are: how groups were initiated and organized,…

In spring 1988, a survey was conducted of the 1987 graduates of Prince George's Community College's (PGCC; in Largo, Maryland), occupational programs to assess graduates' success in obtaining full-time employment and their ratings of their preparation for employment. A questionnaire was mailed to all 933 student receiving an associate degree or…

During fall 1987, the Wyoming Community College Commission (WCCC) designed and initiated a 5-year statewide longitudinal study to identify variables affecting student progress toward personal, academic, and career objectives. An initial survey of 181 randomly selected first-time, first-year students was designed to provide a profile of community…

The intent of this paper is to illustrate the use of stakeholder information in evaluating a school program. The material presented is part of a comprehensive formative evaluation of a crisis intervention program operated by a suburban school district situated near a large industrial city in the Midwest. The crisis intervention program provided…

The beneficial role that leisure can play in the lives of older persons is increasingly recognized by gerontologists and leisure service specialists. To study the psychological benefits of 18 commonly chosen leisure activities, 1,649 older adults, aged 55-75, responded to 27 paragraphs measuring the psychological benefits of leisure activities,…

The Finger Lakes Dislocated Workers Project is a regionally oriented program that coordinates job retraining, career counseling, and placement services for workers whose positions have been terminated because of layoffs, skills obsolescence, and early retirement. The perceptions, attitudes, and behavior of those dislocated workers who had…

Growth and change in the quality of doctoral education from 1979 to 1984 were analyzed, using Holzemer's program evaluation schema and a repeated measures design. Fifteen nursing doctoral programs participated in both a 1979 and 1984 study using Educational Testing Service and Graduate Program Self-Assessment (GPSA) questionnaires. A total of 14…