This paper discusses impact studies, an emerging evaluation and planning strategy evolving from required USDA reporting for extension services and agricultural experiment stations to a framework for evaluation/assessment planning. Impact studies can be useful for evaluating unit and individual performance, resource allocation, and planning. In…

Describes the results of a study to determine the effectiveness of the North Central Association (NCA) program of self-evaluation and evaluation-team visitation, using the degree of implementation of recommendations made as the criterion for effectiveness. (AN)

To maintain employer cooperation and support, career educators must evaluate employer contacts and show results in terms employers can understand and value. Includes six possible objectives related to employer contacts and suggests types of evidence relevant for each. (JOW)

Describes the preparation and successful introduction into an elementary school of a computer literacy program for pupils and parents. Preparation involved setting up a steering committee, purchase of 18 microcomputers and one disk drive unit, providing inservice training for class teachers, and production of a fifth-grade teaching manual. (EAO)

Examined variables (social background, intake symptoms, program type, treatment experiences, and perceptions of environment) related to posttreatment functioning of alcoholic patients. Results showed the combined explanatory power of program-related variables was more than expected. Explained variance was shared between patient-related and…

The key to evaluating government relations programs is to evaluate individual components separately. Some suggestions include: develop specific goals, evaluate relations developed in the contract- and grant-seeking process, assess the time frame for objectives, and recognize limits. (Author/MLW)

Presents a cost-effectiveness/benefit analysis model as a conceptual framework that is usable to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit of postsecondary occupational programs. (Author/IRT)

Presents topics for parents to consider when selecting and evaluating a preschool program, including: teacher qualifications, licensing and accreditation, environment, physical activity, safety and security, social atmosphere, planning and goals, parent involvement, discipline, intellectual development, and program and class size. Two sidebars…

Compares auditing with evaluation research in terms of foci, independence, quality control, and professionalism of program evaluation practitioners. Indicates that if policymakers do not consider what they expect from evaluations and incorporate expectations into requests for evaluations, practitioners will make the decisions for them. (JOW)

Offers effective ways to increase student involvement in the training classroom. Suggestions include use of questions and answers, subgroups, case studies and role playing, and debating. Indicates that the measure of success lies in how much usable learning has been accomplished by the greatest number of people. (JOW)

For the purposes of evaluating extension programs, a list of other outcomes participants may have experienced besides acquiring new knowledge is provided. (SK)

Discusses the experiences (reading, scoring, discussing, reviewing, refining of scoring, etc.) of a participant in the first-ever competitive review of all sites of the National Writing Project. Notes that the participant read many applications from sites that "lived" the model on which the project is based. (RS)