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…

Discusses the importance of constructing a good evaluation tool. (JOW)

Illustrates steps in the evaluation process, reports findings from the evaluation, demonstrates the importance of planning evaluations before programs are implemented, and encourages the use of evaluation techniques in program development. (JOW)

Explores the commonality between effective extension education and effective evaluations, illustrating similar principles and processes both involve. (JOW)

Criteria for usefulness of evaluative information have changed and this means the model of evaluation used by extension must meet the new criteria. Evaluation research is now considered the legitimate model for evaluation; it can aid decision makers by providing data for making unpopular decisions. (LRA)

Presents criteria to evaluate inservice educational programs before, during, and after implementation, and keys these criteria to the different purposes for evaluation. (JOW)

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

An analysis of apparent program failure should determine whether the fault lies with the program model, implementation strategy, expectations, or evaluation methods. The evaluation should be planned before completing and carrying out the program design. (SK)

Minnesota and Maryland have developed explicit criteria for excellence and quality in extension programs. Unless extension educators can define and judge excellence, they cannot promote excellence within extension or communicate the quality of extension programs to external audiences. (JOW)

Discusses strategies for handling those who don't respond to mail questionnaires so that evaluation results are generalizable and valid. (JOW)

Defines impact evaluation from the perspective of evaluation experts, discusses problems the definition imposes on Extension, and points out areas on which to focus to provide respected answers to questions being asked. (JOW)

Extension programs are traditionally human, personal, and responsive in character. The challenge is to design, implement, and evaluate programs that maintain their humanistic qualities while meeting increased accountability demands. (SK)

Compares qualitative and quantitative data, identifies common qualitative methods, describes a step-by-step process for gathering and analyzing qualitative data, and discusses two applications of the process to Extension. (Author)

Discusses a survey that examined extension's image, clientele, performance, and support. Found that WHO does the evaluation is as important as WHAT is being evaluated because of stereotypes of extension programs and personnel. (JOW)

Analysis of data of two cooperative extension studies suggests that research costs can be lowered by reducing sample size without compromising results, descriptive studies can have a larger margin of error in calculating sample size without compromise, and comparative studies' results are unaffected by a 3% margin of error but are dramatically…