Program Evaluation Useful Sources of Information Carol Pilcher Department of Entomology Iowa State University

Program Evaluation Collecting Data –Surveys Analyzing Data Developing Reports Useful Sources

Program Evaluation

Program Evaluation Seevers B., Graham D., Gamon J., Conklin K Education through Cooperative Extension. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers. 288 p.

Program Evaluation Patton MQ Utilization-Focused Evaluation. 3 rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 430 p.

Collecting Data Existing records Observations Focus groups End of meeting questionnaires Mailed questionnaires Telephone surveys Face to face interviews

Developing Surveys Salant P. and Dillman DA How to Conduct Your Own Survey. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 232 p.

Questionnaires What types of questions will you ask? –Close-ended –Open-ended

Questionnaires Scales –Try to make scales consistent –Likert Scales Try to have at least five categories Must have positive and negative items of equal value SD, D, U, A, SA

Tips for Questionnaires Make sure instrument looks professional –Handwritten signature on cover letter Always leave space at the end for participant to write additional comments End survey with Thank You –Thank you for your participation!!

Sample Size? Size of population Sample or census

Mail Survey Procedures Personalized, advance notice letter (optional) Personalized cover letter, survey instrument, return envelope Follow-up postcard Personalized cover letter, survey instrument, return envelope

Analyzing Data Sproull, NL Handbook of Research Methods: A Guide for Practitioners and Students in the Social Sciences. 2 nd ed. Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. 430 p.

Analyzing Data Develop a plan Analysis depends on level of data –Nominal, ordinal, interval –Description, correlation, comparisons SPSS –Statistical software package

Reporting Results Description and analysis Interpretation Judgment Recommendations

Sources of Information Evaluation –Bennett CF. March/April Up the Hierarchy. Journal of Extension 13(1) –Patton MQ Utilization-Focused Evaluation. 3 rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 430 p. –Rossi PH. And Freeman, HE Evaluation: A Systematic Approach. 5 th ed. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. 488 p. –Seevers B., Graham D., Gamon J., Conklin K Education through Cooperative Extension. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers. 288 p. –University of Wisconsin-Extension. (2004). Program Development and Evaluation. Retrieved April 2005, from University of Wisconsin-Extension-Cooperative Extension, Program Development and Evaluation Unit Web site Collecting Data –Salant P. and Dillman DA How to Conduct Your Own Survey. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 232 p. Analyzing Data –Sproull, NL Handbook of Research Methods: A Guide for Practitioners and Students in the Social Sciences. 2 nd ed. Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. 430 p.