1. EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS Alan F. Chow Mitchell College of Business University of South Alabama Jill Showers-Chow Software Technology, Inc. Gholamreza Tashbin College of Education University of South Alabama

2. Outline Introduction Methodology Results Conclusions Contact Information

3. Introduction Software Technology, Inc. (STI) –An education data management company that provides software to the K-12 market –Provides training and support to customers

4. Introduction Training –Who – Administrators, school officials, and teachers –What – School system support software and database use training –Where – At customer locations, in schools, school board offices, via the internet through Webex.

5. Methodology Needs based training assessment –Performed needs assessment based on the customers perceived needs –Customized training based on those perceived needs

6. Methodology Implementation –Conducted customized training to each of four (4) customer school districts –Training built around what the customer wanted to learn –Used post training questionnaire to see if customers felt training met their intended needs

7. Results Group 1 –This district had prior experience with entering data for special education students into a database. –Based on the Training Evaluation Form, trainees knowledge prior to the training was between seven and eight on a 10-point scale (1 low, 10 high). –Trainees perceived knowledge after the training was between eight and nine on a 10-point scale. –Trainees rated the training materials a nine, trainees wanted copies of the forms used in the support training as well as in the training user manual.

8. Results Group 2 –Trainees knowledge prior to the training was between seven and eight on a 10-point scale (1 low, 10 high). –Trainees perceived knowledge after the training was between nine and ten on a 10-point scale. –Trainees rated the training materials a ten, trainees felt the documents great to refer back to.

9. Results Group 3 –Trainees knowledge prior to the training was between three and six on a 10-point scale (1 low, 10 high). –Trainees perceived knowledge after the training was between seven and nine on a 10- point scale. –Trainees rated the training materials a ten, trainees were very appreciative of documents.

10. Results Group 4 –Trainees knowledge prior to the training was between four and seven on a 10-point scale (1 low, 10 high). –Trainees perceived knowledge after the training was between seven and nine on a 10- point scale. –Trainees rated the training materials a ten, trainees were very appreciative of documents.

11. Conclusions Evaluation of training is important to assure that training met the intended needs of the customers Needs based training is a desirable method of training development when practical Training improved and had improved results

12. Contact Information Alan F. Chow 338 MCOB Mitchell College of Business University of South Alabama Mobile, AL 36688 alchow@usouthal.edu