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ERIC Number: ED591132
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Apr
Pages: 79
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
4-H Science Initiative: Youth Engagement, Attitudes, and Knowledge Study. Revised
Mielke, Monica; LaFleur, Jennifer; Butler, Alisha; Sanzone, Joy
Policy Studies Associates, Inc.
In 2006 4-H National Headquarters at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National 4-H Council introduced a new initiative aimed at increasing the number and quality of science, engineering, and technology programs that 4-H offers around the country, and increasing the number of youth involved in these programs. By engaging youth in informal science educational opportunities through the 4-H Science Initiative, the organization hopes to increase: science interest and literacy among youth, the number of youth pursuing post-secondary education in scientific fields, and the number of youth pursuing science-related careers. With the support of the Noyce Foundation, National 4-H Council has contracted with Policy Studies Associates (PSA) to evaluate the implementation of this new initiative. The National 4-H Science Evaluation Design Team created a logic model for the initiative that outlines the short- and long-term goals of the initiative. This year's evaluation had three key objectives: (1) to gather program-level information about the implementation of 4-H science programs from science educators, (2) to collect information from participants about their attitudes toward science and their opinions of their 4-H Science programs, and (3) to look for any associations between youth-level data and the characteristics of the 4-H Science programs in which youth are enrolled. In order to meet these goals, a survey was conducted of science educators leading 4-H Science programs, and a survey of youth participants. The science educator survey was administered in spring 2011 had an overall response rate of 62 percent. Youth surveys were administered in a random sample of programs in late May and June 2011.Youth surveys were received from 19 of the 21 programs in the sample, for a program-level response rate of 91 percent. The first section of this report describes findings from the survey of all 4-H Science educators in the seven states participating in the evaluation, the second section presents data from the YEAK survey, and the final sections summarize this evaluation's findings and present recommendations.
Policy Studies Associates, Inc. 1718 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 400, Washington, DC 20009. Tel: 202-939-9780; Fax: 202-939-5732; Web site: http://www.policystudies.com
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative; Numerical/Quantitative Data; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Elementary Education; Grade 8; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Grade 12; High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Noyce Foundation
Authoring Institution: Policy Studies Associates, Inc.; National 4-H Council
Identifiers - Location: California; New York; Delaware; Iowa; Ohio (Columbus); North Carolina (Greensboro); Texas
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: National Assessment of Educational Progress
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A