Evaluation and Research
	The evaluation of Extension's efforts in adolescent parent education programs must focus on the tangible products and outputs of programs as well as the more intangible and difficult to measure outcomes. As we progress toward organizing the system's ability to deliver programs, we will also need to focus on measuring the organizational infrastructure present to assist the current efforts and to enable future program development. Several levels of evaluation efforts may be considered. When assessing outcomes of adolescent parenting programs, measurement tools should be user friendly. Creative strategies should be used in the design and implementation of data collection instruments. Research questions to focus on would include measures of parenting practice and behavior change, the health and well-being of the children, participants' social support changes, and empowerment and life skills development. Methods that have been suggested to date include telephone surveys, focus groups, and user-friendly adaptations of other instruments. Additionally, emphasis should be placed on identifying ways to conduct the kind of "programmatic" forms of research that will lead to more effective Extension programs and program resources. Empirical evaluations may focus on the impact of intervention programs, social skill growth and development practices and other adolescent developmental issues. The value of longitudinal studies may be considered in assessing effective teaching and delivery strategies in meeting the diverse needs of parenting adolescents in inclusive Extension programs. The results of these efforts will be useful in identifying the contributions programs make in adolescent development education, parenting education for parents of very young children (especially in high-risk situations), and in improving teaching strategies. The current climate of accountability encourages Extension professionals to utilize reflective techniques that help us document impact and assess consequences. Furthermore, as we engage in more collaborative programming, we will be faced with the inherent challenges associated with working within complex environments. The nature and quantity of collaborative activities represent additional obstacles and opportunities for assessing and measuring the impact of our efforts. All in all, we are moving towards strengthening the Extension system in this area of programming and enhancing the capacity of Extension professionals to be competent players. Following the trend of increasing involvement of university departments and total university outreach efforts, the Extension adolescent parenting effort may explore ways to connect with faculty and students in research projects on adolescent parenting programs. Implementing these kinds of research partnerships may be more difficult; however, they have the potential for contributing substantially to program development. In those situations where there is demonstrated commitment by the departments/colleges and faculty, these kinds of partnership efforts need to be encouraged. The results of any and all evaluation and research efforts should be the improvement of current programs and delivery methods, increased resources, expansion of like programs, replication of successful programs, and the development of future action plans.