Donna J. Peterson

Challenges in the Evaluation and Implementation of School-Based Prevention and Intervention Programs on Sensitive Topics:

The current emphasis on best practices for school-based health and mental health programs brings with it the demand for evaluation efforts in schools. This article describes the challenges of launching a successful school program and evaluation, with lessons learned from three projects that focus on intimate partner violence. The authors discuss issues related to constraints on the research design in schools, the recruitment of schools and participants within schools, program and evaluation implementation issues, the iterative implementation-evaluation cycle, and the dissemination of programs and study findings. The authors emphasize the need for flexibility and cultural awareness during all stages of the process.

Factors Predictive of Boundary Ambiguity After Divorce

Abstract This study examined factors predictive of the degree of boundary ambiguity experienced by individuals an average of two years after divorce. Predictor variables (based on family stress theory) included: demographic characteristics, additional stressors experienced, the amount of child support payments exchanged, a sense of confidence in ones abilities, support from former spouse, and support from others. Results indicated that stressful life events, amount of child support exchanged, sense of confidence, and support from former spouse were predictive of boundary ambiguity experienced by females, while only stressful life events significantly predicted the degree of boundary ambiguity reported by males. Implications for practice are discussed.

System-Wide Evaluation: Taking the Pulse of a National Organization Serving Children, Youth, and Families at Risk

Effective organizations evolve with society. As a response to conditions that place children and their families at risk, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (Cooperative Extension) funded the Children, Youth, and Families At Risk National Initiative and expanded the audiences typically served. To assess organizational support for programs for at-risk audiences and examine system-wide changes, Cooperative Extension conducted a system-wide evaluation effort. From late 1997 to early 1998, data were collected from 4,956 Extension professionals working on issues related to children, youth, and families. The Organizational Change Survey was developed to measure 5 components of organizational support for programming. Performance gap items were included to compare perceptions of the current system to perceptions of an ideal system. In this article, we outline the evaluation process and discuss results that informed Cooperative Extension regarding the st...