The purpose of this study was to determine which characteristics of a financial management program promote the adoption of recommended financial practices. 4-H program topics of most interest to junior high and high school students. One hundred fourteen students in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, completed a 4-H needs assessment survey. Results from this study have major implications for programming decisions regarding senior 4-H'ers. Ruben D. Extension educators use program evaluation as a tool for measuring the effectiveness of teaching.
Program evaluation can provide credible information for decision makers.
However, little is said about the variations in the data or about teaching quality. By modifying traditional Extension education evaluation methods to include continuous quality improvement techniques, we can make our evaluation process more appropriate and effective. Statistical quality control charts provide a process for measuring variation, determining sources of variation, and making modifications to improve the quality of teaching. Evaluation data collected about Extension programs always exhibit variation. To improve program quality we must control and reduce the variance that exists among programs.