the data collected for the program evaluation process can identify “ best practices ” which can be replicated on a broad scale to increase the reach and effectiveness of successful programs. but unlike readily quantifiable outcome measures such as business profits, a bright - line test of success is not always available for financial education programs. there is often no single outcome that conveys success, and the determinants of achievement may depend on factors that vary from one individual to the next. further, these programs may not realize a return on their investment for months, or even years. given the importance of evaluating a program's success, leaders of various economic and financial education programs have been exploring ways to measure the effectiveness of their activities. staff of the federal reserve and the department of defense are currently collaborating to develop extensive and ongoing survey instruments to measure the value of financial education courses offered to army personnel. organizations such as jump $ tart, the national endowment for financial education, and the national council on economic education have employed various testing and survey strategies to quantify the impact of and measure the need for their programs. in considering how to develop measurement criteria for financial education programs, it is logical to begin with primary objectives. the desired outcomes for financial education are · getting the message out - that is, increasing consumers'awareness of the importance of the issue to their well - being. · altering consumer behavior to improve short - and long - term prospects. these goals have parallels to other public awareness and educational campaigns, and the parallels can assist in program design and evaluation. i will illustrate by offering some perspectives. with regard to the first outcome - getting the message out - the ad council has sponsored studies to determine the impact of public service announcements on its targeted audiences. the findings suggest that certain public service announcements are effective in increasing awareness, reinforcing positive beliefs, intensifying concern, and moving people to action. one study, conducted by the advertising research foundation, focused on the impact of public service announcements for colon cancer awareness that were aired in four major cities over the course of a year. the research found that as a direct result of the public service announcement, awareness of the threat of colon cancer increased by more than 3. 5 times after a year, and the number of people discussing colon cancer with their doctor increased by 43 percent. the research also found that the message had a particularly strong impact on men, with awareness among males increasing nearly six times and the number of males taking action increasing by 114 percent.

that evaluated education research and intervention programs. these studies found that successful programs typically had five common characteristics : · they set behavior change as a specific program goal. · they incorporated motivating communications into the program. · they taught strategies for behavior change. · they included active involvement of both the individual and the community. · they attempted to build health - enhancing environments. the review also highlighted the findings of one evaluation of a school health education program reaching about 30, 000 students. this study found that between five and fifteen hours of instruction resulted in enormous gains in students'knowledge about nutritional programs. however, between twenty - five and fifty hours of instruction were required to bring about any change in student behavior and attitudes, and even with this amount of instruction, the effects on attitudes were very small. these findings demonstrate the enormousness of the challenge in influencing behavior change through education. i would also like to comment on the importance of developing effective information - delivery mechanisms. the agencies previously mentioned, along with others, have developed innovative internet - based programs to provide education and information. technology can play a big role here, by increasing the efficiency of financial education programs and by centralizing resources into information clearinghouses, which may help to reduce duplicative efforts and better exploit scarce resources. one example involves the agency for healthcare research and quality ( ahrq ), which engages in activities that promote informed consumer decision - making. the agency uses different strategies to provide information to consumers on various health - related issues, including medical conditions and procedures, as well as on the range of choices in health care options and plans. over the last several years, ahrq has been developing software and database programs designed to help consumers and others choose among the wide variety of health care plans. this system, the consumer assessment of health plans, uses computer - driven survey instruments and reporting tools to collect data that permit a better understanding of consumers'sentiments about health care programs and experiences. such a system could serve as a model for using technology to help consumers assess their financial needs. let me conclude by repeating how pleased i am to see this group of dedicated professionals meeting and discussing the challenges that face public educators. i would like to thank the federal reserve bank of atlanta for hosting today's conference and bringing together this group of educators. with your expanded knowledge and new contacts, i encourage you to continue to seek new and innovative ways to further your work and measure the outcomes of your programs. success in increasing economic and financial literacy will be