Assessing Program Outcomes: Rationale and Benefits of Posttest-then-Retrospective-Pretest Designs

Abstract

The importance of program evaluation for decision making, accountability, and sustainability is examined in this article. Pros and cons of traditional pretest-posttest and posttest-then-retrospective-pretest methodologies are discussed. A case study of Utah’s 4-H mentoring program using a posttest-then-retrospective-pretest design is presented. Furthermore, it is argued that the posttest-then-retrospective-pretest design is a valid, efficient, and cost-effective way to assess program outcomes and impacts.