Evaluation of the Appalachian Regional Commission's Educational Projects: Final Report.

This report presents findings from an evaluation of 84 educational projects funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) during the 1990's. Data were collected via document reviews, interviews, a mail survey completed by 78 projects, and eight site visits. Most projects provided services to rural areas or community segments most in need. Projects primarily served elementary and secondary students and adults. The majority of projects aimed at developing educational resources, providing training to students and other community residents, or installing telecommunications applications. The most common services offered were adult literacy, secondary education, basic skills, and math and science education. Almost three-quarters of survey respondents reported that their level of accomplishment met or exceeded their original expectations. Many projects were able to sustain themselves beyond their ARC grant, but not many had expanded significantly beyond their original mission. Recommendations were made to enable the ARC to further enhance its capacity to assist its educational projects. Performance goals should be clarified and expanded. The ARC should continue to enhance its application workbook and guidelines. Final report requirements should be standardized. The practice of conducting validation visits to a sample of ARC projects should be continued. Workshops in effective data collection and analysis strategies should be provided. The ARC database should be enhanced and its information dissemination practices reinforced. Seven extensive appendices present examples and analyses of outcomes, survey data, notes, methodology, project descriptions, and the survey questionnaire. (Contains 21 tables, 15 figures, and 24 exhibits.) (TD)