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The document examines the need to develop and implement more adequate evaluation methods for broad-aimed adult education programs, and presents some suggestions. Broad-aimed adult education programs are described as those which seek to affect the quality of the learners' lives through education and to help learners cope more effectively with their problems. This type of program is generally funded under the Smith Lever Act, 1914, the Manpower Development and Training Act, 1962, Title I of the Higher Education Act, 1965, and the Adult Education Act, 1966. The paper's four sections include: (1) broad-aimed adult education defined and differentiated from other types of adult education, with three program types examined; (2) need for more adequate evaluation of broad-aimed adult education programs, examining current evaluation techniques; (3) false assumptions to be avoided when evaluating broad-aimed programs, giving examples of inappropriate evaluation methods; and, (4) toward more adequate evaluation of broad-aimed adult education programs, describing one approach and presenting various opinions. (LH)

An evaluation of Title I of the Higher Education Act of 1965 is presented. This act committed federal support at the 75 percent level to institutions of higher education for community service and continuing education programs to the attainment of these two objectives: (1) To help solve community problems; and (2) To strengthen and improve community service and continuing education programs of institutions of higher education. The evaluation team found that there have been several sources of confusion in interpreting the Title I Act. A widespread agreement was found that the Act itself contains a lack of clarity concerning what kinds of activities are appropriately fundable with Title I funds. In Chapter I, similarities and differences that have been identified between what seems to be the intent of the act and each of the following are presented: (1) the agricultural extension model, (2) community development, (3) community services in community college, and (4) public service in higher education institutions in general. The analysis of the evaluative data led to the inductive identification of the following alternative involvement models: (1) the Faculty Involvement Model, (2) the Student Involvement Model, (3) the Agency Involvement Model, (4) the Target Population Involvement Model, (5) the Transactive Involvement Model, and (6) the Comprehensive Involvement Model. The evaluative data generally indicate that the achievement of positive effects from local Title I projects was facilitated by the role played by the State agency. (Author/CK)

Ninety-three higher adult education chief administrators served as subjects in this study which was designed to test whether or not there was evidence of increased professionalization between 1957 and 1967. Utilizing Hall's Professionalization Scales and some background scales to measure attitudinal and structural attributes of professionalization, an analysis of variance technique and a chi square analysis were used to determine the difference between the extent of professionalization of three groups of administrators. Findings revealed no significant change over time between the three groups at the .05 significance level. The average scores in this study were higher than those reported in previous studies using the Professionalization Scales with other occupations. These unexpected findings were viewed as attributable, at least in part, to characteristics of the field of higher adult education during the past decade which mitigated against further professionalization of the occupation. Using a supplementary questionnaire, additional comparisons were made between 93 respondents and a sample of the 143 non-respondents to the initial questionnaire. Differences were not significant. (author/pt)

The goal of the evaluation of the Western Region AMIDS was to probe deeper into the content, organization, management and methodology of the program to determine its impact on the adult, vocational, technical, and manpower programs that are served by it. The theories and methods developed by Edward Suchman and Robert E. Stake were selected as being most applicable. Identification of specific aspects of Western AMIDS to be evaluated was facilitated by the use of Suchman's five categories of criteria for program evaluation--effort, performance, adequacy of performance, efficiency, and process. The functional flow of work was divided into three stages: Stage one--identification of goals, intents and assumptions by reviewing literature and legislation, and interviewing program staff and the program administrators; State two--relating the results of the first stage to Suchman's five evaluative criteria; Stage three--comparing observed inputs, transactions, and outputs for each criteria with two outside standards. Two major types of reporting, formal reports and informal feedback, were planned. An illustrative example of the evaluative process, and a schedule of time and activities are provided. (PT)

In this study, the major hypothesis tested was: The chief administrators of higher adult education who respond to certain professionalization scales will have, on the average, a greater degree of professionalization in 1962 than in 1957 and in 1967 than in 1962. Each of the 12 variables related to Professionalization and Background Scales were analyzed in relation to the extent of Professionalization. The .05 significance level was employed throughout. None of the values obtained indicated significant change over time between groups tested. These findings were viewed as attributable, at least in part, to events which mitigated against further professionalization of the occupation. Such events included the expansion and diversification of the field of higher adult education and changes in the university setting and society between 1957 and 1967. Using a supplementary questionnaire, additional analyses which compared data from respondents and non-respondents to the initial questionnaire in terms of Professionalization and Background Scales scores, geographic location, and size of enrollment of program, were made. These analyses showed no significant difference between the groups of respondents and non-respondents. (Author/NL)

Article addressed itself to the question of whether adult education is a profession, considered terms associated with occupational professionalization, and discussed some alternative stances to lifelong learning and lifelong education on the part of adult educators. (Author/RK)

A study involving 93 higher adult education administrators revealed no significant increase, either during 1957-62 or during 1962-67, in professionalization as measured by the presence of a special, theoretically based adult education methodology, a career development system, and community recogniition of professional status. Two tables, Fourteen references. (LY)