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Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners Course Evaluation Results
December 2005 to July 2006 Evaluation Report:
Key Figures and Tables in Report Figure 1: Target Audience Participation Table 3: Key Questions from Student Evaluations Table 4: Key Questions from Student Evaluations By Location Table 5: Changes in Student Scores from Pre-Training Test to Post-Training Test Figure 3: Self-Perception of Student's Healthy Homes Knowledge Table 6: Barriers to Implementation of Healthy Homes Programs Table 7: Impact of Training on Services Table 8: Extent to Which Participant's Clients Benefit
The purpose of the National Healthy Homes Training Center and Network is to break down the isolation and categorical focus of local housing and health programs and to build the capacity of housing and health professionals to identify and remedy housing-related health hazards. The Training Center’s flagship course entitled, Essentials for Healthy Homes Practitioners, brings together professionals with a variety of perspectives and experiences. Course participants learn about the root causes of health problems in a home and seven principles of healthy housing that can help to resolve them. This report summarizes an evaluation of Essentials courses delivered between December 1, 2005 and July 31, 2006. The report examines the effectiveness of the training based on three indicators:
Quality of Training Ninety-five percent of students rated the courses as excellent or good – only1.8% of students rated them as fair or poor. Ninety-two percent of the respondents reported that the content of the course was relevant to their jobs and 95% would recommend the course to a colleague. Nearly 74% of respondents said they could incorporate the practices they learned into their work right away.
Knowledge Gained by Participants Students were asked to respond to the same 25 questions before and after the training. The percent of students who scored less than 71 percent on the pre-test decreased by 48 percent on the post-test. Conversely, the percent of students with passing scores on the post-test increased by approximately 33 percent. While 126 students passed with their pre-test score, 255 students passed with their post-test score, suggesting that the course was effective in expanding students’ knowledge.
Impact on Training on Local Programs and Policies A key objective of the Training Center evaluation was to examine the extent to which local programs and policies changed as a result of participation in the Training Center courses. Responses to the follow-up online survey of participants showed that 49% percent had made one or more changes to their policies or programs. For those who reported that they had made no changes as a result of the training, the most commonly cited reason was funding, followed by time, legal authority, and uncertainty regarding next steps. In response to the follow-up survey, one student wrote: As the result of your training, I learned to be more thorough in my inspections. There was a gas water heater in the basement of a family childcare provider, and I used my gas detector around the water heater pipes. The gas detector began beeping repeatedly, and I called the gas company immediately. The gas company came out within minutes and corrected the problem. They said if I hadn't checked it, the family would not have lived. The provider was not aware of the leak, and was very grateful.
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