Texas Cooperative Extension

Mission

The mission of Texas Cooperative Extension is “to provide quality, relevant outreach and continuing education programs and services to the people of Texas.” Extension educators across the state respond to citizens and various stakeholders by developing, implementing, evaluating, and interpreting educational programs that address grassroots needs and issues.

Priorities and Goals

Top Priorities FY 2004

Educational programs and services conducted by Texas Cooperative Extension supported four overarching goals in FY 2004 and prior years. These are the goals set forth for higher education by the state, which also align with Extension’s programming strengths.

The four goals are:

Goal 1 — To educate Texans to take more responsibility for improving their health, safety, productivity and well-being;
Goal 2 — To educate citizens to improve their stewardship of the environment and Texas’ natural resources;
Goal 3 — To enable Texans to make decisions that contribute to their economic security and to the state’s economic prosperity; and
Goal 4 — To foster the development of responsible, productive and self-motivated youth and adults.

Top Strategic Priorities 2006-2010

Texas Cooperative Extension continually assesses—and responds to—educational needs identified by community residents, advisory committee members, volunteers, stakeholder groups, and representatives of organizations and agencies in all 254 counties. In addition, we conduct a Texas Community Futures Forum every four years, inviting the public to participate in defining local issues and needs in each county.

Based on the input from more than 19,000 Texans in 2004, Texas Cooperative Extension developed a 2006-2010 strategic plan. This new plan continues to support the state’s four overarching goals, but sets forth more targeted goals and objectives for Extension education.

The following priority statements summarize the intent of Extension’s new goals for programming in its mission areas of agriculture and natural resources, community economic development, family and consumer sciences, and 4-H and youth development:

Ensure a sustainable, profitable, and competitive food and fiber system in Texas by achieving defined objectives and measures toward 10 goals;
Enhance natural resource conservation and management by achieving defined objectives and measures toward five goals;
Build local capacity for economic development in Texas communities by achieving defined objectives and measures toward five goals;
Improve the health, nutrition, safety and economic security of Texas families by achieving defined objectives and measures toward 10 goals;
Prepare Texas youth to be productive, positive and equipped with life skills for the future by achieving defined objectives and measures toward six goals; and
Expand access to Extension education and knowledge resources by achieving organizational goals and objectives in 12 operational areas that affect program quality and delivery, accountability, resource management, employee professionalism and retention, and outreach capacity

Commentary on Top Priorities

Accountability

To demonstrate accountability, Texas Cooperative Extension employs various measures to provide evidence of the value of Extension programs to our stakeholders, The Texas A&M University System, and the State of Texas. Table 1 summarizes key measures documented in the following text.

Table 1. Summary of Texas Cooperative Extension Accountability Measures, FY 2004
	Goal 1	Goal 2	Goal 3	Goal 4	Total
Participation
Direct teaching exposures	2,202,725	1,606,408	4,364,280	4,250,597	12,424,010
Performance target	1,535,000	1,368,000	2,302,600	3,818,500	-
Excellence --Customer Satisfaction
CSI	4.53	4.45	4.33	4.40	4.42
Overall value	4.62	4.56	4.49	4.51	4.55
Refer to others	98%	99%	97%	94%	97%
Plan to change	74%	72%	64%	60%	68%
Efficiency
No. of volunteers trained	29,826	34,109	21,013	127,690	212,638
Direct teaching exposures by volunteers	702,628	649,353	401,943	2,674,057	4,427,981
Ag Research/Extension
No. of applied research/ result demonstrations	N/A	557	707	N/A	1,264
Linkage with TAES	See text	See text	See text	See text	See text
External funding	$5,378,631	$3,836,048	$4,554,403	$700,443	$14,469,525
Success
Evaluation studies	See text	See text	See text	See text

Participation

Participation in Extension programs is determined by a record of direct teaching exposures. For FY 2004, Extension recorded a total of 12,424,010 direct teaching exposures across all state goals. Table 1 shows the number of contacts per goal.

These exposures are defined as all educational contacts by Extension faculty using group and individual methods of teaching. Group methods include face-to-face educational contacts with groups of clientele, while individual methods include one-on-one educational contacts via the telephone, mail, email, site visits and office visits.

A second measure for participation—contact hours from group methods—was initiated in January 2005. This is defined as the total number of hours of educational instruction received by a group multiplied by the number of participants in the group. This provides a measure of intensity of Extension’s educational activities.

Excellence

For evidence of excellence, Extension evaluates customer satisfaction. This is assessed continuously by surveys of program participants in 48 counties, which are selected randomly each year and are representative of the entire state. As described below, four indicators are evaluated.

First, a customer satisfaction index (CSI) asks participants to disagree or agree with statements about the relevance, timeliness, accuracy, understandability and helpfulness of the information provided. Overall, the CSI for FY 2004 was 4.42, or at the 88th percentile, on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).

Second, the overall value of Extension information and programs is rated. On a 1-to-5 scale from not at all valuable to very valuable, the overall score was 4.55, or in the 91st percentile.

Third, regarding whether a participant would recommend an educational opportunity to others, 97 percent of participants in FY 2004 replied they would refer others to attend the same program.

Finally, participants are asked if they plan to make any changes based on the information they received. Given a yes/no choice, 68 percent of participants statewide planned to make changes. Table 1 provides breakdowns by state goal for each of these indicators.

Efficiency

To provide accountability for efficiency we have two existing measures and one planned measure. The current measures are number of volunteers trained and the direct teaching exposures by volunteers.

Volunteers assist with and lead a significant amount of Extension outreach. Extension’s volunteer network allows the agency to reach more clientele and increases the breadth of knowledge available to the residents of Texas. In FY 2004, Extension faculty trained 212,773 volunteers, who in turn generated 4,011,117 direct teaching exposures. Table 1 includes a breakdown by state goals of direct teaching exposures by volunteers.

A new efficiency measure is technology-assisted direct teaching exposures. Increasingly, Extension provides information and instruction via technology-assisted methods. These include websites, video and computer conferencing, and web-based and web-assisted courses. Protocols are being developed for standardized collection and reporting of technology-assisted teaching data, which will be reported beginning in 2005.

Applied Research

Three measures support accountability in the research category:

number of agricultural applied research and result demonstrations
linkage to the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station
external funding obtained by the agency

In FY 2004, 1,264 applied research and/or result demonstrations were conducted for goal 2 and goal 3. Result demonstrations are meant to “demonstrate” and increase awareness of a particular practice, variety, or technique. Generally, demonstrations are conducted after the superiority of something has already been established by thorough research. Applied research entails an investigation of whether a particular practice, technique or input provides results superior to other methods. Applied research has high standards of “proof” that always exceed those of demonstrations.

Linkages with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station are another accountability measure for Texas Cooperative Extension. Faculty members collaborate and partner on numerous projects and educational programs, focused mainly on agricultural and environmental issues. These joint efforts provide the direct linkage between research to determine best practices and the diffusion of these practices to agricultural producers, landowners and other clientele in Texas. Many of the applied research and result demonstration projects reported above involve direct linkages between TAES and TCE.

External funds are very important to agency effectiveness and efficiency. In FY 2004, the total amount secured for educational programming was $14,469,525.

Success

To document the quality and ultimate success of Extension programming, evaluation studies are conducted of our most intensive educational programs. Each year, Extension formally evaluates a number of high-priority programs to determine their effectiveness and impact. These studies serve as proxies for other educational efforts and the value of Extension in general. Below are highlights of major programming efforts.

Goal 1: Educate Texans to Take More Responsibility for Improving Their Health, Safety, Productivity and Well-Being

Do Well, Be Well with Diabetes

The cost of diabetes in Texas is estimated at $9 billion annually, and includes health care costs as well as lost productivity and wages due to illness.
The economic impact of the Do Well, Be Well program is based on participants managing their diabetes better, and benefiting from reduced health care costs.
The net present value (NPV) of these projected future cost savings through the average life expectancy is estimated at $67,123 for females and $52,769 for males, for a total impact of $73.4 billion for the year’s 1,162 participants.

Walk Across Texas

Regular physical activity significantly improves health and lowers the risk for chronic diseases. Walk Across Texas is a team exercise program to help people establish the habit of physical activity.
The economic impact of Walk Across Texas results from the reduction in health care costs attributed to lowered risk of chronic disease, notably diabetes. For the 11,627 participants at year’s end, the net present value (NPV) of both the health care cost savings and lost wages for those at risk is $173 million.

Better Living for Texans (BLT)

One of every seven Texans (15.4 percent) lives in poverty (compared with 12.4 percent for the United States) and is at risk for being food insecure. The BLT program targets individuals with limited resources. Among BLT participants, 68 percent live below the poverty level.
With improved food resource management skills, such as shopping with a food list and comparing prices, 446 BLT survey respondents indicated they reduced their grocery expenditures from $226 to $191 each month, a reduction of $35 ($420/year), for a total annual savings of $187,320 for just those who responded.

The Business of Food Safety

After participating in the Food Protection Management certification course, food managers are expected to train their employees in safe food handling practices to prevent food-borne illness.
A statewide telephone survey of a random sample of participants (n=400) was conducted to determine the practices of food managers and their employees both before and after completing the course. The survey assessed critical behaviors related to cooking foods adequately, practicing personal hygiene, avoiding foods from unsafe sources, avoiding cross-contamination, and keeping foods at safe temperatures.
Significant improvements were noted for each of the five behaviors. In addition, significant improvements were noted in the amount of food safety education provided by the respondents to their employees. Importantly, 75 percent of participants indicated that they had never participated in any other food safety educational program.

Goal 2: Educate Citizens to Improve Their Stewardship of the Environment and Texas’ Natural Resources

Water Conservation and Protection

Where new groundwater management districts are proposed and approved, Extension personnel provide education and training materials about groundwater supplies, applicable regulations, and the merits of implementing local districts. When approved, these districts provide an organizational structure through which groundwater management is coordinated and aquifers are better protected.
Extension specialists contribute to ongoing seminars for groundwater district personnel as part of a program developed by the Texas Water Resources Institute and the Texas Association of Groundwater Districts. At last report, three seminars each drew some 400 participants. Subjects included groundwater marketing, sales and leasing, duties of district directors and managers, and new laws and policies.
In a Rio Grande Valley water initiative, research and Extension economists are collaborating in studies to estimate the economic impacts and value of water and energy savings from capital rehabilitation projects proposed for the region. To date, 15 project components, with total estimated construction costs of $42.2 million, have been analyzed. These projects are estimated to save a combined 49,392 acre-feet of water (16 billion gallons) each year, with cost savings ranging from $16 to $119 per acre-foot.

Environmental Stewardship

The Texas Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program continues to conduct outstanding work to minimize both pest damage and pesticide use in Texas crop production. The program averages 300 applied research projects, 12,000 farm visits, 250 county meetings, and 140 crop tours and field days annually. The program also leverages state funding by averaging $500,000 annually in extramural funding.
Of 157 million acres of agricultural lands in Texas, more than 70 percent are classified as rangeland and permanent pastures, which sustain the Texas grazing livestock industry. The most recent cash receipts for all forage-consuming livestock in Texas were about $7 billion, with nearly $6 billion for beef cattle. An educational program to reduce winter feeding costs by establishing a year-round pasture and hay storage system has been very successful. Through better resource management, cow-calf operators alone can save $100 per cow in reduced winter feeding and lower fertilizer requirements for hay meadows. Multiplied by the 3.2 million head of beef cows in just the eastern one-third of Texas, there is a massive potential economic impact.

Goal 3: Enable Texans to Make Decisions That Contribute to Their Economic Security and to the State’s Economic Prosperity

Community and Economic Development: Regulatory Compliance

Texas Cooperative Extension is a niche provider of continuing education for many who must comply with mandated education requirements to obtain and keep a job, or start and stay in business.
Expertise and curricula already within Extension’s scope of programming are provided annually to groups such as elected county officials, home day-care providers, food handlers, agricultural and urban pesticide users, public school pest management coordinators, and irrigation technicians. These groups comprise a Texas constituency of at least 75,000 individuals who render important community services and who rely on accessible, affordable, quality education from Extension.

Nature-Based Tourism

Nature-based tourism is the fastest-growing segment of the tourism industry, which is the third-largest industry in Texas.
Since 2003, 8,931 participants in 148 workshops in 53 counties have gained knowledge on nature and agri-based tourism enterprises.

Access to Technology

Access to, and effective use of, technology and connectivity are now critical determinants of development and growth for businesses and communities.
Since 2003, 546 participants in 54 workshops in 20 counties learned about and developed actions supporting acquisition and use of new technologies.

Coastal Bend Area Catfish Industry

With the goal of diversification and improving profitability, some producers have turned their attention to catfish farming with help from TCE agents and specialists, as well as other local and state agencies.
With 1,500 acres of surface water, total farm level impacts over the 2003-2005 period are $17 million in gross receipts, $7.45 million in value added to the economy, and the support of 112 jobs. For a young processing plant, over the same 3-year period, the impacts are $13.7 million in gross receipts, $4.45 million in value added, and 35 jobs at the processing plant.

Impacts of Improved Cotton Quality

In the past, total cotton quality discounts to Texas producers have ranged from $20 million to $120 million per year. Extension conducted many educational meetings on the quality attributes of a specific variety of cotton (FiberMax).
By 2004, the number of acres planted to this variety had increased from 4 percent to 45 percent. With a $.05/lb. quality premium improvement, the estimated improvement in net income is $113 million for 2003 and 2004, which leads to an estimated $19.5 million in value added to the economy for 2003, and $52 million for 2004 (higher acres and yields), and helps support more than 500 jobs in agriculture and related industries.

Master Marketer

Since 1996, 680 producers have graduated from 16 Master Marketer programs where the goal is to improve the profitability of graduates’ farm and ranch operations through a better understanding of various risk management strategies.
Survey results of graduates indicate an average increase in annual net income of $32,288 per farm, with cumulative benefits since 1996 topping $59 million. The $21 million increase in net income to Master Marketer graduates in 2003 and 2004 has led to $8.46 million in value added to the economy in 2003 and $9.2 million in 2004, and helps support an estimated 400 jobs in agriculture and related industries.

Beef PEP Program

The Beef PEP program focuses on improving profitability with better cow herd management practices such as improved productivity and lowering the per-unit cost of producing weaned calves.
A recent study indicated an average improvement in net income of $52.96 per breeding cow. The Beef PEP management practices are used on an estimated 7.5 percent and 10 percent of the states breeding cows in 2003 and 2004 respectively. This increased profitability has resulted in an estimated $12.3 million in value added to the economy in 2003 and $16.5 in 2004, which supports more than 600 jobs in agriculture and related industries.

Meat Goat Industry

From 1994 to 2004, the number of meat goats in Texas increased from 470,000 to 980,000 head. The economic impact of the growth in meat goat production from 1994 to 2004 is an estimated $12.6 million in gross cash receipts and $10.50 million in value-added to the state’s economy which helps support over 390 jobs in agriculture and related industries.

Goal 4: Foster the Development of Responsible, Productive and Self-Motivated Youth and Adult

4-H and Youth Development Program

More than one million youth—some 20 percent of Texas youth from ages 5 to 19—are involved annually in Extension’s 4-H and youth development programs, which include character education, life skills training and school curriculum enrichment.
Science-based curriculum enrichment projects, such as classroom gardens, are available to all school districts. A recent study showed that students exposed to this instructional method had an increase in science-based achievement scores. Participating teachers also reported a 30 percent increase in class attendance while conducting 4-H curriculum enrichment.
The 4-H Youth Development Foundation annually funds more than $1 million in scholarships for college-bound 4-H graduates—$1.2 million in 2004.

Youth Interventions

Strengthening Our Capacity to Care (SOCC) was a collaborative Extension effort with Juvenile Services Departments to work with first-time juvenile offenders and certain young repeat offenders. Parents of referred offenders were required to enroll in parent enhancement classes. Summative evaluation results in one county showed that only 26 percent of participants re-offended, compared to a state recidivism rate of 52 percent for youth. Involvement by both parents and youth increased youths’ participation in positive activities, such as 4-H and workforce preparation, that led to better academic achievement and life skills development.

Military Family Programs

Since 1987, Texas Cooperative Extension and the U.S. Army have partnered to meet the needs of Texas military families. More than 50 Extension staff at Fort Bliss and Fort Hood develop and implement educational programs to enhance the family life skills of more than 55,000 soldiers and their family members.
The Financial Readiness Program helps prepare soldiers and their families for deployment and related financial hardships. Extension agents also provide basic education as part of a “first-termer” program to help new soldiers and their families get started on the right financial track. Other sessions cover budgeting, insurance and protection against scams.
Operation READY refers to a curriculum library developed by Texas Cooperative Extension under a military contract, which was prompted by military experiences that correlated the readiness of service personnel with their families’ well-being. First developed in 1992, lead contracts for revisions have been awarded ever since to Texas Cooperative Extension, including a contract for materials available in 2005. The curricula are used worldwide.

Fathers Reading Every Day (FRED)

More than 500 fathers, grandfathers and male mentors (and more than 600 children) from 24 Texas counties were reported as participants in the last annual report of the Fathers Reading Every Day program. FRED is an Extension family literacy program that involves fathers and other positive male figures in reading to their children daily for four weeks.
Pre- and post-evaluations of 200 fathers showed significant improvements in many areas, including the amount and quality of time spent with their children and level of satisfaction with the father-child relationship. There was also a significant increase in fathers who obtained a library card and who reported improvements in their child’s vocabulary, reading ability and interest in books.