An internal review of data in the Kentucky Reporting System (KERS) revealed that only 3% of a random sample of 200 success stories submitted by UK Extension agents and specialists/faculty reported program outcomes and impact (i.e., credible evidence of how an Extension program has made the lives or situations of individuals or communities better). To address this challenge, the Success Story Submission Form in KERS was redesigned to better align with best practices for evaluation reporting and to provide Extension agents and specialists/faculty with just-in-time guidance when developing and submitting their success stories. 

To improve the quality of impact reporting, the redesigned form specified key information required in effective success stories, namely: brief description of the issue or opportunity, educational or programmatic response to address the issue, partners and reach of the program, and the short-, medium-, and/or long-term outcomes that accrued to participants and/or their communities. Moreover, the redesigned form included “help” sections with links to an accompanying website that uses three illustrative scenarios to provide guidance and tips for writing effective success stories. The redesign process was iterative and included two pilot studies where members of the UK Extension Evaluation Advisory Committee and seventy (70) county agents tested preliminary versions of the form, provided feedback on the usability of the form, and offered suggestions for improvement. The final version of the redesigned form and the accompanying website were launched in KERS in July 2024. 

Four in-service training sessions were conducted to train agents and specialists on how to use the redesigned form. The trainings reached a total of 175 participants, of which 119 completed the post-participation survey. Overall, evaluation findings indicate that agents and specialists view the redesigned form as useful tool that will facilitate the development of effective success stories and improve the quality of evaluation reporting. Specifically, 

• 97% reported that the redesigned form is easy to use.
• 98% reported that the redesigned form is an improvement over the previous form. 
• 99% reported that the redesigned form asks for important information for communicating the impact of Extension programs.
• 98% reported that the redesigned form clarifies expectations for writing and/or reporting success stories.
• 98% reported that the accompanying website provides useful examples to guide them in writing their success stories.
• 99% reported that the information in the "help" sections of the redesigned form is very useful for agents/specialists.