title: The Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers: advancing standardized evaluation of public health preparedness and response trainings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLCs) across the United States. The PERLCs provide training to state, local, and tribal public health organizations to meet workforce development needs in the areas of public health preparedness and response, specialized training, education, and consultation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using Donald Kirkpatrick's training evaluation model, the PERLC network established 4 evaluation working groups that developed evaluation criteria to address each level of the model. The purpose of the working groups was to inform and promote center-level and program-level evaluation across the PERLC network; identify common training evaluation methods and measures; and share materials, resources, and lessons learned with state, local, and tribal public health organizations for potential replication.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The evaluation of education and training, irrespective of its modality (eg, in-person, online, webinars, seminars, symposia) can be accomplished using Kirkpatrick's 4-level taxonomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 4 levels aim to measure the following aspects of training programs: (1) trainees' reaction; (2) knowledge acquired, skills improved, or attitudes changed; (3) behavior changed; and (4) results or impact. To successfully evaluate emergency preparedness training, drills and exercises, it is necessary to understand the fundamental tenets of each level and how to apply each to measure training outcomes.
  The PERLC evaluators have adopted the basic schema of Kirkpatrick's 4-level model and applied its structure to a wide variety of preparedness and emergency response training and related activities. The PERLC evaluation working groups successfully developed and tested survey methods and instruments for each of the 4 levels of Kirkpatrick's training evaluation model. Each can be used for replication by state, local, and tribal public health professionals.
authors: The University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health (Dr Hites); School of Public Health, Department of Health Systems and Policy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Camden (Dr Sass); Northwest Center for Public Health Practice, University of Washington, Seattle (Ms D'Ambrosio); College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa (Dr Brown); The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City (Dr Wendelboe); University of Illinois at Chicago (Dr Peters); and Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia (Dr Sobelson).
authors: Lisle S
authors: LS
authors: Hites
authors: Marcia M
authors: MM
authors: Sass
authors: Luann
authors: L
authors: D'Ambrosio
authors: Lisa M
authors: LM
authors: Brown
authors: Aaron M
authors: AM
authors: Wendelboe
authors: Karen E
authors: KE
authors: Peters
authors: Robyn K
authors: RK
authors: Sobelson
mesh_terms: D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D002959:Civil Defense / Q000193:education*; D003479:Curriculum; D004189:Disaster Planning; D040381:Education, Public Health Professional / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D017145:Models, Educational; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012581:Schools, Public Health; D014481:United States