PCB PCB Data Analysis & Reporting 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In PCB practice, which data type best measures whether a program achieved its intended outcomes?
- Output data (number of sessions held)
- Outcome data (changes in client knowledge, behavior, or status) (Correct answer)
- Input data (staff hours worked)
- Financial data (cost per client)
Correct answer: Outcome data (changes in client knowledge, behavior, or status)
Outcome data directly measure the changes the program aimed to produce in clients or communities, distinguishing it from service volume measures.
Question 2: A pre-test/post-test design in PCB evaluation is primarily used to:
- Screen clients for program eligibility
- Measure change in participants between the start and end of an intervention (Correct answer)
- Compare two different programs simultaneously
- Assess staff knowledge before training
Correct answer: Measure change in participants between the start and end of an intervention
Pre-test/post-test designs measure within-group change over time by comparing the same participants before and after the intervention.
Question 3: In PCB data reporting, a denominator population is important because it:
- Sets the budget for data collection
- Provides the reference group needed to calculate rates and proportions meaningfully (Correct answer)
- Lists all staff assigned to data entry
- Identifies the total number of sessions delivered
Correct answer: Provides the reference group needed to calculate rates and proportions meaningfully
Rates and proportions require a defined denominator (eligible population) to interpret numerator counts in context.
Question 4: Which measure of central tendency is most appropriate when a PCB dataset contains significant outliers?
- Mean
- Mode
- Median (Correct answer)
- Standard deviation
Correct answer: Median
The median is resistant to outliers because it reflects the middle value rather than being pulled by extreme scores.
Question 5: In PCB program reporting, disaggregating data by race and ethnicity is important in order to:
- Satisfy federal reporting mandates only
- Identify disparities in service access, quality, or outcomes across demographic groups (Correct answer)
- Increase the volume of data reports produced
- Comply with HIPAA requirements
Correct answer: Identify disparities in service access, quality, or outcomes across demographic groups
Disaggregated data reveal inequities hidden in aggregate statistics, enabling targeted strategies to address disparate outcomes.
Question 6: A PCB professional reviewing program data notices a statistically significant improvement in outcomes but a very small effect size. This means:
- The findings are unreliable and should be discarded
- The change was real but may be too small to be practically meaningful (Correct answer)
- The program should immediately be replicated at scale
- The sample size was too small to draw conclusions
Correct answer: The change was real but may be too small to be practically meaningful
Statistical significance indicates the finding is unlikely due to chance, but effect size determines whether the magnitude of change is meaningful in practice.
PCB PCB Data Analysis & Reporting 1
In PCB practice, which data type best measures whether a program achieved its intended outcomes?