Program Evaluation Paper

Taut, S. (2008). What Have We Learned About Stakeholder Involvement in Program Evaluation. Studies in Educational Evaluation , 224 - 230.

In their 2007 study, the weak correlation between attendance and credits earned for the SFAS group suggests that attendance may not be a useful outcome indicator for alternative schools that use a self-paced curriculum. These students continue to earn credits even when their attendance is low. (Franklin et al., 2007,p.141) There was a No Child Left Behind policy highlighted students must graduate in four years that impacted the study results. For this reason, SFAS must count students who take longer than the traditional four years as dropouts in their graduation rate (Franklin et al., 2007,p.141) Additionally, the researchers felt this choice allowed for comparisons between a large public high school and a smaller, academic alternative school was challenged to measure the results. The effort was made to match students on important characteristics, it is not possible to ensure that all threats to internal validity were removed (Franklin et al., 2007,p.142) The recommendation is in further study in specifically focusing on full time high school students who will attend the program. The study has identified the weak correlation between attendance and credits earned. The effectiveness of full time students as an outcome indicator for measuring effective high schools (Franklin et al., 2007,p.141) Above of all, the recommendation will get better results and strong correlations to interpret and tackle the overlooked solutions clearly in SFAS program of instructional

After a year, I would compare the academic results of students from this alternative school with those of students facing trauma but learning in the traditional school setting. This comparison could be analyzed to determine effective methods for creating a successful learning environment for students from disadvantageous backgrounds. Such an experiment would help a set of students attend a safe school while helping to advocate for change in all school systems. I would want all students to have the opportunity to enjoy school despite personal

She uses her training in education to examine data from assessments to identify weak spot in services and programs to create evaluation in improving these. She has learned how evaluation data can be applied and the importance of applying it to make improvements and identifying weak spots in services or programs. While she has experience in doing many types of evaluations like process, outcomes and impact, she prefers to do process and impact evaluations to create change or improvements and track their progress.

Two reasons for evaluation are to assess and improve the quality of a program and to determine the effectiveness of a program. To evaluate the program, summative and impact evaluations deem the best. An impact evaluation is described as the immediate observable effects of a program, it measures the knowledge, skills, awareness, attitudes, and behaviors. (McKenzie et al., 2013, p.376). Because the program intends to spark a behavior modification, this evaluation style works best. The impact evaluation can help to show the strengths of the program and what needs to be improved if the desired behavior is not achieved.

There are many challenges in the American education system. Not all American students are learning the same, and many are not having the opportunity to go to an accredited school. Urban schools are at the head of these challenges.7.1 million students are enrolled at an urban school across the United States. Hispanics make up 39%, African American 31%, White 19%, and other 9%; with 68% of those students needing free and reduced lunches (Council of the Great City Schools). The challenges include, but are not limited to: being over populated, race, ethnicity and structural challenges. The students attending these schools are not only having to subsist with the school issues, but they have separate challenges of their own to deal with; students are in poverty, from single family homes and have to deal with violence outside of the school. While not all urban schools are struggling, a majority of the schools is lacking resources, funding and fraught with high turn over’s with expert teachers.

Ayesha S. Boyce, Ph.D. Shared four strategies in her research of how an individual can engage with current issues focus in STEM program evaluation. The first step in engaging in STEM program is recognizing how social inquiry is a cultural product. The main point in this step is to recognize the way in which knowledge is produce in this world. It important to understand the impact that makes in society. We as individual need to develop in understanding in the role bias and racism play in our education. For us to be more educated and aware in equity, culture diversity by reading material related to the epistemologies difference, racialized discourses, and critiques about the nature of social inquiry.

When I decided to attend an alternative school, I was less than pleased. I had lived my entire life believing that going to an actual high school was “normal”, and that only those with “issues” would ever submit themselves to an alternative one. I am glad to say I was wrong.

Curriculum is changing to Common Core and through that change the alternative site will be increasing the expectations of students while striving to retain the family culture of the school. I have been an integral part of implanting online and computer based instruction in the school. “Virtual Schools offer learning options to high-performing students and provide an opportunity for school success to those at risk of dropping out” (Roblyer, 2006, p. 31). Alternative education students enroll with a variety of performance levels, in one math class students can range from a 3rd grade math level to high school proficiency. The curriculum at the

I also believe the assessment step is one of the most important components of program planning. The assessment process consists of several steps that may influence the overall results of the program. Throughout this component the program theory, goals, and objectives are developed (Issel & Wells, 2014). The evaluation component of the program planning process may also be considered one of the most important components of program planning; because it allows program planners to gather data that may be useful to revise the program or be referenced for future programs (Issel & Wells, 2014). Overall, these components may be the most influential on the final results of a program.

Contextual factors will be analyzed for potential barriers for implementation of project-base learning in alternative education sites for the Riverside County Office of Education. Evaluation if contextual factors provide and important evaluation of what factors will enable program’s success (Sanders, 1997). Assessing the needs, assets, and resources of a community school in order to plan relevant and effective interventions within the context of the community school setting (Foundation, 1998). Contextual factors will be analyzed for the effective implementation of science project-based learning. Understanding these variables will assist in the analysis, interpretation and evaluation findings of the transformational change project.

This qualitative research study included application of an action research design that explored the gap in the afterschool program at The Agency. Action research is a cycle, with each step involving the refining and shaping of the research question and design (Stringer & Dwyer, 2005). Action research is a reflective process that engages stakeholders in the inquiry of a problem or issue affecting the community or agency (Herr & Anderson, 2005). The steps in action research can involve groups or communities taking action or planning for action that will bring about change (Greenwood & Levin, 2007). The goal of the action research study was to collaborate collectively with stakeholders from within the community to explore their perceptions of the best methods to incorporate an educational intervention at The Agency.

The HSLS data was collected through a stratified two stage sampling process. That is, 944 schools (including public, private, and charter schools) were sampled in the first stage and in the second stage 25, 206 students selected in 50 states in the District of Columbia (Ingels et al., 2011, 2014). There were approximately 27 students selected per school. To cater for the complex sampling, the data include weights (students weights, parent weights, teacher weights, counselor weights, and school weights) that should be used to account for the sampling and non-response at the two stages of the data collecting process. For these reasons STATA and HLM software will be used in the data analysis process because these software can be used with weights and correction of standard error. The HSLS has missing data that has been cleaned and the analysis process made easier because the data includes variables in which imputation methods (weighted sequential hot-deck [WSHD] were used to replace the missing data (see Ingels et al., 2011, 2014).

When I walk across the stage at my high school commencement, I am going to be feeling successful and accomplished. Although I will be feeling these emotions, I know that there will be others walking across that same stage collecting the same diploma, and they will be students who didn’t push themselves or put in the same amount of time and effort towards earning it as I did. The students I am referring to attend alternative school, although some will deserve it just as much as I do and will be getting it for all the right reasons. As I consider this and am experiencing it first hand, I believe students who attend alternative schools do not deserve the same diploma as those students who attend regular high school.

Qualitative. Most of the qualitative data (i.e., observations and interviews) was entered into SPSS and coded using the NVivo software tool. For the interviews, the NVivo tool allowed researchers to perform PCA and identify themes and dimensions which the researchers stated they used for further investigation and analysis. For the observations, the ISTOF and QoT data was reduced using a factor analysis and a confirmatory factor analysis, then the results between the two tools were compared to identify the main factors of effective teaching. The article does not specify how data from the focus groups was captured, analyzed or utilized in the interpretation.