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Before you launch into Public Achievement,
think about how you can use evaluation to answer specific questions
about Public Achievement at your site. On going evaluation
can provide information that is useful and practical.
Here are some questions to consider as you
think about planning evaluation.
- What do you want to learn about
Public Achievement during the year?
- Was there anything
you wish you knew about Public Achievement last year but
didn’t ask? How might those questions
be answered this year?
- Who wants the information? Are
there stakeholders who might be interested in learning
something specific about
Public Achievement?
- What resources are available to carry out the evaluation?
- How will your site team carry out evaluation?
- How can you
ensure the results will be used?
- How will you share the
information with the site, Center for Democracy and Citizenship
and the Public Achievement
forum?
Everyone can do evaluation.
It can be as simple as asking, “What happened today and
how could we do things differently?” or more complex,
like “What skills do students demonstrate after participating
in Public Achievement?” Your evaluation plan depends
on what you want from the evaluation and the resources you
have to carry it out. The ultimate goal of evaluating Public
Achievement is to strengthen the work and deepen the learning.
There
is an excellent evaluation tool that the Center for Democracy
and Citizenship has developed for site teams. It is called, “Year
End Self Evaluation Packet.” If you used the tool last
year, re-visit it to see how you responded to the questions.
The results from last year can help you plan the coming year.
If you did not use the tool last year, read through the tool
before you get started. It can help stimulate ideas for planning
your evaluation for this year.
The site team
self evaluation packet is here.
You
may want to structure your evaluation plan around certain
events like the issue convention, mid-year point and end
of the year. Your site team should come up with an evaluation
plan that is realistic and useful to your site. Identify
someone
on your site team to head up the evaluation or take turns
leading the effort. Make a plan to share the results
with your school,
site and community. |
