Evaluating Student Success Initiatives

EVALUATING
STUDENT SUCCESS
INITIATIVES LACCD
Student
Success
& 3CSN
Summit

Making Sure Things Work Before
We Scale Them Up
Center for Applied Research at CPCC 2013

PURPOSE
We want to take some time to discuss
common misconceptions and issues
experienced by colleges around the subject of
evaluation.
We want to understand the differences
between evaluation and research.
We want to know how to develop and
implement a good evaluation for an
intervention or program.

PROGRAM EVALUATION

What is evaluation?
 Evaluation is a profession composed of persons with
varying interests, potentially encompassing but not limited
to the evaluation of programs, products, personnel, policy,
performance, proposals, technology, research, theory and
even of evaluation itself.
Go to: http://www.eval.org
At the bottom of the homepage there is a link to a
free training package and facilitators guide for
teaching the Guiding Principles for Evaluator
Training

MORE ON EVALUATION

As defined by the American Evaluation
Association, evaluation involves assessing the
strengths and weaknesses of programs, policies,
personnel, products, and organizations to improve
their effectiveness.
 Evaluation is the systematic collection and analysis of data
needed to make decisions, a process in which most well-
run programs engage from the outset. Here are just some
of the evaluation activities that are already likely to be
incorporated into many programs or that can be added
easily:
 Pinpointing the services needed for example, finding out
what knowledge, skills, attitudes, or behaviors a program
should address

CONTINUED

 Establishing program objectives and deciding the particular
evidence (such as the specific knowledge, attitudes, or
behavior) that will demonstrate that the objectives have been
met. A key to successful evaluation is a set of clear,
measurable, and realistic program objectives. If objectives are
unrealistically optimistic or are not measurable, the program
may not be able to demonstrate that it has been successful
even if it has done a good job
 Developing or selecting from among alternative program
approaches for example, trying different curricula or policies
and determining which ones best achieve the goals


CONTINUED

 Tracking program objectives for example, setting up
a system that shows who gets services, how much
service is delivered, how participants rate the
services they receive, and which approaches are
most readily adopted by staff
 Trying out and assessing new program designs
determining the extent to which a particular
approach is being implemented faithfully by school
or agency person


PROGRAM EVALUATION

Purpose
 To establish better products, personnel, programs,
organizations, governments, consumers and the public
interest; to contribute to informed decision making and more
enlightened change; precipitating needed change;
empowering all stakeholders by collecting data from them
and engaging them in the evaluation process; and
experiencing the excitement of new insights.
 Evaluators aspire to construct and provide the best possible
information that might bear on the value of whatever is being
evaluated.


Definition of Evaluation
Study designed and conducted to assist some
audience to assess an object’s merit and worth.
(Stufflebeam, 1999)

Identification of defensible criteria to determine an
evaluation object’s value (worth or merit), quality, utility,
effectiveness, or significance in relation to those
criteria. (Fitzpatrick, Sanders & Worthen, 2004)


Definition of Evaluation
Goal 1
Determine the merit or worth of an evaluand.
(Scriven 1991)

Goal 2
Provide answers to significant evaluative questions that
are posed

It is a value judgment based on
defensible criteria

Evaluation Questions
Provide the direction and foundation for the
evaluation (without them the evaluation will
lack focus)
The evaluation’s focus will determine
the questions asked.
Need Process Outcomes
Assessment Evaluation Evaluation
Questions? Questions? Questions?


TYPES OF EVALUATION

Process evaluation – determines if the
processes are happening according to the plan
The processes of a program are the “nitty-
gritty” details or the “dosage” students,
patients or clients receive – the activities
It is the who is going to do what and when
It answers the question “Is this program being
delivered as it was intended.”


TYPES OF EVALUATION

Outcome evaluation (most critical piece for
accreditation)
 determines how participants do on short-range,
mid-range or long-range outcomes
 Usually involves setting program goals and
outcome objectives
 Answers the question “is this program working”
and/or “are participants accomplishing what we
intended for them to accomplish”

TYPES OF EVALUATION

Impact evaluation
How did the results impact the student
group, college, community, family
(larger group over time)
Answers the question “Is this program
having the impact it was intended to
have (so you must start with
intentions)?”

TWO MAJOR TYPES OF EVALUATION


IR DEPARTMENTS

The Good News Is…..
You are all data people
The Bad News Is….
You are all data people
Sometimes have difficulty realizing
this is not research and demands
more than data from your student
system

Evaluation Research
Use intended for use – use is the produces knowledge – lets
rationale the natural process determine
use

Questions the decision-maker, not evaluator, the researcher determines the
comes up with the questions to questions
study.

Judgment compares what is with what studies what is
should be – does it meet
established criteria

Setting action setting/priority is to the priority is to the research, not
program, not the evaluation what is being studied

Roles friction among evaluator’s roles not the friction; research vs.
and program giver’s roles because funder – no friction
of
judgmental qualities of evaluator.

In Community
ISSUES WITH EVALUATION Colleges


INTERVENTIONS HAVE QUESTIONABLE
SUCCESS
The evaluated don’t take into consideration all
factors including methodology and quality of
implementation
College needs to have a realistic/courageous
conversation on standards of evidence, statistical
significance and expectations
Spend most of the time planning the interventions,
not on how to evaluate it
Never define what success should look like,
reasonable target


INTERVENTIONS ARE OFTEN TOO
COMPLICATED
Multiple layers of independent variables
College lacks the staff, software or ability to carry it
out.
Groups keep getting smaller and smaller (for sample
or comparison groups).
Don’t really know what worked.
Expansion happens too quickly.


INTERVENTIONS HAVE QUESTIONABLE
ABILITY TO BE ADAPTED ON A LARGE
SCALE
Not enough consideration of the costs of scaling
Don’t want to cancel plans involving un-scalable
interventions (someone’s pet project)
Develop culture where it is ok to take risk and learn
from mistakes


THE COLLEGE SKEPTIC
The one who wants everything to be
statistically significant
The faculty group who wants to talk about
confidence intervals or power
Fear that things won’t work
“We tried that before”
They confuse evaluation with research.


LIMITED ABILITY TO EVALUATE.

Whole concept is new to many.
Funders forces us to begin the process.
May be no one at the institution to lead them
through it (health faculty are the best place to
start).
Don’t know what resources are out there?


ANALYSIS PARALYSIS

Let’s splice and dice the data more and more
and more.
Too much data to analyze
Don’t know what it tells them
How do we make a decision about priorities
and strategies from 200 pages of data
tables?


THE SUMMER HIATUS
Faculty leave in June and never give the initiative
a thought until August 20th.
No interventions are in place when fall term
begins
No evaluation tools are in place.
Baseline data cannot be collected.
August 20-31 they are mostly concerned with
preparing for fall classes (as they should).


NO WORKABLE EVALUATION TIMELINES

Creating a timeline.
Identifying all the detail.
Getting a team to actually follow it.
Who is responsible for each piece.
Where do completed surveys/assessments
go – who scores them – who analyzes them –
who makes decisions based on them?


What does a logic model look like?
Graphic display of boxes and
arrows; vertical or horizontal
 Relationships, linkages.
Any shape possible
 Circular, dynamic,
 Cultural adaptations, storyboards.
Level of detail
 Simple
 Complex
Multiple models

Source / Adapted from UW-Extension:
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/evaluation/evallogicmodel.htmlResearch at CPCC 2013
Center for Applied

Where are you going?
How will you get there?
What will tell you that
you’ve arrived?

A logic model is your program
ROAD MAP


Example: Every day logic
model –
Family Vacation
Family Members Drive to state park Family members
learn about each
Budget other; family
Set up camp
bonds; family has
Car a good time
Cook, play, talk,
laugh, hike
Camping
Equipment

Source: E Taylor-Powell, University of Wisconsin- Extension-Cooperative Extension

Example: Financial
management program
Situation: Individuals with limited knowledge and skills in basic financial management are
unable to meet their financial goals and manage money to meet their needs.

INPUTS OUTPUTS OUTCOMES

Extension We conduct a variety of Participants gain
educational activities knowledge, change
invests time and
targeted to individuals practices and have
resources who participate improved financial well-
being

WHAT WE INVEST WHAT WE DO WHAT RESULTS

Source: E Taylor-Powell, University of Wisconsin- Extension-Cooperative Extension

Example: One component of a
comprehensive parent education and
support initiative
During a county needs assessment, majority of parents reported that they were
Situation: having difficulty parenting and felt stressed as a result
INPUTS OUTPUTS OUTCOMES
Parents
increase Parents
Develop knowledge of identify
Staff parent ed child dev appropriate Improve
actions to d child-
curriculu
take parent
m Targeted Parents
relation
Mone better
Deliver parents understandin
s
y
series of attend g their own Parents use
parenting effective Strong
Partner interacti style parenting families
Parents gain
s vesessio skills in practices

Researc ns
Facilitat effective
parenting
h e practices
support
groups
Assumptions: External factors:

Example: Smoke free
worksites
Situation: Secondhand smoke is responsible for lung cancer, respiratory symptoms, cardiovascular disease, and
worsens asthma. Public policy change that creates smoke free environments is the best known way to reduce and
prevent smoking.

Inputs Outputs Outcomes
Assess
worksite Demonstrations
Increased
tobacco Worksite awareness of of public support
Coalition
policies and owners, for SF worksites
importance of
Time practices managers SF worksites

Dollars Develop SF worksites
community Increased SF worksites
Partners Unions
support for SF knowledge of SF policies
Including worksites worksite drafted
youth benefits &
options
Workers;
Organize and
union
implement SF worksite
members Increased
strategy for policies
commitment,
targeted passed
support and
worksites
Public demand for
SF worksites
Adherence to
smoke-free
policies
Source: E Taylor-Powell, University of Wisconsin- Extension-
Cooperative Extension Center for Applied Research at CPCC 2013

Need AssessmentProcess EvaluationOutcomes Evaluation
Questions? Questions? Questions?

INPUT
INPUT PROCESS
PROCESS OUTCOMES
OUTCOMES

What Is the To what extent
resources are intervention are desired
needed for strategy being changes
implemented as occurring? For
starting this whom?
intervention intended?
strategy? Is the
intervention
How many Are participants strategy making
staff members being reached as a difference?
are needed? intended? What seems to
work? Not work?

Source: R. Rincones-Gomez, 2009 for Applied Research at CPCC 2013
Center

CHAIN OF OUTCOMES
SHORT MEDIUM LONG-TERM
Seniors increase Practice safe cooling of Lowered incidence of food
knowledge of food food; food preparation borne illness
contamination risks guidelines
Participants increase Establish financial goals, Reduced debt and
knowledge and skills in use spending plan increased savings
financial management

Community increases Residents and employers Child care needs are met
understanding of discuss options and
childcare needs implement a plan

Empty inner city parking Youth and adults learn Money saved, nutrition
lot converted to gardening skills, nutrition, improved, residents enjoy
community garden food preparation and mgt. greater sense of
community
Source: E Taylor-Powell, University of Center for Applied Research at CPCC 2013
Wisconsin- Extension-Cooperative Extension

WHAT ARE THE SUMMATIVE AND FORMATIVE
OUTCOME INDICATORS
Supplemental Instruction
Learning Communities
Required Orientation
Academic Success Course
Minority Male Mentoring
Developmental Math Redesign
Peer Tutoring
Accelerated English


AT YOUR TABLES ……….
Select an ATD student success
initiative at your college that you plan to
evaluate before you make the decision
to scale it up. (if you can’t think of one
use the online learning one in your
handouts)

Use this program for each activity.

1. BRING TOGETHER THE PROGRAM
DEVELOPERS
Ask them to answer these question:

1. Why did you develop this program with these
program characteristics?
2. What do you think students (or participants) will
get out of this program (what changes)?
3. How do you tie specific program content to
specific expected changes or improvements in
participants.


2. ORIENT AN EVALUATION TEAM

Who should be on it?
What skills do you need at the table (what
staff members have those?)
What should be their charge?


3. GATHER INFORMATION ON
POTENTIAL OUTCOMES.
What are potential sources for
outcomes?


4. WRITE OUTCOME STATEMENTS
Sometime these are already written (from
grants)
Make them clear
Don’t draw a number out of a hat
Test it out
Create a logic model


5. CREATE OUTCOME INDICATORS
Outcome Indicator. - Usually referred to as a key
performance indicator, this is the data, or set of statistics that
best verifies the accomplishment of a specific outcome. An
outcome indicator for college readiness might be an SAT score
of 1100 or above. It is typically the accomplishment of a
specific skill or assessment at a certain level that indicates an
outcome is met.

What data can you access?
What assessments need to be selected?


6. CREATE OUTCOME TARGETS
Outcome Target – the benchmark set as a
performance indicator for a given outcome. An example
would be that 80% of students would score a 75% or above
on a reading assessment. The outcome target would be
“80% of students.”

How would you create these targets or
benchmark?
Do you need a comparison group?
What is an acceptable level of
improvement or change?

7. CREATE ALL TOOLS
You will probably need:
 Demographic sheets
 Attendance or participation log
 Formative evaluation tools
Will they be online or pencil/paper tools
(benefits of each)
When do they need to be ready?
Who needs copies?
Create evaluation timeline.

8. PILOT TEST THE PROCESS
Make sure it works
Give a small group of student or faculty/staff the
assessments to make sure they are clear
Work out all the detail
 Who distributes it
 Who collects it
 Who scores it
 Who puts it in the spreadsheet
 Who keeps up with the post-test dates, etc.


9. IMPLEMENT THE EVALUATION
Follow your plan


10. ANALYZE RESULTS
Sometimes just numbers and percents
Sometimes statistical tests are needed
If students don’t meet the summative
evaluation benchmarks, analyze the
formative evaluation


11. IMPROVE YOUR PROCESS AND
PROGRAM
Takes several years to have good data.
Discuss how the evaluation can be
improved
Discuss how the program can be
improved


CLOSING
Establish your plan
Follow your plan
Assign responsibility for it
Expect big things
Use results to improve what you do (close the
loop)


SUPPORT AND CONTACT
INFO:

Terri Manning, Ed.D.
terri.manning@cpcc.ed
u
(704) 330-6592

Evaluating Student Success Initiatives

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