8084 Dis2 Module 1

2

8084 Colleague Responses

Respond to two  of your colleagues' postings in 125 words each in one or more of the following ways:

1. Propose an additional challenge or barrier which could have impacted the evaluation and why.

1. Explain how a program with which you are familiar overcame a similar barrier or challenge, including strategies or tips your colleague might implement during his or her next evaluation.

1. Highlight examples of personal learning that occurred as a result of dialogue with colleagues.

Cite appropriate references in APA format to substantiate your thinking.

Note:  Throughout Week 2, continue the professional dialogue by answering questions your colleagues have asked.

Colleague Response #1

Allison VanHorn 

Programs undergo evaluations to support what is currently being presented and to work on areas of focus that may need assistance to improve the current implementation. Specifically, programs would like to improve upon and correct an issue that is occurring. For example, behavioral concerns in the classrooms, decrease in enrollment, change in curriculum or other changes that may affect the success of the program. The information gathered can be from or for the children, by the families, outside entities, the staff, etc. The insight evaluations provide can be beneficial to the program’s long term growth and success in education (Poole, 2017). 

Barriers and challenges that some programs may experience in trying to implement evaluations are the effectiveness of the evaluation and if the evaluation is being presented correctly. The effectiveness of the evaluation relies on how the tool is conducted and if the program is using the right method of data collection (Shtivelband, 2020) For example, when I was overseeing multiple child care programs, the company experienced a drop in enrollment. The administrators used an evaluation that surveyed only the curriculum. The information collected did not fully assist in why there was a decrease of enrollment and how to increase enrollment. If the program had used a tool that would assess the families opinion of the program, the enrollment process, survey the families who have withdrawn, and the staff, this would have been a helpful resource to increase enrollment. This could have been one comprehensive evaluation like an impact evaluation or an outcome evaluation for long term effectiveness oof the program.

References:

Poole, Mackenzie. (2017). Barriers to the provision of high-quality early childhood education in the mississippi delta https://egrove.olemiss.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1603&context=hon_thesis

Shtivelband, Annette. (2020). 6 evaluation challenges. https://researchevaluationconsulting.com/six-key-evaluation-challenges/

Colleague Response #2

Katheryn Gonzales

Program evaluation is the systematic approach to applying social research methods to understand and investigate a social program's effectiveness intended to impact social conditions positively (Rossi, 2019). For our use, early childhood programs undergo program evaluation to understand if the program is doing what it is intended to accomplish. According to NAEYC (2003), early childhood educators, policymakers, stakeholders, and anyone involved in the profession must continually and regularly engage in program evaluation by using evidence to determine if programs meet standards and to what degree they meet criteria. The profession should also examine the program's intended and unintended results on those involved.

One barrier or challenge programs may experience when undergoing program evaluations may have to do with implementing the program itself. The word implementation refers to whether all components of the program that were planned were implemented as intended. Program implementation can be challenging because some sites offer the program as designed while others may not. When evaluating a program offered in several locations, the challenge is making sure that the program is implemented the same in all locations (Center on the Developing Child Harvard University, 2007). For example, my school is looking into Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for our school. This program is offered in numerous schools throughout our school system. Some of the schools that use the program have adopted all that the program provides, while others have not. As a result, evaluating this program can be a challenge for program evaluators. To address this challenge, schools involved in PBIS need to implement the program with fidelity and then measure those programs for effectiveness.

 

References

Center on the Developing Child Harvard University. (2007). Early childhood program

evaluations: A decision-makers uide. https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/early-childhood-program-evaluations-a-decision-makers-guide/

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2003). Early childhood curriculum,assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. https://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/CAPEexpand.pdf

Rossi, P. H. (2019). Evaluation : A Systematic Approach. Sage Publications, Incorporated