Data & Evaluation: 2014-15
From the Program Director
21ST Century Summary Report
December 2015
Council Bluffs’ Developing Relationships Engaging All Middle Schoolers (CB D.R.E.A.M.S.) is now half way through year two of its project and our external evaluators, Hanover Research has completed its year one evaluation of the program. We are very excited about the results as well as the anecdotal results we see each day on the faces of our students. Below are two key findings from our evaluation.
“The 21st Century program has had a substantial impact on the students served by Council Bluffs’ two middle schools. First, the program has had a broad reach, serving roughly 1,400 students in the 2014-2015 academic year. Second, the program has impacted student behavior and engagement: stakeholders report that the district’s before- and after-school programs have improved students’ sense of hope for the future and disciplinary records and teacher reports suggest that attendance, discipline, and classroom behavior have also improved among program participants.”
“However, Council Bluffs has set ambitious goals for 21st Century, and the district’s proactive approach to evaluating the program has revealed multiple ways to strengthen student outcomes, particularly as they relate to academic achievement. Greater support for program staff and efforts to bolster student attendance may be meaningful starting points to further develop this program.”
We here at CB D.R.E.A.M.S will tell you that we are not backing down from those ambitious goals! We will continue the great work we have started here and expand and strengthen this program every day.
Dr. Sandra Day
2014-15 21st Century Summary Report
2014-15 Best Practices Full Report
Data Analysis
KEY FINDINGS
Any effect of program participation on assessment outcomes is very weak. After accounting for the effects of control variables, the effect of 10 additional days of program participation does not exceed two scaled score points (positive or negative) for students in any grade for any of the assessments.
After accounting for the effects of control variables, the effect of 10 additional days of program participation does not exceed 1.4 percentage points (positive or negative) for students in any grade for any of the assessments.
Additional program participation is somewhat correlated with improved behavioral outcomes. An additional 10 days of program participation correlates with a 0.2 percentage point increase in attendance rates, after accounting for the effects of the control variables. An additional 10 days of program participation correlates with 0.08 fewer disciplinary incidents, after accounting for the effects of control variables.
Although some of these results are statistically significant, Hanover cautions against claims of program effects on assessment outcomes due to the small magnitudes and inconsistency of the effects.
2014-15 Data Analysis Full Report
Student, Parent, and Staff Surveys:
KEY FINDINGS
Survey respondents are generally favorable of the Council Bluffs Before/After School programs. Students (93%), parents (92%), and staff (99%) agree that Before/After School activities offer a “good balance of fun and learning.”
Additionally, 93 percent of parents would recommend Before/After School programs to other parents. While respondents think positively of nearly every aspect of the Before/After School programs, there are some potential areas of improvement.
Only 43 percent of students learned how to use computers and technology through the Before/After School activities; however, students involved in technology or academic programs were significantly more likely than those in other programs to increase their computer knowledge. In addition, only 40 percent of all parent respondents attended family engagement events.
Eighty-one percent of parent respondents who had a student involved in only one program believed that participating in the Before/After School activities made their student more hopeful about their future education and/or career, while 94 percent of parents with a student involved in three or more programs agreed with the statement.
For students that are in need improvement, teacher respondents report that the greatest improvements in students are in their: Class participation (37%); Completing homework satisfactorily (34%); and Hanover Research | September 2015 © 2015 Hanover Research Academic performance (32%). Student respondents who participate in Before/After School programs indicate that they are most involved in fine arts (37%), academic (29%), and athletic (29%) programs.
Teachers who work at Wilson indicate that students’ behavior improved over the course of the school year compared to teachers who work at Kirn.