Materials and Assignments for March

GOAL SETTING AND EVALUATION DESIGN 
ENROLL FOR APRIL SEGMENT

GO TO Colorado's goals in supporting adult education and family literacy programs
funded under AEFLA 

DISCUSSION

Take a soccer game. What drives the players to action? Goals! They know they have succeeded when the ball meets or passes the goal posts and enters the net area. In soccer, hockey or other goal-oriented sports,  the action is competitive and only one side wins.

How do adult education programs know they are succeeding? They also score goals when the actions of their students meet or exceed the "posts" established as standards. The difference in what we do and what athletes do is significant. We don't compete; we establish our own rules and standards; the players (students) negotiate  the time span and, hopefully, the winning strategies. Everyone wins because we are all on the same side.

In our December segment, we discussed the importance of having students express their own goals and we designed learning contracts to encourage students to learn to express and commit to their own goals.  

In March, we've discussed program requirements and reporting. You might refer to some of the resources there as you process the material for April.

What about program goals? How can we meet student goals and program goals, and report them to meet state and federal standards? How does the team of teachers and managers reflect, encourage, and report successes?

[THIS DISCUSSION WILL BE VALUABLE FOR OUR NEXT AND FINAL SEGMENT ON SUSTAINABILITY, WHICH WILL INCLUDE GRANT WRITING. WE WILL DISCUSS THE GOALS REQUIRED FOR THE STATE RFP AT THAT TIME.]

PART I

Comments on Setting Goals and Evaluation (Students and Staff)

A program that values goals and constant self-assessment will develop concrete outcomes not only for students but to staff. Below you'll find a simple form as a sample of weekly goal/objectives statements for staff. If you manage a program, how do you know you are succeeding? Does your staff listen to students and form goals around helping students meet them? 

We can only measure success against the goals we set. If the goal is stated in concrete terms, it can be easily evaluated. If goals are well-stated, the framework for achieving each goal is also clearly measurable. The framework for achieving goals is made up of objectives. Both goals and objectives must be measurable in order to be evaluated or assessed. 

What is the difference between a goal and an objective? In pretty simple terms, goals are broader than objectives. Goals represent the end result or outcome. Objectives represent the pieces that build the result or outcome. On a trip, the goal would be your destination. The objectives would represent your arrival at each point toward your destination. In building a house, the goal would be the house itself, the objective, each part of the structure forming the house.

A statement in itself cannot be assessed as a goal or objective until the end result is established. For example, a student's monthly goal might be to produce a Power Point presentation by January. On the other hand, if the student's final monthly outcome is to make a written, oral, and visual report on the community, the visual Power Point presentation would be an objective to complete the report. In addition, if the student's goal is to be able to market himself more effectively among employers, the report above might represent an objective to be met among many (completing 3 interviews, calling 5 additional potential employers, completing a great resume, etc...). 

We could argue goals and objectives for a long time. The essence of this segment is to learn to be concrete in setting goals or objectives. You can only report success through measurable, concrete outcomes or verifications.

Also essential in this discussion is the integration of meaningful targets (end results). Does the target represent what the student or program really wants or just an image of an expected outcome. "I want my GED." Why? What will that provide you? What does that represent to you? Maybe the student's target is really to please her parents or to fulfill a job requirement. Find out what's real, and state it.

Finally, goals and objectives require timelines. Timelines demand commitment and serve as great incentives for action. Include dates as you work with students and program staff.

ASSIGNMENT I

Examine the following goal/objective statements and determine which you consider effective and capable of being easily evaluated. Comment on each one and submit your comments me. I'll share them with the group.

PART II

This part of our segment will introduce you to SABES resources. They are excellent and offer valuable discussion around the topic of goal setting and progress assessment/reporting. "Established in 1990 by the Massachusetts Department of Education, SABES, the System for Adult Basic Education Support, is a comprehensive training and technical assistance initiative for educators and programs."

 I highly recommend that everyone browse the site in addition to the references we use here. The SABES Publications Catalog includes a Section on Assessment/Goal Setting in 14 volumes. This segment will concentrate on Volumes 13 and 14, which I'm outlining below, quoting from the site itself. Notice that you can download the PDF files for each volume and read them at you leisure.

Volume 13:Meeting the Accountability Challenge, Spring 2001, 55 p. Article titles include: New Accountability Rules Pose Dilemma for Programs; Authentic Goal-Setting with ABE Learners; Quinsigamond Community College's Site-Specific Assessment; Analyzing Your Organization's Data to Tell Your Story.  PDF version of all Volume 13 articles

Volume 14: Examining Performance, Spring 2002, 72 p. Article titles include: Fair Assessment Practices: Giving Students Equitable Opportunities to Demonstrate Learning; Assessing Oral Communication at the Community Learning Center; A Writing Rubric to Assess ESL Student Performance; Involving Learners in Assessment Research.    PDF version of all Volume 14 articles

ASSIGNMENT I

Read/browse through the articles/sources that most appeal to you from the list above. Comment on two articles on your choice and submit your comments below. OR, if you have other sources that discuss this issue, you are welcome to comment on those instead. I will share them with the group for further discussion.

General Goal Setting Resources

http://adulted.about.com/library/weekly/aa121900a.htm - Lifelong Learning Resoulutions

http://www.mtsu.edu/~studskl/goals.html - Five elements of a useful goal.

http://www.mtsu.edu/~studskl/goals.html - Short readings outlining different aspect of goal setting. When you read the tips offered, substitute the word "YOU" or "YOUR LIFE" or "MY LIFE" for "MY PROGRAM." The ideas are sound. You may download a 30-day application to play with in this process.

Self-Assessment Process

http://www.naepdc.org/resources/sa/self_assess_1.html - "State Adult Education Management and Leadership Functions: A Self Assessment" from The National Adult Education Professional Development Consortium (NAEPDC). 

Sample Forms

Sample TABE or CCA Weekly Student Objectives Form 

Sample Staff Weekly Objectives Form

Rubrics Links - Nothing like rubrics for assessing performance. Check some of these links. They are great!