Evaluation of age groups at RLC and after-school programs at Arthur Schomberg and Cooperville will offer opportunities to measure long-term outcomes. Staff will measure student performance by improvement in times for each stroke at various distances. Medical professionals from Any City University Hospital and educators from Some City College and Everytown University will assist in formulating an evaluation construct measuring changes in physical fitness (flexibility, aerobic endurance, and weight) and academic performance (attendance, drop-out rates, grades, and interest in going to college). The resulting data will be disseminated to the school administrators and district reported to other stakeholders—including the XYZ Foundation if this request is approved—and used to continually improve the program. Expected long-term outcomes include increased scores on state-mandated fitness tests performed in students’ physical education classes. 

To evaluate the overall effectiveness of the Swim 4 Life program at its three sites, we will have our instructors use pretest and post-test assessments, in addition to direct observation of students in the water so that baseline performance can be determined for all participants. Children’s progress in the Learn-to-Swim Program is evaluated based on the effort made and skills achieved as evidenced by participants holding their breath underwater, ability to dog paddle from the middle of the pool to the side of the pool, and ability to tread water for a minimum of one minute. The assessment process also tracks changes in attitude toward swimming as evidenced by qualitative written storytelling from a minimum of 25 percent of program participants. In addition, instructors will administer multiple-choice questions on water safety at the end of each four-week session. After the fi rst six months of program implementation, the goal is to have participants answer an average of 75 percent of the questions correctly. School administrators, teachers, and parents will be sought for qualitative feedback on a scale of 1–100 percent relative to their satisfaction with the program and to influence its implementation strategies, administrative processes, and related activities. For those students with IEPs, we will conduct a parent satisfaction survey with the goal of showing a minimum 85 percent favorability rating of the program.

Answer the following questions to begin planning the evaluation section:

1. What questions will the organization’s evaluation activities seek to answer?

2. What are the specific evaluation plans and time frames?

a. What kinds of data will be collected?

b. At what points?

c. Using what strategies or instruments?

d. Using what comparison group or baseline, if any?

3. If the intention is to study a sample of participants, how will this sample be constructed?

4. What procedures will be used to determine whether the program was implemented as planned?

5. Who will conduct the evaluation?

6. Who will receive the results?

7. How is success being defined for this program or project?