ECUR 809 Assignment # 3

ECUR 809 Assignment # 3: Evaluation of Organization -Performing an Evaluation Assessment.
Determining the feasibility and direction of my evaluation:
I have selected a community center as organization to use as a model for the rest of the course its programs (Adult General Interest programs such as Intermediate Spanish): http://www.gnag.ca/index.php
http://www.gnag.ca/index.php?page=154 I live close by; so, I can access individuals for input in my work. I chose the City of Ottawa: http://www.city.ottawa.on.ca/ specifically a neighborhood as organization because during the Spring/Summer I taught Spanish (complemented with tennis lessons)(www.moretennis.blogspot.com) as part of the "Ultra Play" program: http://www.ottawatennis.com/detail.php?news_id=294
Kindly please see below overview of my chosen organization:
Organization: A Community Center in the City of Ottawa, ON Canada
Program: "Adult General Interest - Spanish: Intermediate/conversational"
Model of Evaluation Assessment:student-centered evaluation Assessment.
According to the Student Evaluation: A Teacher Handbook(Saskatchewan Education, 1991) student evaluation should focus on the collection and interpretation of data which would indicate student progress. This, in combination with teacher self-evaluation and program evaluation, provides a full evaluation. Chapter one states that, "Assessment and evaluation are best addressed from the viewpoint of selecting what appears most valid in allowing students to show what they have learned." In general, the main phases are the following: preparation, assessment, evaluation (formative, diagnostic, and summative) and reflection. Below each one is briefly described:
Preparation: what is to be evaluated, the type of evaluation (formative, summative, or diagnostic) to be used, the criteria against which student learning outcomes will be judged, and the most appropriate assessment strategies with which to gather information on student progress. Decisions made during this phase form the basis for planning during the remaining phases.In the Spanish Intermediate and Conversation Program the criteria and strategies are guided by an instructor (graduate student) from the University of Ottawa.
Assessment: identify information-gathering strategies, construct or select instruments, administer them to the student, and collect the information on student learning progress. The identification and elimination of bias (such as gender and culture bias) from the assessment strategies and instruments, and the determination of where, when, and how assessments will be conducted are important considerations. Performing an evaluation assessment process of the Program "Adults General Interest," Spanish Intermediate and Conversation Program in the Community Center, City of Ottawa, requires an appropriate approach. The Stake's "responsive" approach seems to be an an adequate way to reporting the "success and failure" of that program. Stake (1975, p.19)recommended the "clock" model to reflect the prominent recurring events in a responsive evaluation: talk with clients, program staff, audiences; identify program scope; overview program activities; discover purposes, concerns; conceptualize issues, problems; identify data needs re issues; select observers, judges, instruments, if any; observe designated antecedents, transactions and outcomes; thematize: prepare portrayals, case studies; validate, confirm, attempt to dis confirm; winnow, for audience use; and assemble formal reports, if any. In this sense, the Stake's model helps in reporting evaluation assessment of Intermediate & Conversation Spanish Program, in which not only questionnaires but also specific tests and sample work portfolios were assessed. See example of past questionnaires.
Evaluation: the information gathered during the assessment phase is used to make judgments about student progress. Based on the judgments (evaluations), decisions about student learning programs are made and reported to students, parents, and appropriate school personnel.
Reflection: allows pondering the successes and shortfalls of the previous phases. Specifically, evaluate the utility and appropriateness of the assessment strategies used, and make decisions concerning improvements or modifications to subsequent teaching and assessment. Instruments contain questions that encourage reflection on student assessment,teachers'planning, and on the structure of the curriculum. In the Intermediate & Conversational Spanish, successes of the program of Intermediate and Conversational Spanish, we can mention the following: excellent Audio CD cassettes; and an exciting vacation with a great learning opportunity, offered in combination with similar programs to study Spanish complemented with other programs, such as sports tennis and golf, games and with latin dance programs.
Until now no failures have been reported. To the contrary, students are looking for more "living spanish" programs.

Sources: Program Evaluation, Particularly Responsive Evaluation (Occasional Paper No. 5, p.19) by R.E. Stake, 1975b, Kalamazoo, MI: Western Michigan University Evaluation Center, Adapted by permission. Cited in pag. 138 in Fitzpatrick, J. L., Sanders, J. R., & Worthen, B. R. (2004). Program evaluation: Alternative approaches and practical guidelines. White Plains, NY: Longman.
Online: www.wmich.edu/evalctr/pubs/ops/ops05.pdf
"Student Evaluation: A Teacher Handbook" Retrieved September 24th, 2009 Online:
http://www.saskschools.ca/~ischool/Drafting10/curr/part25.htm
Flowcharts:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21010132
http://www.scribd.com/doc/21010006