Program Evaluation Plan

The Developmental Evaluation Approach

We have decided to use the developmental approach to evaluate the CONNECT Program at TREC. This approach is favorable since CONNECT is a new program and Developmental Evaluation is particularly useful for "emergent and dynamic realities in complex environments."(Better Evaluation) It is important that measures can change during the evaluation as the process unfolds. It facilitates real-time feedback to program staff which will allow us to track developments, identify surfacing issues, and make appropriate changes to the program in its early stages. We will use evaluation forms that are user-friendly, often quick, diverse and easy to administer. We will also collect both quantitative and qualitative data through surveys to staff, students, and other community members through electronic formats like Google Survey and Poll Everywhere. Individual interviewing will also be utilized for the collection of qualitative data.

It is also important to choose an approach that allows for an internal evaluation team, rather than an outsider, since relationship and trust are foundational pieces in trauma informed practice and working with vulnerable, complex student populations. We know that if the "level of trust is low in a relationship or organization, people limit their involvement and what they are willing to do or share."(Jaffe, Dennis. 2018) So, the developmental approach is better suited to an internal evaluation team with whom students have already formed trust, thereby enabling students to be more open and honest when sharing feedback. Developmental Evaluation also suits the dynamic qualities of CONNECT because it, "Interprets development through a complexity lens, recognising that situations are often uncertain, emergent and dynamic, and evaluation is responsive to this reality."(Developmental Evaluation Institute) The leadership involved with CONNECT will require an evaluation strategy that is, "aligned with their values and far-reaching visions, the complexity of contexts in which they work, and the emergent and organic process of development that inevitably occurs. They need evaluation to be collaborative, build capacity and put a strong emphasis on trusting and the building of relationships." (Developmental Evaluation Institute) Working and evaluating in an alternate school program requires flexibility and innovation. Period.