Take Action

An evaluation is not just conducted to answer questions for your team. You are now responsible for inspiring action based on the information you discovered. The next step in the evaluation process is to create a plan of action. While YPE often starts with questions of “Who,” “What,” and “Why,” it should lead to “What can we do?” A plan of action answers the questions “Who will do what?” and “When will it happen?”

An action plan is similar to an evaluation plan, but instead of focusing on the research process, it focuses on what you need to do now that you have collected and analyzed your information. 

There are two general types of change.

The first is a technical change, meaning there is a clearly defined problem and a clear solution. In addition, technical changes usually have a clear point person or group that is responsible for the issue. An example of a technical change is your school's Hat & Hood Policy.

In YPE, technical changes typically involve a policy or practice change. To make a school policy or practice change, YPE teams have presented to the decision-makers. At many sites, there is a committee responsible for approving any suggested changes. If you are pursuing a District policy change, you will need to present to the MPS Board of Education. Your Youth Voice Advisor and/or Evaluation Coach can help you figure out the process for making this type of change. 

Most YPE teams are working on the other type: adaptive change. Adaptive problems are harder to define and harder to solve; they usually are complex issues that involve shifts in culture, mindsets, and/or behaviors. One common example within YPE is improving student-teacher relationships. 

The first step to adaptive change is typically to increase knowledge or understanding of an issue. The information your group collected is critically important for this step! Make sure you take time to communicate your findings with all stakeholder groups. 

The next step is to share your vision for change. What does your group think should happen as a result of your research? What change do you want to see in response to the data you collected? How can you help make that change?