Specifying questions for an evaluation

There are many aspects of a program that can be evaluated. Usually an evaluation focuses on planning, goals, design, implementation and impact. The following questions are intended to stimulate the development of your evaluation.

• Was overall planning for the program timely and adequate in its detail and presentation?
• Were the links to your School Management Plan clearly identified?
• Was the working group that conducted the planning sufficiently representative of the teachers, students and parents involved in the program? Were all members of the working group satisfied with their participation in the group?
• What aspects of the program require more (or less) planning?
• Did the evaluation plan capture appropriate data? Was it possible to gauge the effectiveness of the program in achieving its outcomes?
• What evidence or data was most useful in assessing the attainment of outcomes? What measures should be used next time?
• Were timelines and provisions appropriate for evaluating the program, responding to issues and problems arising in the program, and celebrating successes of the program?
• What resources (for example: money, time, equipment and even enthusiasm) were needed for the program? Were they well used? Could they be better used?
• Were activities scheduled on suitable dates and times so that the program was timely for teachers, students and parents?
  

• Were the intended outcomes of the program clearly expressed?
• Were the intended outcomes appropriate within the context of the overall goals of the schools involved?
• Were the intended outcomes appropriate and relevant for the targeted students, parents and teachers?
• To what extent did the actual outcomes for the program match the intended outcomes? Were the intended outcomes realistic?
• What were the unintended outcomes of the program? Which of these added value to the program?
• Were there any longer term impacts? Were these desirable?
  

• Did the program provide opportunities for students to achieve and demonstrate the intended outcomes?
• How successfully was the program linked to prior knowledge and experiences, to cultural, family and community factors, and to other related initiatives?
• Did the program challenge and engage all students? Did it recognise and cater for differences in students' needs, interests, concerns, capabilities and learning styles?
• How did students manage within the program? For example, was there a balance of theoretical and practical or active sessions? Was the level of content appropriate?
• What teaching strategies were used in the program? Were they varied and appropriate? Would other strategies have been more effective?
  

• Was communication about and within the program effective, so that students, parents and teachers knew what to do and what was expected of them?
• How were expectations and intended outcomes explained to students, parents and teachers?
• In what ways did the program embody the values of the school and indicate that there are high expectations of all students?
• What were the characteristics of students and parents who participated in the program?
• Were there appropriate responses to the individual needs of students?
• Did the program occur as expected? What problems occurred? What improvements can be made?
  

• What variation was there in the way the program affected different students?
• To what extent did students, parents and teachers find the program useful and plan to use what they had learned?
• What proportion of students, parents and teachers benefited from this program?
• Was the program a positive experience for students, parents and teachers? Did it promote relationships and student learning?
• Were teachers adequately prepared for the program? What additional professional development is desirable?
• Were students and staff adequately supported by the school executive?
  
  
  Go to Collecting data related to evaluation questions
  
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