Evaluating School Partnership Programs
Two children sit on a forest floor examining plants with a magnifying glass and taking notes in a field book
This time of year, many in the formal and informal learning spaces are thinking about back-to-school. While this may seem obvious for the formal learning folks, informal learning practitioners are also paying keen attention to the school year. Many informal learning organizations partner with schools to implement their programs, including field trip opportunities, professional development for teachers, and school partnership programs. Those who design and implement these types of programs may be thinking about tweaking their evaluation protocols as the start of the school year approaches.
Early in my career, I coordinated student and teacher programs for a large informal learning organization. We evaluated all our programs with internal and external evaluation resources. There are a few lessons I’ve taken from this time (and my various experiences since) that you might find helpful to apply to evaluating school partnership programs.
First, identify the collaborators you’ll want to engage. In a school partnership program, there are many possible collaborators, from teachers and school administrators to parents and family members to students to the informal learning team. Often, evaluations will focus solely on the students. But, it may be worth considering if there are other audiences you’d like to hear from in the results of the evaluation, or if there are folks you’d like to include in the planning and implementation of the evaluation. There can be great benefits to gathering data from different sources and understanding a program from many angles. Similarly, including different collaborators in the planning and implementation processes may ensure your data is more accurate and that the evaluation can be responsive to the needs of your partners.
Second, identify common goals. School partnership programs are unique because it is not solely the interests of the informal learning organization that guide the program and evaluation process. The needs and goals of your formal education partners also inform the way these are shaped. While you may prioritize student exposure to urban wildlife and inquiry-based learning experiences, your formal education partners may be focused on ensuring the program supports their existing curriculum and builds transferable skills. Clearly defining your individual and common goals is an important step to ensuring that the program not only meets everyone's needs, but also the needs of the evaluation. Individual goals might look different for each party, and that’s okay! What’s important is to pull them together into one set of measurable objectives or outcomes.
Third, be ready to pivot. Working with schools presents challenges that informal learning practitioners should prepare to address. Regulations around sharing student data, collecting new data, and getting connected with parents or guardians of students can be difficult, and regulations often vary by district. What's more, the jam packed nature of the school day means that sometimes a program activity or evaluation task might get missed. If a teacher was meant to pass out a survey but was unable to, you’ll have to pivot. Having plans A, B, and C ready to implement in these cases can be a good strategy. Leading with compassion and understanding ensures that your formal education partners see you’re on their team and will increase buy-in as well. You may decide halfway through the program that the evaluation methods you crafted just aren’t working. Being open to change and anticipating what might go wrong are two important strategies to bring to the partnership.
As you look towards the new school year, we hope that keeping these strategies in mind helps you to approach partnerships with confidence and excitement.
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