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You can find more information about BGCA resources on the Planning and Evaluation Resources page of www.bgca.net. (From the main menu, click on the Programs tab and select Planning & Evaluation from the drop-down menu). One of the resources available on this page is Proven Results: A Compendium of Program Evaluations from Boys & Girls Clubs of America. This comprehensive resource includes general information on program evaluation and outcome measurement, summaries of formal evaluations that have been conducted on BGCA national programs, and a resource section replete with descriptions of other useful outside resources.
Here is a short list of helpful outside resources:
Afterschool Alliance (Washington, D.C.) conducts research, disseminates information and provides technical assistance to build public awareness of and support for after-school programs. The Alliance coordinates with the 21st CCLC program and other networks of after-school providers to help communities advocate for and develop after-school programs. Many of its resources are available online at www.afterschoolalliance.org.
The Finance Project’s Out-of-School Time Project (Washington, D.C.) publishes studies and provides technical assistance on financing and sustaining after-school programs. Resources include written materials, implementation tools and targeted technical assistance. Publications are available online at www.financeproject.org/osthome.
Foundations, Inc. (Moorestown, N.J.) sponsors the Technical Assistance Center for Before and After School Enrichment Programs, which helps individuals and organizations establish content-based after-school enrichment programs for K-12 students. Topics include administrative services, human resources, curriculum and professional development, accountability and assessment, and community development.
The Harvard Family Research Project (Cambridge, Mass.) publishes a quarterly newsletter, The Evaluation Exchange; each issue includes a guide to selected print- and Web-based after-school resources. Its Out-of-School Time Learning and Development Project identifies and researches key issues in out-of-school programs. www.gse.harvard.edu/projects/afterschool
How to Conduct Surveys, by Arlene Fink and Jacqueline Kosecoff (1998, Sage Publishers: Thousand Oaks, Calif.) is an all-purpose guide to using surveys for program evaluation. Practical, comprehensive and informative, this resource helps readers select surveys, evaluate their credibility and conduct them. Useful chapters also address obtaining informed consent, analyzing data and reporting results to different audiences.
The National Center for Community Education (Flint, Mich.) promotes community schools and community-based education by improving linkages among youth advocates, institutions and systems; its technical assistance strengthens leaders’ capacity for community and educational change. The center offers workshops with experts and practitioners, visits to exemplary sites and opportunities for practitioners to learn from peers. Visit www.nccenet.org.
The National Institute for Out of School Time (Wellesley, Mass.) seeks to improve children’s out-of-school opportunities through research, advocacy and standards development. NIOST provides consultation, research, training and policy and curriculum development. Visit www.wellesley.edu/WCW/CRW.
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