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L. Richard Bradley, Ph.D., Educational Consultant
Emphasis on accountability and educational outcomes requires educators to providedata supporting the use of innovative teaching strategies and programs such as character education. If it is true that "what gets measured gets done," then building quality into K-12 character education programs requires the use of systematic strategies for looking at what happens and why in order to respond to colleagues, administrators, parents, community members and funders. Well-designed evaluations also result in information that can be used to modify current programs to increase future program quality and success.
Effective evaluation strategies involve: a) identifying what your program would look like if you are successful; b) identifying concrete, measurable criteria for measuring success; c) developing a plan for collecting the information you need; and d) deciding how to information to improve your program.