Read evaluation proposal and answer prompt:

Engage Stakeholders and Describe the Program

Program Evaluation Proposal

Introduction This proposal aims to assess a school-based health and wellness education program specifically focused on teaching children how to build a balanced nutritional plate. The program is designed to address the rising concern of childhood obesity and malnutrition by equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to make healthy eating choices. Set within an elementary school context, the program endeavors to fulfill educational needs regarding nutrition by integrating experiential learning, such as cooking demonstrations and meal planning activities, into the school curriculum. This integration not only aims to enhance students' nutritional knowledge but also encourages better health practices at a critical developmental stage.

Program Description and History Over the past decade, the school has implemented this health and wellness program to combat increasing health issues among students. Originally launched in response to high obesity rates within the district, the program has evolved to incorporate a broad array of activities, including classroom lessons, interactive workshops, and parents' seminars, to ensure a holistic approach to nutritional education. The primary goals are to increase students' understanding of nutrition, promote healthy lifestyle choices, and ultimately decrease obesity rates. Outcomes are measured through pre- and post-program surveys assessing students' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to nutrition, as well as the analysis of health records to track changes in BMI and other health indicators. Over time, data has shown a positive trend in students' nutritional choices both at school and home, corroborated by testimonials from parents and teachers alike.

Stakeholder Engagement Key stakeholders of this program include school administrators, teachers, students, parents, community health officials, and nutrition experts. Each group plays a critical role in both program delivery and evaluation feedback. To ensure the evaluation is comprehensive and actionable, stakeholder engagement is paramount.

Individuals Leading Program Operations:

• Role: School administrators and program leaders oversee the program's logistics and implementation.
• Engagement Strategy: Regular meetings will be conducted to discuss evaluation objectives, share findings, and gather insights on operational challenges.
• The Target Population for the Program:
  • Role: Students are the primary beneficiaries and provide crucial data through surveys and participation.
  • Engagement Strategy: Engage students through focus groups and interactive feedback sessions to learn how the program affects their food choices and behaviors.
• Individuals Who Will Use Evaluation Findings:
  • Role: Parents, community health workers, and policy-makers use evaluation data to make informed decisions regarding program continuation or expansion.
  • Engagement Strategy: Workshops and seminars will be utilized to present evaluation findings, along with detailed reports distributed through school communications and community meetings.

This comprehensive evaluation proposal underscores the critical role of combined stakeholder input in refining and advancing the health and wellness program's objectives. Through strategic engagement, the evaluation aims to ensure the program remains responsive to students' needs and exhibits measurable impacts on their nutritional habits.

Figure 1

Stakeholder Engagement Plan

Stakeholder Group	Interest or Perspective	Evaluation Role	How and When to Engage
School Administrators	Program success, resource allocation	Oversight, ensure alignment with school policies	Quarterly review meetings, involvement in planning sessions
Teachers	Educational outcomes, student engagement	Program facilitators, provide observational feedback	Monthly feedback sessions, surveys
Students	Program effectiveness, practical benefits	Primary data source, assess real-world application	Focus groups, bi-annual surveys
Parents	Student health, home application of lessons	Informational support, provide additional context	Parent-Teacher meetings, newsletters
Community Health Officials	Public health outcomes, community impacts	Provide standards, track long-term health impacts	Bi-annual evaluation workshops, collaborative planning
Nutrition Experts	Program content accuracy, relevance	Validate educational content, advice on dietary guidelines	Regular consultations, involvement in curriculum development

Focus the Evaluation Design

Logic Model Description

The logic model for the school-based health and wellness education program is designed to illustrate the relationship between available resources, program activities, outputs, and desired outcomes. The program aims to enhance students' understanding of nutrition and promote healthier eating habits, ultimately reducing obesity rates. The model is structured to ensure stakeholders can easily comprehend the program's flow and intended impact.

The resources required include funding from the school district and local health departments, involvement of teachers, nutrition experts, and health educators, as well as educational materials and available facilities for workshops and activities.

The program consists of several key activities: Classroom lessons on nutrition, cooking demonstrations to provide experiential learning, interactive workshops for students, and parents meal planning activities integrated into the curriculum.

The expected outputs are: Developed educational materials distributed to students and parents, a series of workshops and demonstrations held and pre- and post-program surveys conducted among students. The short term outcomes are: Increased student knowledge of nutrition and changes in students' attitudes towards healthy food choices. The intermediate outcomes are: Improved dietary habits among students and increased involvement and support from parents and teachers in promoting healthy food choices. The long term outcomes are: Reduction in obesity rates within the school and establishment of a sustainable culture of healthy eating.

Assumptions include students' willingness to participate and support from parents, teachers, and the community. External factors such as socioeconomic conditions, cultural attitudes, and policy regulations could impact the program's effectiveness.

Logic Model Table

Components	Details
Inputs	Funding, staff, educational materials, partnerships, facilities
Activities	Nutrition lessons, cooking demos, workshops, meal planning
Outputs	Educational materials, workshops conducted, surveys completed
Outcomes	Increased knowledge and improved attitudes (Short-term), better dietary habits (Intermediate), reduced obesity (Long-term)
Assumptions	Engagement from students and parents, school support
External Factors	Socioeconomic conditions, cultural attitudes, policy regulations

Evaluation Design

Introduction

The chosen evaluation design integrates a program-oriented framework, focusing on the specific needs and objectives of the school-based health and wellness program. By aligning with the logic model, the evaluation ensures a structure that tracks the program's implementation and impact, providing critical feedback for stakeholders.

Purpose

The evaluation aims to assess the effectiveness of the program in improving students' nutritional knowledge and habits, identifying areas for enhancement, and informing stakeholders for potential program expansion.

Questions

• How has the program affected students' understanding of nutrition?
• What are the observable changes in students' dietary habits due to the program?
• How effective are the experiential learning activities in engaging students?

SMART Goals

• Increase students' nutritional knowledge by 20% as evidenced by survey results within one academic year.
• Improve students' dietary habits by 15% based on behavioral surveys and health records within the same period.
• Achieve a 10% reduction in obesity rates among participating students by the end of the program.

Timeline

The Data collection (Surveys) will be collected in the months October and April. The evaluation workshops will be completed in the months in November and May. The results analysis and reporting will be done in the month of June.

Budget

The estimated budget includes personnel (Staff & Educators): $15,000, materials and resources: $5,000, Data Collection and analysis: $3,000, and workshops and activities: $7,000. The total estimated budget is $30,000. The budget will be sourced from school funds, grants, and partnerships with local health organizations to ensure sustainability and alignment with program goals.

Data Collection Summary

The data collection plan for the school-based health and wellness education program is designed to evaluate the program's efficacy in enhancing students' nutritional knowledge and habits (Kingston, L. M. 2024). The focus is on collecting both qualitative and quantitative data to provide a comprehensive understanding of the program's impact (Smith, J. 2023). The primary data sources will include surveys, focus groups, and health records, ensuring a representative evaluation of students' nutritional changes and program engagement (Johnson, J. 2021). By aligning data collection methods with the logic model, we anticipate accurately capturing the program's short-term, intermediate, and long-term outcomes (Sharpe, M. 2020).

Data Collection Methods

• Surveys: Pre- and post-program surveys will assess changes in nutritional knowledge and attitudes towards healthy eating. Conducted in October and April (Dillman et al., 2014).
• Focus Groups: Interactive feedback sessions with students to gather insights on experiential learning activities. Conducted bi-annually (Krueger & Casey, 2015).
• Health Records: Analysis of BMI and other health indicators to track physical health changes. Ongoing collection throughout the academic year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020).

Sources of Data

• Students: Primary data source for surveys and focus group feedback (Babbie, 2016).
• Parents and Teachers: Secondary insights through observational feedback and testimonials (Epstein, 2018).
• Health Records: School's health database for quantifiable health indicators (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019).

Data Process Steps

• Data Collection: Surveys and focus groups conducted according to the academic calendar (Fink, 2017)..
• Data Security: Secure digital platforms with password protection for survey responses and health data.
• Confidentiality: Anonymity ensured in all reporting, with participant codes assigned.

Reliability

To ensure reliability, standardized survey instruments with proven consistency in similar studies will be employed. Training sessions for data collectors will emphasize uniform administration procedures to guarantee consistent data capture across all collection points.

Validity

Pilot testing of survey instruments will be conducted to ensure the questions accurately measure students' knowledge and attitudes. Triangulating survey results with health records and focus group feedback will help verify the validity of the findings.

Ethical Considerations

The data collection process will adhere to ethical standards including informed consent from parents and students, respecting students' confidentiality, and ensuring data collected is used solely for evaluation purposes. All potential ethical issues will be addressed through an Institutional Review Board (IRB) review if applicable.

Assessment for learning is a framework focused on enhancing and supporting student learning. This approach emphasizes continuous feedback and formative assessments. It guides learners in understanding their progress and identifying areas for improvement. Bloom's taxonomy provides a framework for categorizing educational goals. This helps create structured and hierarchical learning objectives. The VARK model outlines different learning styles: visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic.

Program evaluators apply these learning theories and models to examine support for diverse learners and learning needs. They ensure that data collection and assessment strategies are inclusive. Reflect on the program evaluation proposal. Then answers these questions:

• How can applying the principles of assessment for learning improve health and wellness educational programs?
• How would you apply Bloom's taxonomy and learning styles to create assessments targeting various levels and needs for learning?