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OK, I ask you, my cohorts for advice, and please tell me if my gut
reaction is way off.

 

Here's the deal: we've gotten mucho $$$ to do after school programs at a
number of local Boys & Girls Clubs. We'll be doing ~10 programs at each
club. So far so good. Apparently, one of the stipulations of the grant
is that we have to assess the impact our programs have on the kids at
B&G. Our bigwigs have tentatively decided we should come up with a bunch
of vocabulary words, give the kids a quiz before the programs, then give
them one after the quiz to see if they've learned anything.

 

My gut reaction? This is complete {#$&*-Censored- (!^`#$} Here's why:

 

1)       It takes our programs, designed to cover a wide spectrum of
scientific knowledge, and reduces it to rote regurgitation of a couple
words. Yech. Not that vocabulary isn't important or anything, but if,
say, one of our live animal programs demonstrates how animals have to be
well suited to live in their homes (for example, we show how a ferret's
flexible body is useful for maneuvering underground) kids can grok that
even if they don't recall the meaning of "adaptation" or "subterranean".
I'd prefer that they do, but assuming that the ability to do so is the
best way to assess our stuff doesn't make sense to me.

2)       Oy, what a logistical nightmare. We've done programs at Boys &
Girls Clubs before. It's pretty chaotic. Every week the kids who show up
are different. Often their parents are picking them up mid-program. How
on earth are we supposed to assess the kids based on who attended which
program and was there for specific vocab or other info. Or for that
matter, who shows up for the assessment.

3)       Worst of all, a Boys & Girls Club isn't school. Kids go there
for fun, not to be tested (again). A big part of what we do involves
getting kids to have a positive attitude about science, to enjoy
science, to get confidence that they can do science. If they see it as
(yet another) round of testing, they may simply not show up for our
programs and just go to B&G to play basketball or other things.

 

I'm sure these beefs sound familiar, as the listserv has seen much talk
about standardized tests - but the fact that they're now being
transferred to non-school environments is an annoying wrinkle. So, now
that I've vented/made my case, my questions to you are:

 

1)       Am I nuts in my above complaints?

2)       Anyone have any experience assessing the impact of programs
like this in a setting as thoroughly informal as B&G? Any advice? Help
me. Please.

 

Jonah Cohen

Outreach & Public Programs Manager

The Children's Museum (formerly The Science Center of Connecticut)

 

"Connecticut is called The Nutmeg State, because much like the nutmeg in
any recipe it's ever been in, no one would miss it if it were gone."

         -Jon Stewart

 


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