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FORMATIVE EVALUATION REPORT 20132014 FEBRUARY 28, 2014 BREVARD COUNTY ZOO EXPLORERS 21 ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS

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FORMATIVE EVALUATION REPORT

2013‐2014 FEBRUARY 28, 2014 

BREVARD COUNTY ZOO EXPLORERS

 

21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS 

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COPYRIGHT  2014  

Center for Assessment, Strategic Planning, Evaluation and Research    

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

All materials and writings contained in this evaluation are protected by United States copyright 

law  and may  not  be  reproduced,  distributed,  transmitted,  displayed,  published  or  broadcast 

without  the  prior  written  permission  of  The  Center  for  Assessment,  Strategic  Planning, 

Evaluation  and  Research  (d.b.a.  CASPER).  Any  questions  regarding  this  evaluation  may  be 

directed to David Gardner, Vice President of CASPER (www.CasperFL.com). 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................4 

THE 21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER INITIATIVE ..............................7 

The Need for Afterschool .................................................................................... 7 

Types of Afterschool Programming .................................................................. 7 

The 21st CCLC Initiative ...................................................................................... 8 

Benefits of Afterschool Programming ............................................................. 10 

ENHANCING QUALITY THROUGH FORMATIVE EVALUATION ...................................12 

The Evaluation Process ..................................................................................... 12 

The Formative Evaluation ................................................................................ 14 

ESTABLISHING A HIGH QUALITY 21ST CCLC PROGRAM ...........................................15 

Brevard County Zoo Explorers 21st CCLC Program ..................................... 15 

Experience in Afterschool: Brevard Public Schools ...................................... 16 

Proactive Planning: Brevard County Zoo Explorers .................................... 16 

Program Leadership and Staffing .................................................................... 18 

Staff Development and Training ..................................................................... 19 

Program Partnerships and Sustainability ....................................................... 20 

Advisory Board .................................................................................................. 22 

Information Dissemination and Program Marketing ................................... 23 

21ST CCLC PROGRAM OPERATIONS ............................................................................25 

Required Program Operations ......................................................................... 25 

Academic Year Operations ............................................................................... 26 

Supplemental Snack and Meal Requirement ................................................. 27 

Safety Requirements .......................................................................................... 27 

STUDENT ATTENDANCE AND DEMOGRAPHICS ..........................................................30 

Student Recruitment and Enrollment ............................................................. 30 

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21st CCLC Required Target Populations ......................................................... 30 

Proposed Target Population ............................................................................. 31 

Student Enrollment ............................................................................................ 31 

Regular Student Attendance ............................................................................ 32 

Average Daily Attendance ............................................................................... 33 

Student Participant Characteristics ................................................................. 35 

Student Grade Levels .................................................................................................................. 35 

Race and Ethnicity of Student Attendees.................................................................................. 36 

Student Gender Distribution ...................................................................................................... 37 

OBJECTIVE PROGRESS: PROJECT‐BASED ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT .........................38 

Need‐Based Academic Objectives ................................................................... 38 

Academic Activities Provided .......................................................................... 39 

Academic Objective Progress: Grades ............................................................ 40 

Academic Objective Progress: Pre‐Post Assessments .................................. 42 

Progress Towards Objectives: Determination ............................................... 45 

Objective 1 ..................................................................................................................................... 45 

Objective 2 ..................................................................................................................................... 46 

Objective 3 ..................................................................................................................................... 47 

Objective 4 ..................................................................................................................................... 48 

OBJECTIVE PROGRESS: PERSONAL ENRICHMENT SERVICES ......................................50 

Need‐Based Objectives ...................................................................................... 50 

Personal Enrichment Activities Provided ...................................................... 51 

Progress: Strength and Flexibility Assessments ............................................ 53 

Progress: Pre‐Post Assessments ....................................................................... 54 

Progress Towards Objectives: Determination ............................................... 55 

Objective 5 ..................................................................................................................................... 55 

Objective 6 ..................................................................................................................................... 56 

Objective 7 ..................................................................................................................................... 57 

Objective 8 ..................................................................................................................................... 58 

OBJECTIVE PROGRESS: ADULT FAMILY MEMBER SERVICES ......................................60 

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Need‐Based Objectives ...................................................................................... 60 

Activities Provided ............................................................................................ 61 

Progress Towards Objectives: Determination ............................................... 62 

Objective 9 .................................................................................................................................... 62 

Objective 10 .................................................................................................................................. 63 

RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................................65 

Ensure the Consistency and Accuracy of All Data ....................................... 65 

Increase Percentages of Students with Comparison Data ........................... 65  

   

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THE  NEED  FOR  AFTERSCHOOL 

A great need exists for afterschool activities providing appropriate youth supervision

and involvement. Academic literature suggests that children and parents are well

served by carefully organized and supervised youth programs during afterschool

hours. Programs can extend social, educational, and recreational activities for

children, while protecting them from unhealthy environments (Posner & Vandell,

1994; Riley, 1994). Although there is no established formula for quality afterschool

programs, most successful programs combine academic, recreational, physical, and

artistic elements in a curriculum designed to engage youth in a variety of structured

and supervised activities. The activities can fulfill numerous needs of children,

families, and communities, while also providing safe and positive environments to

nurture the cognitive, social, physical, and emotional development of youth (Reno &

Riley, 2000). Consensus usually exists among program administrators that these

components serve four key program objectives: (1) scholastic development, grade

improvement, and increased performance on standardized tests (e.g., disguised

learning, homework assistance, remediation, career awareness, and technology

education); (2) improve behavior and social skills (e.g., behavior modification,

character development, social skills education, conflict resolution; and substance

abuse education); (3) provide a caring and safe environment, thus reducing negative

impacts of unsupervised activities and allowing parents to be less worried about their

child's safety, more appreciative of their child's talents, and more comfortable

concentrating on their vocations (Wallace, 2002); and (4) provide children with

personal inspiration, improving feelings of self-worth, self-concept, self-confidence,

overall self-esteem, and self-perceptions of ability (Davis, 2001; Sanacore, 2002;

Sanderson, 2003), as well as motivation to succeed in life and school.

TYPES  OF  AFTERSCHOOL  PROGRAMMING 

It is important to distinguish between three major types of after school programs.

Child Care and Day Care (or “after care”) programs are typically the least structured

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programs with a primary focus on providing a supervised place for children while

parents are still in work. Extracurricular programs are typically more structured,

school-run programs with a primary focus in single areas (e.g., after school band,

football, debate, etc.). Finally, “afterschool program” (or “Extended Learning

Program”) is a term typically used to describe the most structured types of programs

offering a wide breadth of activities to enrich the minds and bodies of participating

students. The latter are those programs generally included in research studies and are

more likely to receive federal, state, and local funding. Ultimately, 21st CCLC

programs, including the one at focus within this evaluation, are some of the most

structured, comprehensive, and diverse afterschool programs in Florida.

THE  21ST  CCLC  INITIATIVE  

The national need for structured afterschool programming spawned

the creation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC)

initiative in 1994, when the U.S. Congress authorized the

establishment of the federal afterschool programs. In 1998, the 21st

CCLC program was refocused on supporting schools to provide

school-based academic and recreational activities during after school hours, summer,

and other times when schools were not in regular session. The development of the No

Child Left Behind Act of 2001 brought further political focus and federal funding to

afterschool programs, which signified the beginning of federal funding aimed at

directly addressing the need for afterschool programs in a systematic manner. Total

federal funding began with $750,000 in 1995 and grew to approximately $1.2 billion

dollars in 2013 (United States Department of Education, 2012).

The 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) initiative, as outlined in

federal law under the “No Child Left Behind Act” of 2001, is an opportunity for

students to enhance and reinforce academic lessons of the regular school day, while

also allowing them to learn new skills and discover new opportunities after the

regular school day has ended. As described by the US Department of Education:

The focus of this program, re-authorized under Title IV, Part B, of the No Child Left Behind Act, is to provide expanded academic enrichment opportunities for children attending low performing schools. Tutorial services and academic enrichment activities are designed to help students meet local and state academic standards in subjects such as reading and math. In addition 21st CCLC programs

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provide youth development activities, drug and violence prevention programs, technology education programs, art, music and recreation programs, counseling, and character education to enhance the academic component of the program.

Authorized under Title IV, Part B, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

(ESEA), as amended, the specific purposes of this federal program are to:

(1) provide opportunities for academic enrichment, including providing

tutorial services to help students, particularly students who attend low-

performing schools, to meet State and local student academic achievement

standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and mathematics;

(2) offer students a broad array of additional services, programs, and

activities, such as youth development activities, drug and violence

prevention programs, counseling programs, art, music, and recreation

programs, technology education programs, and character education

programs, that are designed to reinforce and complement the regular

academic program of participating students; and

(3) offer families of students served by community learning centers

opportunities for literacy and related educational development.

Since the inception of the federal 21st CCLC initiative, Florida’s 21st CCLC programs

have been among the most structured and diverse out-of-school programs for students

attending Florida’s low-income, Title I school-wide-program-eligible schools. All 21st

CCLC programs must operate for at least 36 weeks at a minimum of four (4) days and

12 hours per week. Regardless of the age of participating students, all 21st CCLC

programs are required to provide each attending student a full repertoire of wrap-

around services, to include (1) academic remediation in reading, (2) academic

remediation in math, (3) academic remediation in science, and (4) literacy education

and/or other educational development for adult family members of participating

students. Academic remediation activities must be project-based, fun, creative, engaging,

and enhancing to the lessons provided during the regular school day.

In addition to these activities, all 21st CCLC programs are required to provide a

variety of personal enrichment activities from at least four (4) of the following

categories: (1) physical education and recreation; (2) dropout prevention and

character education; (3) service learning; (4) tutoring (e.g., homework help) and

mentoring services; (5) arts and music education; (6) entrepreneurial education; (7)

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programs for limited English proficient students that emphasize language skills and

academic achievement; (8) telecommunications and technology education; (9)

expanded library service hours; and/or (10) drug and violence prevention and/or

counseling. In addition to wrap-around services for each participating student, 21st

CCLC programs must also assure the FDOE that: (1) all targeted students receive

services regardless of special need, (2) services are provided with safe and well-

planned program facilities and transportation services, (3) there will be a high level of

communication with students’ schools, (4) adequate professional development will be

provided for employed staff, and (5) daily snacks/meals will be provided to all

participating students using other funding sources.

In essence, 21st CCLC programs provide structured, academically-focused, safe

learning environments for students during non-school hours. The programs include a

wide variety of wrap-around services and activities for students and family members.

BENEFITS  OF  AFTERSCHOOL  PROGRAMMING 

Research on the benefits of afterschool programs are generally limited to highly

structured programs. With this caveat, research often shows a number of positive

impacts on children and families, often depending on the types of activities offered.

The most common benefit, spanning all activities and programs, is that children are

kept safe and out of trouble. Many studies have shown that children in afterschool

programs have a reduced incidence of juvenile delinquency, violence, and drug use.

In addition, research has shown the following benefits of regular participation in a

high-quality program:

Gains in academic grades, standardized test scores, and quality of school work.

Improved motivation and dedication to school and learning.

Enhanced creativity and interest in school.

Improved in-school behaviors and greater self-reported control over behaviors.

Reduced stress for students and parents.

Improved self-esteem, self-efficacy, and greater hope for the future.

Improved well-being, improved physical fitness, and decrease in obesity.

More connection to the community (particularly with service learning).

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Afterschool programs can also offer many intangible benefits, such as the opportunity

to engage in activities that help children realize they have something to contribute;

the opportunity to work with diverse peers and adults to create projects,

performances, and presentations; and the opportunity to develop a vision of life's

possibilities that, with commitment and persistence, are attainable.

 

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THE  EVALUATION  PROCESS   

Given the impacts of high quality afterschool programs, federal, state, city, and

community efforts and numerous initiatives across the U.S. have established and

expanded afterschool enrichment programs in both public and private settings.

However, as afterschool enrichment programs move toward greater recognition and

become a more institutionalized social function, they are continuously challenged to

demonstrate quality by reaching more children, strengthening programs and staff, and

providing adequate facilities and equipment. Indeed, program quality has already

become a public concern (Halpern, 1999) and, since the early 1990s, researchers have

become more interested in identifying characteristics of quality and effective

afterschool programs for children. In fact, poor quality educational programs have

been reported to put children's development at risk for poorer language acquisition,

lower cognitive scores, and lower ratings of social and emotional adjustment (Scarr &

Eisenberg, 1993). Although hours of program operation, program stability, and type

of activities can impact children's achievement, research has established the greatest

influence to be program quality (Caspary et al., 2002).

Evaluation of program quality is integral to maintaining high quality programs and

assessing progress towards achieving the primary program objectives. Program

evaluation provides information for curriculum and activity adjustment, reallocation

of funding, staff development, decision-making, and accountability (McGee, 1989).

However, it is critically important to carefully establish evaluation procedures to

effectively and accurately monitor the quality of afterschool programs. Towards this

end, it is impossible to determine the effectiveness of an afterschool program without

an in-depth assessment of all aspects of an individual program. Methods of

assessment tend to be qualitative in nature to ensure that program goals are being met,

although quantitative data can often allow for more concrete conclusions about

program effectiveness. Thus, a mixed method approach is typically the most

advantageous (Halpern, 2002; Magnusson & Day, 1993; Miller, 2001; Owens &

Vallercamp, 2003; Piha & Miller, 2003).

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Although assessing specific activities or services is often the basis for establishing

program quality, it is also important to collect data from participants, parents, and

program staff. For instance, recognizing that feedback from the participants is

essential to assess program quality and to encourage continued participation, a

number of assessments are available to measure participant perceptions and

satisfaction with afterschool enrichment programs. Numerous researchers (e.g., Byrd

et al., 2007; Deslandes & Potvin, 1999; Grolnick et al., 2000) have also indicated that

parental involvement in the education of their children is an important aspect of

effective education programs from the elementary through high school years. Indeed,

children often make better transitions in educational programs and have a more

positive orientation if their parents are more involved in their learning. As such, it is

important for an evaluation to include assessment of parent participation in and parent

perceptions about the afterschool programs. Finally, the opinions of program staff are

fundamental for recognizing the importance and future directions of afterschool

enrichment programs. Program staff members are the first-line deliverers of the

program and are best able to provide immediate feedback about program operation.

Byrd, et al. (2007) and Smith et al. (2002) have suggested that evaluating the

effectiveness of structured afterschool programs necessitates the assessment of a

number of variables in addition to the opinions of program participants, parents, and

facilitators. These variables include: (a) characteristics of program sites; (b) program

operations and finance; (c) characteristics of participants and staff members; (d)

program curriculum; (e) program attendance; (f) academic achievement in test

performance, school attendance, and school behaviors; and (g) prevention of

delinquent behaviors and fostering of good citizenship. Other researchers have

suggested that fundamental evaluations of implementing quality afterschool programs

should generally include the following 10 areas: (a) community needs assessment, (b)

clarification of goals and intended outcomes, (c) program structure, (d) curriculum

content, (e) program environment, (f) program facilities and infrastructure, (g) staff

competency, (h) community partnership, (i) parent involvement, and (j) linkage to

regular day school (Byrd et al., 2007; Friedman, 2003; Halpern, 2002; Magnusson &

Day, 1993; Miller, 2001; Owens & Vallercamp, 2003; Piha & Miller, 2003). Finally,

Baker and Witt (1996) and Byrd et al. (2007) suggested reporting community

characteristics and assessing the effect of afterschool achievement programs on the

enhancement of participants’ self-esteem levels. Clearly, there exists a plethora of

variables from which an individualized, effective, and accurate evaluation of program

quality can be generated.

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THE  FORMATIVE  EVALUATION    

For the purposes of the formative evaluation, only a limited number of variables are

assessed and reported, with remaining variables planned for inclusion in the year-end

summative evaluation. The primary focus is on (1) a review of operational

accomplishments and challenges (e.g., hiring staff, student recruitment/retention,

etc.), (2) actual versus proposed operation (e.g., days of operation, attendance), (3) a

review of each objective (e.g., data collected, progress), and (4) recommendations for

addressing any identified challenges. To enhance the quality and effectiveness of the

21st CCLC programs, it is necessary to establish a mechanism that links the program

evaluation process with program improvement actions. As such, using a

developmental model of evaluation, the Center for Assessment, Strategic Planning,

Evaluation, and Research (CASPER) has already been working with the program in

identifying and implementing the recommendations provided throughout this report.

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BREVARD  COUNTY  ZOO  EXPLORERS  21ST  CCLC  PROGRAM  

Brevard Public Schools (BPS) Office of Adult and Community Education has

partnered with four elementary schools, Brevard Cultural Alliance, the Brevard Zoo,

Cocoa Police Athletic League (PAL), Health First Pro-Health & Fitness, and BPS

School Age Child Care (SACC) to provide students with afterschool learning

experiences outside the traditional school setting. The program, Zoo Explorers,

operates five (5) days per week, Monday through Friday, for 3.5 hours each school

day (total 180 days), serving 70 students on-site at the following elementary schools:

Cambridge, Endeavour, Golfview, and Saturn Elementary. The program serves the

academic and social needs of a total of 280 K-6 students in these Title 1 eligible

schools with a high concentration of low-income families. The overarching goal of

the Zoo Explorers project is to focus on the development of the “whole child” through

four project-based learning (PBL) projects with students participating in a different

project each nine-week period. The program’s educational objectives support

increases in student academic performance in the areas of reading comprehension,

writing skills, mathematical problem solving, and understanding scientific concepts.

The personal enrichment objectives support improvement in the areas of fitness and

health, commitment to the community (character education), knowledge of

performing and/or visual arts, and technology skills. The objectives for adult family

members support increased parental involvement in their child’s education and

improvement in the skills needed to support their child’s learning.

Through student projects, the program brings opportunities to at-risk students for

hands-on experiences that mimic real-life situations, instill a dedication to lifelong

learning, and provide motivation for further education. Over the course of the 2013-

2014 program year, the students will explore the following four topics: Animals,

Museums, People, and Universe. Each project will last approximately nine (9) weeks.

The academic projects and enrichment activities provide an enhanced impact on a

student’s academic performance. Activities included in the curriculum, developed by

Florida certified teachers and MindWorks Resources, are based on the Common Core

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State Standards and have been reviewed to assure that they are developmentally

appropriate. Accommodations for students with special needs are made as necessary.

Students participate in project activities led by Florida certified teachers with the aid

of well-trained paraprofessionals for a minimum of 90 minutes of PBL time daily.

Operations and programming are overseen by a Site Coordinator and a Project

Manager. Enrichments that include fitness and health activities, fine arts, character

education, and technology are embedded in the projects/program so that the whole

experience is well-rounded and engaging to the students. Partners provide added

content to reinforce the ideas being taught and to bring innovative learning

opportunities to the students. Staff-to-student ratios during delivery of the academic

portion of the PBL are 2 to 25 and during the enrichment portion 1 to 25.

Adult family members are afforded opportunities to participate in their student’s

education through student showcases and family events presented by the program’s

partners the Brevard Cultural Alliance and by the Titusville YMCA. In addition, adult

family member workshops on literacy topics such as Science Fair 101 and Preparing

Your Child for Success on Standardized Tests are taught monthly by Florida certified

teachers. Through the BPS Adult Education office, adult family members are

informed of adult learning opportunities, such as GED Preparation and ESOL classes,

and are aided in enrolling.

EXPERIENCE  IN  AFTERSCHOOL:  BREVARD  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS 

Brevard Public Schools Office of Adult and Community Education has a strong

management staff and advisory board and has successfully operated 21st CCLC

programs since 2003, achieving most objectives proposed during its history with 21st

CCLC. During the 2012-2013 school year, through five 21st CCLC grant programs,

BPS served over 1,300 children daily in nineteen elementary schools. Brevard

programs have received exemplary reviews by the FDOE Technical Assistance Team

and have been recognized for best practices in the areas of project based learning with

community partnerships and parental involvement.

PROACTIVE  PLANNING:  BREVARD  COUNTY  ZOO  EXPLORERS 

The focus of the Brevard County Zoo Explorers 21st CCLC program during the initial

weeks of academic year operation was to plan the successful implementation of a

high-quality program while reengaging and/or enrolling students into the program.

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This implementation planning process helped ensure that all students would be

afforded the most complete and comprehensive program possible without enduring

significant changes that could detract from receiving the full breadth of services

and/or lead to premature termination of students secondary to frustration and

confusion. Unlike many other agencies initiating such a complex educational

program, the outstanding ties between Brevard Public Schools and the schools and

communities where services are located, as well as relationships with partners, such

as the Brevard Zoo and Health First Pro-Health & Fitness, allowed for an efficient

and effective implementation of the program, with services starting within the

required 30 days after receipt of the 21st CCLC award letter from the Florida

Department of Education.

As quality of state-funded educational programming becomes a public concern, it is

imperative that quality be more than just monitored and measured. Rather, it must be

actively managed with a view towards continuous improvement and development.

Within such active management, it is important to account for the impact of both

program structure and delivery processes on the quality of the program. For instance,

effective programs must match the developmental needs of their participants, and

they must also fit the demands and resources of the particular settings in which they

are implemented. A key to successful implementation of high-quality programming is

to be proactive when planning and structuring the program to overcome or account

for predetermined areas that may be problematic. Indeed, it is critical to take

corrective actions during the design of the program, rather than waiting until

corrective actions could have detrimental impacts. For such proactive planning to be

successful, the Brevard County Zoo Explorers 21st CCLC program required a

program-wide commitment to continuous quality improvement and continuous

process improvement. Program staff members worked collaboratively to develop a

culture of critical inquiry and ensured that quality processes and outcomes were

central to the vision, goals, and priorities of all staff members and within all program

activities.

In cooperation with such a proactive planning process, Elias et al. (2003) proposed

the following list of factors associated with the successful implementation of an

enduring program: (a) presence of a program coordinator or committee to oversee

implementation and resolution of day-to-day problems, (b) involvement of

individuals with highly shared morale, good communication, and a sense of

ownership, (c) employment of qualified personnel, (d) ongoing processes of formal

and informal training, including the involvement of knowledgeable experts, (e) high

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inclusiveness of all school stakeholders, (f) high visibility in the school and the

community, (g) program components that explicitly foster mutual respect and support

among students, (h) varied and engaging instructional approaches, (i) linkage to

stated goals of schools or districts, (j) consistent support from school principals, and

(k) balance of support from both new and seasoned administrators.

Each element of the proactive planning process rests upon high-quality leadership,

effective staffing, and program visibility. The importance of a physical presence in

the community cannot be understated for the purposes of proactive planning and to

help establish a stronger, more dedicated staff. Over the course of the initial weeks

and months of operation, the Brevard County Zoo Explorers 21st CCLC program

leveraged and enhanced their strong community presence developed during last

year’s 21st CCLC program operations, while also focusing on retaining and hiring

necessary staff to implement the highest quality program for all student participants.

In addition, the program revised their comprehensive student enrollment packet,

student application form, parent agreement/consent form, and other critical forms for

the 21st CCLC program.

PROGRAM  LEADERSHIP  AND  STAFFING  

Regardless of the adequacy and depth of the proactive planning process, and

regardless of the quantity of operations and services (discussed later in this report),

implementing and maintaining high-quality out-of-school programming depends

heavily upon consistently effective program management. Ultimately, program

management is a process of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling program

resources and the work of program staff members to achieve stated program

objectives. In turn, achievement of program objectives depends upon the extent to

which program activities are formulated, organized, and coordinated in terms of

human, financial, and material resources. Within this process, leadership plays a vital

role in establishing a new culture, developing new directions, mobilizing change,

creating opportunities, and motivating staff members.

Effective implementation and monitoring of the Zoo Explorers 21st CCLC program is

overseen by BPS personnel experienced in 21st CCLC operations and requirements

and an advisory board that includes district staff (including Director of Adult and

Community Education, District Coordinator of School Age Child Care Programs,

District Project Managers, Data Specialists, and Budget Specialists), site

coordinators, school academic liaisons, parents from each school, and community

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partners. The Project Manager and site coordinators have a number of years of

experience working with children and in managing afterschool sites. They are

supported by a team that includes district staff with experience in fiscal management,

curriculum development and teaching, data analysis, professional development, and

monitoring for program effectiveness. Being a part of the school district allows for

access to the data necessary for in-depth analysis of the program. An advisory board

meets semi-annually to review progress and make suggestions for improvements.

In addition to program leaders, a high-quality program relies heavily upon well-

qualified and experienced core program staff and service providers. The Brevard

County Zoo Explorers 21st CCLC program successfully attracted experienced staff

members to provide both core academic enrichment and personal growth activities to

actively participating 21st CCLC students. As required by the Florida Department of

Education, all academic-based 21st CCLC projects and programming are provided by

teachers certified by the FDOE Personal enrichment activities are provided by

qualified non-certified instructors. Regardless of the activity, the teachers and

instructors appear to be adequately qualified to provide the specific activities and

have been trained in the federal and state 21st CCLC initiative, as well as the specific

model proposed by Brevard County Zoo Explorers.

STAFF  DEVELOPMENT  AND  TRAINING 

Effective leadership requires a great deal of wisdom, skill, and persistence to design

and implement a quality educational program; and the leadership process is vital to

ensure that stakeholders (e.g., program staff, students, teachers, parents, and

community partners) are equipped with the skills they need to help achieve and

support program objectives. Indeed, effective leadership will engage students,

parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators, while also providing them with the

necessary support to help bridge achievement gaps through program activities.

Towards this end, conducting quality assessments, offering professional training, and

providing technical assistance are necessary elements for an optimal education

program and can have measurable effects on students’ academic performance and

social behaviors.

To support student services through the 21st CCLC program, the Brevard County Zoo

Explorers 21st CCLC Project Manager and leadership provided staff development for

those hired to provide 21st CCLC services. Trainings have been provided to active

21st CCLC staff have included program management, program activities,

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

CPR/AED/first aid, and safety. In addition to program and policy training, staff

members have been provided more informal in-vivo trainings from the district

leaders, including walkthroughs, demonstrations, and guided implementation of 21st

CCLC projects. A list of professional trainings dates and topics are provided below:

July 31, 2013: Program Management (Site Coordinators)

July 31, 2013: Program Activities (All Staff)

September 28, 2013: American Red Cross CPR/AED/First Aid (All Staff)

October 4, 2013: School Age Child Care Training (Site Coordinators)

November 6, 2013: Safety Monitor Training (All Staff)

January 6, 2014: School Age Child Care Training - Stop Learning and Grow

Old or Keep Learning and Stay Young! (Morning Training on Positive

Discipline/Team Building – Site Coordinators and Group Leaders)

January 6, 2014: School Age Child Care Training - Stop Learning and Grow

Old or Keep Learning and Stay Young! (Afternoon Training on “Learning to

Lead” – Site Coordinators)

PROGRAM  PARTNERSHIPS  AND  SUSTAINABILITY    

One of the goals of the 21st CCLC program is to continue activities beneficial to

students and their families after the five-year project period is over. Programs receive

100% funding for each of the first two years of the program, followed by 80%

funding for each of the final three years. Therefore, programs are required to

demonstrate how the program will become self-sustaining both within and beyond the

five years of initial funding. In addition, all programs in Florida are expected to

maintain the size and scope of their programs and are forbidden from reducing the

quantity or quality of services, the number of children, or the length of operation to

account for the reduced funding. Moreover, Florida 21st CCLC programs are not

permitted to charge any fees to students or parents in association with 21st CCLC

programming without authorization from the Florida Department of Education

(FDOE), and no program has ever received such authorization.

Structured afterschool program costs vary widely, depending on the organization and

other funding available to the organization. For instance, as noted, all 21st Century

Community Learning Centers are federally-funded and are prohibited by the Florida

2013‐2014 Formative Evaluation Report        |       21 

Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

Department of Education from charging any fees for eligible students. Other

programs (such as some Children Services Councils) receive local funding from tax

dollars to provide free or inexpensive services to students (generally a sliding-scale

fee, if charged). Still other programs receive charitable donations (e.g., Boys and

Girls Clubs) and charge minimal or no fees to students. The costs associated with

structured afterschool programs that do not receive external funding are often

dependent on the level of services provided, such that the programs with the most

expensive activities (e.g., out-of-state field trips) will result in a higher cost to

families. Nationally, the average cost of structured afterschool programs are between

$1,500 and $2,500 annually. When taking into account the number of hours and days

of services provided to 21st CCLC students within this program, the annual funding is

an average of $750 per student, which is less than half that of other structured

afterschool programming. As such, marketing and sustaining the program are critical

even in the early years of 21st CCLC program operations.

Although 21st CCLC objectives do not specifically address the importance of

developing, maintaining, and enhancing partnerships and sustainability, it would be

remiss for this evaluation to ignore the substantial progress of Brevard Public Schools

in such efforts. The Brevard County Zoo Explorers 21st CCLC program engaged and

received support from a number of partners that have and will continue to assist with

developing, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining the 21st CCLC program. Table

1 provides information on current partnerships, as of February 25, 2014. It is

anticipated that the program will develop new partnerships and/or further enhance the

current partnerships by the end of the 2013-2014 operational year.

Table 1: Summary of Partners and Contractors 

Agency Name *Type of

Organization Subcontract

(Yes/No)

Estimated Value ($) of

Contributions

Estimated Value ($) of Subcontract

Type of Service Provided

Health First Pro-Health & Fitness

FPO Yes $0 $20,720 Programming or activity-

related services

Police Athletic League

FPO Yes $0 $6,300 Programming or activity-

related services

Brevard Zoo, Inc. FPO Yes $0 $40,000 Programming or activity-

related services

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

Agency Name *Type of

Organization Subcontract

(Yes/No)

Estimated Value ($) of

Contributions

Estimated Value ($) of Subcontract

Type of Service Provided

Brevard Cultural Alliance

CBO Yes $0 $20,480 Programming or activity-

related services

(including family

involvement)

AUE Temporary Staffing Solutions/Sunrise Staffing

FPO Yes $0 $6,194 Paid Staffing

YMCA YMCA Yes $0 $4,800 Programming or activity-

related services

(including family

involvement)

Children’s Choice FPO Yes $0 $750 Other: Professional Development

CASPER FPO Yes $0 $4,000 Evaluation Services

TOTAL -- -- $0 $103,244 --

*School District (SD), Community-Based or other Non-Profit Organization (CBO), Nationally Affiliated Nonprofit - Boys & Girls Club (BGC), Nationally Affiliated Nonprofit - YMCA/YWCA (YMCA), Nationally Affiliated Nonprofit - Other Agency (NPOO), Faith-Based Organization (FBO), Charter School (CS), Private School (PS), College or University (CU), Regional/Intermediate Education Agency (IEA), Health-Based Organization (hospital/clinic/etc.) (HBO), Library (LIB), Museum (MUS), Park/Recreation District (PRD), Other Unit of City or County Government (CNT), For-Profit Entity (FPO), Bureau of Indian Affairs School (IAS), Other (OTH)

ADVISORY  BOARD 

One of the most impactful methods of engaging partners and other stakeholders is

through membership on the 21st CCLC Advisory Board. The Advisory Board

developed by Brevard Public Schools for the 21st CCLC program is comprised of a

number of important stakeholders, including program and site leaders, partners,

parents, and students. The role of the advisory board is to provide important feedback

and advice to the 21st CCLC program in matters regarding programmatic refinements

and improvements. The Florida Department of Education requires two meetings of

the Advisory Board per year, and the Brevard County Zoo Explorers 21st CCLC

2013‐2014 Formative Evaluation Report        |       23 

Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

program has complied with this requirement. As shown below, the Advisory Board

has met twice, providing them opportunities to help enhance the 21st CCLC program.

October 29, 2013: Welcome, Program Objectives/Overview, MindWorks,

Partners Overview, Parent Feedback, Collaboration/Comment Cards, Next

Meeting (24 Attending)

February 6, 2014: Welcome, Program Overview, New Business, Partners

Overview, Parent Feedback, Administrator/Coordinator/Teacher Liaison

Overview, Collaboration/Comment Cards (12 Attending)

INFORMATION  DISSEMINATION  AND  PROGRAM  MARKETING 

A proactive implementation plan, including hiring quality staff and establishing a

visible community presence, is further enhanced by strong information dissemination

and marketing. In this regard, the Brevard County Zoo Explorers 21st CCLC program

also focused early efforts on disseminating information throughout the communities

and schools housing potential 21st CCLC student participants.

Information about the Zoo Explorers project and the operations at each site were

made available to all stakeholders through a press release within one month of award.

Information was presented at events such as a Parent Open House, Parent Information

Nights, Lights On, and through community partners. Copies of the grant application,

along with newsletters, photos, and calendars for the individual school programs are

available on the 21st CCLC link of the BPS website. Assessment results are

disseminated as available to stakeholders through email communications and on the

BPS 21st Century Community Learning Centers Explorers Programs link.

Presentations have been made to the school board, and information has been

distributed to the media as appropriate. The district uses the most cost effective and

creative means of dissemination and advocacy, including Communications

Department press releases, the BPS website and television station, and the BPS

Facebook page, to ensure that program awareness is maximized.

Information can be accessed through the 21st CCLC link within the Brevard Public

Schools Website main page. From this site, links are also available to view the

products created by students through the various projects. The 21st CCLC portion of

the BPS website is updated monthly with the date of revision listed. Throughout the

process of dissemination and marketing activities, the program has ensured a

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

consistent theme for all materials, included the 21st CCLC logo, and ensured the

Florida Department of Education was indicated as the funding agency.

<<‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐>> 

 

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

REQUIRED  PROGRAM  OPERATIONS 

According to the U.S. Department of Education (USED), the majority of 21st Century

Community Learning Centers previously funded directly by the USED were open at

least 15 hours per week. Based on analyses of evaluation data of the 21st CCLC

Program and other afterschool programs, the FDOE requires that centers be open at

least two hours a day and at least four days a week. To best serve the children of

working families, centers must establish consistent and dependable hours of

operation. Each center in the Florida is required to be open for a minimum of:

Thirty-six (36) weeks of student services per project year (including Summer);

Four (4) afterschool and/or summer days per week of service (minimum);

Twelve (12) afterschool hours per week for every student during the school

year. Student services are those wherein the vast majority of enrolled students

are able to participate and can receive all activities identified in the approved

proposal. Each student in the program must be afforded 12 full hours of

programming (e.g., a 21st CCLC program cannot serve boys on Monday and

girls on Tuesday);

Two (2) hours per day (minimum) for Afterschool programming;

One (1) hour per day (minimum) for Before School services, if proposed; and

Four (4) hours per day (minimum) for Weekends, Holidays, Summer, if

proposed during the operational year.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 specifically indicates that 21st CCLC services

must be provided outside the regular school day or during periods when school is not

in session (e.g., before school, after school, evenings, weekends, holidays, or

summer). The 21st CCLC program may offer services to students during normal

school hours only on days when school is not in session (e.g., school holidays or

teacher professional development days). However, federal law allows limited 21st

CCLC activities to take place during regular school hours (e.g., those targeting adult

family members or pre-kindergarten students), as these times may be the most

suitable for serving these populations.

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

ACADEMIC  YEAR  OPERATIONS  

The Brevard County Zoo Explorers program began providing 21st CCLC academic

year services on August 14, 2013, within the required starting date established by the

Florida Department of Education (i.e., within two weeks of the opening of the regular

school year). The program plans to end academic year operation on May 29, 2014, for

a total of 180 days of academic year operation. The 21st CCLC program was

approved by the FDOE to operate an afterschool component for 3.5 hours per day (3

hours per day at the Endeavour Elementary site), from 2:30pm to 6:00pm (3:00pm to

6:00pm at the Endeavour Elementary site), five days per week (Monday – Friday), for

164 total days during the academic year.

In addition to afterschool programming, Brevard County Zoo Explorers proposed to

provide 21st CCLC services for 16 days on holidays, operating 4.5 hours per day

(1:30pm – 6:00pm). During the 2013-2014 program year, the program proposed to

operate on the following dates: 8/28/13, 9/11/13, 9/25/13, 10/16/13, 10/30/13,

11/20/13, 12/18/13, 12/19/13, 12/20/13, 1/15/14, 1/29/14, 2/12/14, 2/26/14, 5/27/14,

5/28/14, and 5/29/14. Through the end of January, the program has operated all

proposed days of holiday operation, with the exception of November 20, 2013 at the

Endeavour Elementary site due to the school’s power being turned off that day.

Table 2: 2013‐2014 Academic Year Operation (Through January 31, 2014) 

Total number

of weeks site was

open

Typical number of days per week site was open

Typical number of hours/week site was open

TOTAL number of days site operated

Bef

ore

Scho

ol

Dur

ing

Scho

ol

Aft

er S

choo

l

Wee

kend

/Hol

iday

Bef

ore

Scho

ol

Dur

ing

Scho

ol

Aft

er S

choo

l

Wee

kend

/Hol

iday

Cambridge Elementary 23 5 n/a n/a 17.5 0 n/a n/a 93 11

Endeavour Elementary 23 5 n/a n/a 15 0 n/a n/a 93 10

Golfview Elementary 23 5 n/a n/a 17.5 0 n/a n/a 93 11

Saturn Elementary 23 5 n/a n/a 17.5 0 n/a n/a 93 11*The 21st CCLC statute specifically indicates that services are to be provided outside the regular school day or during periods when school is not in session (e.g., before school, after school, evenings, weekends, holidays, or summer).However, activities targeting prekindergarten children and adult family members may take place during regular school hours as these times may be the most suitable for serving these populations.

Table 2 provides a summary of the overall academic year operations of the Brevard

County Zoo Explorers 21st CCLC program during the 2013-2014 academic year.

Ultimately, the program is operating as proposed in the approved grant application.

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

All programming is open to any eligible 21st CCLC student, as detailed in the

following section of this formative evaluation. As mentioned previously, this 21st

CCLC program was specifically developed to improve academic achievement,

motivation and dedication to education, and personal growth and development.

SUPPLEMENTAL  SNACK  AND  MEAL  REQUIREMENT 

All 21st CCLC programs in the State of Florida are required to provide food to all

actively participating 21st CCLC students during program operational hours. More

specifically, each 21st CCLC program must provide supplemental meals when the

program is open as follows: (1) daily, nutritious snack when operating only during

after-school hours; (2) daily, nutritious breakfast and snack when operating during

both before-school and after-school hours; and (3) daily, nutritious breakfast, lunch,

and snack when operating on non-school days (dependent on hours of operation). In

Florida, as in many states, the afterschool snack is often the final meal for many

children each day. However, Florida rules disallow the use of state funding to

purchase meals and/or food items, such that funding for snacks/meals cannot be

drawn from 21st CCLC funds and must come from other sources (e.g., grocery store

donations, private donations, private foundations or endowments, etc.). Finally, as

21st CCLC programs serve primarily low-income students, programs in Florida are

not permitted to charge students for any costs associated with supplemental snacks

and meals. The Brevard County Zoo Explorers 21st CCLC program provides a free,

daily, nutritious snack, as required, to each student participating in the 21st CCLC

program.

SAFETY  REQUIREMENTS 

Safety of students participating in Florida’s 21st CCLC programs is of the highest

priority to the Florida Department of Education (FDOE). Within Florida, each 21st

CCLC program must demonstrate that students will participate in structured activities

in a safe environment, supervised by well-trained and caring staff. To this end, each

program provides a safety plan that, at a minimum, describes the following: (a) how

the safety of children will be maintained on-site (e.g., requiring parent sign-out,

checking identification, presence of school resource officer) and during off-site

activities (if applicable), (b) how personnel hired to work at the center will meet the

minimum requirements set forth by the district or agency and that the personnel will

have all required and current licenses and certifications where applicable, (c) how

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

safe transportation needs will be addressed, (d) how families will safely access the

program’s services, and (e) how the community learning center will assure that

students participating in the program will travel safely to and from the center.

Student safety is a priority at all Brevard County Zoo Explorers sites. Best practices

in safety are achieved through compliance with rigorous standards for safety outlined

and identified by the Florida Afterschool Network’s Standards for Quality

Afterschool Programs. All sites are required to provide evidence of meeting identified

safety and quality standards and are monitored by the Project Manager and district

staff as well as an external auditor to ensure any area in need of improvement is

addressed.

District personnel and personnel providing partner services are required by BPS to

submit to fingerprinting and level two background checks. Volunteers are required to

submit an application and be cleared through the VIPS (Volunteers in Public Schools)

system. Staff members are required to complete safety training annually and

enhancement of safety procedures are addressed on a regular basis. At least one staff

member with current certification in First Aid/CPR/AED operation is present during

all operating hours. All program employees are hired through the district and have

required district certification.

On-site safety begins before the students’ arrival, with all activities and transitions

being planned with safety in mind. Students travel from their daytime classes to the

site according to the transition plan each school is required to provide to the district in

their safety portfolio. Upon arrival at the site, student attendance is verified and all

students accounted for within 15 minutes of the time the last student is released from

class. Students are signed out by program personnel when going to academic,

enrichment, and partner activities and are signed back in when the sessions are over.

Headcounts are conducted several times a day. Parents pick up their children at the

end of the daily program. Staff requires proper identification and a signature from a

parent/guardian and/or a previously authorized person before a child is released.

Emergency contact lists are kept for each student in the program.

To assure safety during travel, transportation to and from field trip sites is provided

on district school buses using certified district personnel as drivers or by approved

district transportation providers. Staff members on the bus carry cell phones to

provide emergency communication. Students are always in the presence of district

personnel. To eliminate barriers that could impede equitable access, and in order for

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

all students to participate in activities, the program provides supervision and

transportation for all planned program activities during program hours.

Zoo Explorers is held on-site at the participating schools with access to the multi-

purpose room (sufficient to accommodate more than 100 students), technology lab,

various teacher classrooms (each sufficient to accommodate up to 30 students), and

all outdoor recreation areas. BPS facilities meet all requirements for safety and

handicap-accessible features complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act

(ADA).

<<‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐>> 

 

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

STUDENT  RECRUITMENT  AND  ENROLLMENT 

The ultimate purpose of designing a high-quality, research-based, and well-rounded

21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) program is to recruit, retain, and

serve students in low-income areas that are at-risk for lower levels of academic

achievement. The focus of any program, whether it is in Florida or elsewhere in the

nation, falls squarely upon the students being served. Even with outstanding

activities, well-planned schedules, high-quality staff, and continuous professional

development, a program will only have widespread and significant impact if they are

able to recruit and retain the participation of eligible students and their family

members. As such, to better understand the population of students and families

impacted by the 21st CCLC program, this section provides information about

attendance, enrollment, and demographics of those students participating in Brevard

County Zoo Explorers activities during the operational components described in the

prior section.

21ST  CCLC  REQUIRED  TARGET  POPULATIONS 

Students: Florida’s 21st CCLC afterschool programs are designed to help students

meet state and local academic achievement standards in core academic subjects,

particularly those who attend low-income, low-performing schools. Across the state

of Florida, the 21st CCLC program targets at-risk students from kindergarten to

twelfth grade. Recipients must target only those students attending schools eligible

for Title I School-Wide Program services, attending schools with at least 40% low-

income families (as demonstrated by free and reduced-price lunch status), or living

within the district-defined service areas of such schools.

Students with Special Needs: In accordance with State and Federal laws, Florida’s

children with special needs must be afforded the same opportunities as children in the

general population. Eligibility for funding under Florida’s 21st CCLC initiative

requires all programs to demonstrate the capacity to equitably serve students with

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

special needs. In Florida, students with special needs include those who may be

identified as Limited English Proficient (LEP), homeless, migrant, or with a physical,

developmental, psychological, sensory, or learning disability that results in significant

difficulties in areas such as communication, self-care, attention or behavior, and are

in need of more structured, intense supervision. In Florida, no child may be excluded

from the 21st CCLC program, regardless of the level or severity of need, provided that

they can be safely accommodated.

Adults and Families: In addition to services for eligible students, federal law allows

21st CCLC funds to support services to family members of participating students.

Within Florida, all 21st CCLC programs are required offer some level of services to

support parent involvement, family literacy, and/or related educational development.

As per federal law, the 21st CCLC program may only propose services to adult family

members of students actively participating in the 21st CCLC program. In Florida,

services for adult family members cannot extend beyond the dates of the ongoing

program for students.

PROPOSED  TARGET  POPULATION    

All four schools served by Brevard County Zoo Explorers have a high concentration

of low-income families. The target population includes students who have reading,

math, and science comprehension deficits and/or are academically below grade level

(Level 1 or Level 2 on FCAT), as well as those who are in need of behavior

modification, students who are homeless, migrant, and/or latchkey. Schools identify,

and equitably serve, all students in the target population. Students with special needs

are no exception. The program complies with all identified special needs, individual

education plans, individual academic plans, and 504’s.

STUDENT  ENROLLMENT 

Any actualized impact of the 21st CCLC program requires successful implementation

of the recruitment and enrollment plan, thus ensuring the highest level of student

participation. Within the first four-plus months of academic year operation (August

through December), the Brevard County Zoo Explorers 21st CCLC program had

enrolled a total of 356 students by December 20, 2013. Table 3 provides a breakdown

of student enrollment by site. Ultimately, the program has successfully enrolled

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

enough students to ensure the proposed average daily attendance will be met by the

end of the program year.

Table 3: Student Enrollment by Site (Through December 31, 2013) 

Site Student Enrollment

Cambridge Elementary 83

Endeavour Elementary 102

Golfview Elementary 87

Saturn Elementary 84

TOTAL 356

% Proposed Average Daily Attendance 127.1%

REGULAR  STUDENT  ATTENDANCE 

In addition to student enrollment (representing the number of students attending the

21st CCLC program for at least one day of activities), it is important to explore daily

student attendance. Attendance, as an intermediate outcome indicator, reflects the

breadth and depth of exposure to afterschool programming. Brevard County Zoo

Explorers collects data on both (1) the total number of students who participated in

21st CCLC programming over the course of the year and (2) the number of these

students meeting the United States Department of Education (USED) definition of

“regular attendee” by participating in 21st CCLC activities for 30 days or more during

the program year. The first indicator (total participants) can be utilized as a measure

of the breadth of the program’s reach, whereas the second indicator (regular

participants) can be construed as a partial measure of how successful the program was

in retaining students in 21st CCLC services and activities across the program year.

The US Department of Education has determined the minimum dosage for

afterschool programs to be impactful is 30 days of student attendance. As such, the

US Department of Education requires data to be reported to the Profile and

Performance Information Collection System (PPICS) separately for students that

attended at least one day (i.e., enrolled) and those attending at least 30 days of 21st

CCLC activities (i.e., regularly participating students). While this “dosage” has not

been clearly supported by research, data is presented consistent with this threshold in

order to match data reported to the US Department of Education.

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

As defined by the US Department of Education, it is reasonable to assume that

regular attendees are more likely to represent those students who have received a

sufficient "dose" of the 21st CCLC programming for it to have a positive impact on

academic and/or behavioral outcomes. In order to show progress towards this federal

metric, Table 4 provides a breakdown of total enrollment versus regular attendance

(i.e., those who attended at least 30 days). As shown, as of December 31, 2013, the

Brevard County Zoo Explorers 21st CCLC program was largely successful in

retaining student participants – achieving an outstanding 86.5% rate of regular

attendees compared to total enrollment. In general, any proportion over 50% suggests

successful retention and student engagement. The program is encouraged to explore

the reasons why the small percentage of students left the program and, if necessary,

consider procedures or programmatic changes that could increase the overall rate of

regular participation. It is likely that increased and more regular attendance will result

in more positive academic and behavioral outcomes.

Table 4: Student Enrollment: Total vs. Regular (Through December 31, 2013) 

Total Enrollment (Attending at least one day)

Regularly Participating Enrollment (Attending at least 30 days)

Summer

2013 Only

Academic Year

2013-14 Only

Both Summer/ Academic

Year Total

Summer 2013 Only

Academic Year

2013-14 Only

Both Summer/ Academic

Year Total

Cambridge Elementary

0 83 0 83 0 82 0 82

Endeavour Elementary

0 102 0 102 0 80 0 80

Golfview Elementary

0 87 0 87 0 73 0 73

Saturn Elementary

0 84 0 84 0 73 0 73

TOTAL 0 356 0 356 0 308 0 308

AVERAGE  DAILY  ATTENDANCE 

For the purposes of this evaluation, in addition to assessing progress towards regular

student attendance, it is also important to explore whether the program is making

progress towards meeting the proposed average daily attendance of student

participants. This statistic serves several purposes for 21st CCLC programs. First, the

level of funding provided by the Florida Department of Education is based on the

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

number of students served by the program on a daily basis, rather than the number of

students enrolled in the program (or even the percentage of regularly participating

students). The logic for using average daily attendance as the funding metric is that

programs may have 100 students enrolled, but only 50 students attending each day,

such that they do not need staffing and other costs to support 100 students every day.

As such, average daily attendance provides a better estimation of the required

resources on an average day of operation. The second purpose for this statistic relates

to program impact and quality - with high average daily attendance suggesting that

the program is more likely to provide students with adequate dosage to impact

academic achievement and program objectives. Finally, when average daily

attendance is compared to site enrollment, conclusions can be cautiously drawn about

student retention and engagement – with approximately equal numbers indicating that

the program has not had significant “turnover” of students.

Table 5: Average Daily Student Attendance (Through December 31, 2013) 

Summer 2013

Academic Year 2013-2014 (356 Total Enrolled)

After School

Before School

Weekend/ Holidays Overall

Cambridge Elementary n/a 76 (70) 108.6%

n/a 74 (70)

105.7% 76 (70) 108.6%

Endeavour Elementary n/a 70 (70) 100.0%

n/a 68 (70)

97.1% 70 (70) 100%

Golfview Elementary n/a 64 (70) 91.4%

n/a 63 (70) 90.0%

64 (70) 91.4%

Saturn Elementary n/a 65 (70) 92.9%

n/a 65 (70)

92.9% 65 (70) 92.9%

ALL SITES n/a 275 (280)

98.2% n/a

270 (280)

96.4%

275

98.2% * Numbers in parentheses indicate PROPOSED average daily attendance. The percentage afterwards represents the percent of proposed daily attendance for that site and/or the total of all sites for that component. ** “Average Daily Attendance” for each component rounded up to next whole number. *** The US Dept. of Ed. collects data on “During School” operation, which is not provided by this program.

Data on the average daily attendance for each of the four sites under the Brevard

County Zoo Explorers 21st CCLC program are provided in Table 5. As part of the

application approved by the Florida Department of Education, Brevard County Zoo

Explorers proposed to serve an average of 280 students per day (70 at each site) of

21st CCLC operation. As shown in Table 5, the program has achieved 98.2% of the

proposed average daily attendance for the afterschool component and 93.6% for the

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

holiday component by December 31, 2013, suggesting that the program is likely to

meet expectations of the FDOE based on the approved grant proposal. Table 5

provides the average daily attendance for each component to aid in submission of

data to the federal PPICS data collection system. Regardless of the grant application,

the proportion of average daily attendance to enrollment is 77.0%, such that a

significant portion of enrolled students appear to also be attending relatively

regularly.

STUDENT  PARTICIPANT  CHARACTERISTICS 

When educators, administrators, and policymakers look at the academic and

developmental impacts of out-of-school programming, it is imperative that they

attend to the issues of access and equity by addressing two important questions: who

is being served and how equitable is the quality of services across centers. To better

understand the types of students being served in 21st CLCC programming, the

Brevard County Zoo Explorers program submitted data on characteristics of all

student participants served during the 2013-2014 program operational year.

Student Grade Levels  

Table 6: Student Grade Levels: All Student Participants 

356 Students Grade In School*

PK K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Cambridge Elementary

-- 11 13 12 8 12 12 15 -- -- -- -- -- --

Endeavour Elementary

-- 11 23 14 17 17 12 8 -- -- -- -- -- --

Golfview Elementary

-- 10 12 17 16 10 10 12 -- -- -- -- -- --

Saturn Elementary

-- 10 12 11 14 15 9 13 -- -- -- -- -- --

ALL SITES -- 42 60 54 55 54 43 48 -- -- -- -- -- -- * Grade levels are exclusive, as students can only be recorded in one grade level.

Florida’s 21st CCLC programs provide services to a wide range of student

participants and their adult family members. To better understand the characteristics

of students served by the Brevard County Zoo Explorers, the program provided a

distribution of student grade levels served thus far during the program year. School

grade levels were reported for all 356 students in the 21st CCLC program. As shown

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

in Table 6, the participating student population was composed of 100% kindergarten

through 6th grade students, as proposed in the approved grant application.

Figure 1: Distribution of Student Participants by School Grade Level  

Race and Ethnicity of Student Attendees 

Table 7: Student Race and Ethnicity: All Participants 

Total Student Population

Site Name

American Indian / Alaska

Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Black or African

American

Hispanic or Latino

White / Caucasian American

Cambridge Elementary

-- -- 15 57 14

Endeavour Elementary

1 -- 45 49 3

Golfview Elementary

-- -- 42 20 14

Saturn Elementary

-- 3 32 20 21

ALL SITES 1 3 134 146 52 * Ethnicity categories are non-exclusive - students can be identified under multiple ethnicities.

To better understand the types of students being served and to examine access to 21st

CCLC services, Brevard County Zoo Explorers also submitted racial and ethnic data

42

60

54 55 54

43

48

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

PK K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Nu

mbe

r of

Stu

den

ts

Grade Level

2013‐2014 Formative Evaluation Report        |       37 

Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

about those students participating in the 21st CCLC program. As shown in Table 7, 1

21st CCLC student participant was identified by his or her parent(s) or self-identified

as “American Indian/Alaska Native”; 3 were identified as “Asian/Pacific Islander”;

134 were identified as “Black” or “African American”; 146 were identified as

“Hispanic/Latino(a)”; and 52 were identified as “White/Caucasian American.”

Student Gender Distribution 

In addition to ethnicity, it is also important to understand the degree to which the 21st

CCLC program achieved gender equity in their enrollment. Although the program has

served 356 students served thus far during the 2013-2014 program year, gender was

reported for 360 participants (101.1%). The reason gender was reported for 360

participants was that the student demographics report generated through the

program’s data software, EZReports, includes some adult participant data for

Cambridge Elementary. A recommendation is included at the end of this report in

regard to this and similar data issues. As shown in Table 8 and Figure 2, 47.5% of

participants were identified as male, while 52.5% were identified as female.

Table 8: Student Gender Distribution: All Participants 

Total Student Population

Site Name N Male Female

Cambridge Elementary 87 44 (50.6%) 43 (49.4%)

Endeavour Elementary 102 42 (41.2%) 60 (58.8%)

Golfview Elementary 87 45 (51.7%) 42 (48.3%)

Saturn Elementary 84 40 (47.6%) 44 (52.4%)

ALL SITES 360 171 (47.5%) 189 (52.5%)

Figure 2: Distribution of All Student Participants by Gender (N=360)  

Female52.5%

Male47.5%

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Within the state of Florida, every 21st CCLC program is required to provide a strong

academic component in each of three areas: (1) reading and language arts, (2)

mathematics, and (3) science. Each of these academic components must be delivered

by teachers certified by the Florida Department of Education. Programs are

encouraged to make each of these academic components creative, fun, and designed

to foster a love of reading, math, and science – in addition to focusing all such

activities on project-based learning plans accepted by the Florida Department of

Education. As such, Brevard County Zoo Explorers has written lesson plans and

project-based learning plans for all academic activities, ensuring that the activities

provided during the 21st CCLC program do not mirror the regular school day. Instead,

the federal law encourages programs to design activities that reinforce topics taught

during the regular day school. Florida programs are given some level of flexibility in

the dosage of academic, project-based activities to provide during any specific week

of operation, with each student required to receive at least one hour of project-based,

academic-focused, teacher-provided activities per day of out-of-school programming.

Activities must be provided in such a dosage that the program is able to meet the

proposed objectives included in the grant application. Programs are not permitted to

reduce the level of academic services throughout the five-year term of the grant.

NEED‐BASED  ACADEMIC  OBJECTIVES  

Brevard County Zoo Explorers developed individual objectives based on an

assessment of student, parent, family, and community needs. Each of the annual

objectives, as approved by the Florida Department of Education, was designed to be

measurable, quantitative, challenging (yet achievable), and assessed throughout the

project year (continuous assessment). In essence, objective-focused implementation

of the 21st CCLC program helps ensure a strong, consistent, and measurable impact

on the students and families served. All objectives are program-wide, though center-

specific objectives may be created in the future if warranted.

Objective 1: 65% of regularly participating students (min 30 days attendance)

will maintain or improve reading comprehension.

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

Objective 2: 65% of regularly participating students (min 30 days attendance)

will maintain or improve writing skills.

Objective 3: 65% of regularly participating students (min 30 days attendance)

will maintain or improve mathematical problem solving skills.

Objective 4: 65% of regularly participating students (min 30 days attendance)

will maintain or improve their understanding of scientific concepts.

ACADEMIC  ACTIVITIES  PROVIDED 

With established need-based objectives, Brevard County Zoo Explorers developed

and implemented project-based learning activities aligned to the approved 21st CCLC

academic objectives. It is important to note that the Florida Department of Education

does not require each activity to have a separate objective, such that multiple

activities can be provided under a single objective and/or one activity can be provided

to support multiple objectives (e.g., an objective for science might include robotics,

technology, and rocketry activities; while a robotics activity can support reading,

math, and science). As per federal law and state rules, programs are only permitted to

provide activities that will help meet the stated objectives approved by the Florida

Department of Education (i.e., objective-driven activities). The proposed activities are

detailed in the approved grant application, and the program is striving to adhere to

those specified activities, with the addition of some additional project-based learning

activities that support the approved objectives. The following provides a brief

description of activities provided in support of the academic objectives (note that

some also support the personal enrichment objectives discussed in the next section):

Animals: Students demonstrate great interest in different animals and why

they behave the way they do. The Brevard Zoo (community partner) has a

number of animals that students can learn about, touch, and/or visit.

o Timeframe: 9 weeks, 5 days/week, 90 minutes/day

o Objectives Addressed: Objectives 1 through 10

Museums: Brevard County has a number of museums that students may have

no idea about. Through the museums project, they gain exposure to and

understanding about these museums.

o Timeframe: 9 weeks, 5 days/week, 90 minutes/day

o Objectives Addressed: Objectives 1 through 10

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

People: Students learn about the human body and how it works.

o Timeframe: 9 weeks, 5 days/week, 90 minutes/day

o Objectives Addressed: Objectives 1 through 10

Universe: Students learn about the universe, space travel, and outer space.

o Timeframe: 9 weeks, 5 days/week, 90 minutes/day

o Objectives Addressed: Objectives 1 through 10

ACADEMIC  OBJECTIVE  PROGRESS:  GRADES 

School Grades: The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 was

passed to help increase accountability of federal programs and ensure the highest

performing and successful programs are continued, while lower performing programs

are discontinued. Given the requirement to develop uniform performance measures

for each federal program, the US Department of Education (USED) identified a series

of specific indicators for the 21st CCLC program. In addition to performance on

standardized tests, the USED chose improvement in grades in core academic subjects

as one of the primary GPRA indicators for 21st CCLC.

The US Department of Education (through the Profile and Performance Information

Collection System) requires all 21st CCLC programs to report any substantial changes

in reading/language arts and mathematics grades for regularly participating 21st

CCLC students (those attending the program for at least 30 days). To report on

changes in grade performance for regular attendees, programs are instructed to

compare the students' first set of fall reading/language arts and math grades with the

students' last set of spring grades for those participants who were regular attendees

during the reporting period. If the grades for a given student did not span the course

of the entire school year (e.g., the student was only enrolled in math or

reading/language arts for one semester), programs were instructed to not report grade

results for the student in question. There were some instances where the program had

either reading/language arts or math grades for comparison, but not both. In such a

case, the program was instructed to report the change in student performance only for

the grades available. The only exception to when a regular student should be reported

is if the student only attended during the summer, and thus did not receive a dosage of

the 21st CCLC program during academic periods.

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

In determining which regularly participating 21st CCLC students changed in terms of

course grades, the US Department of Education requires the threshold for change to

be one-half letter grade (e.g., B- to B, B to B+, etc.). For each of the subject areas,

programs reported the number of students that stayed the same (i.e., did not increase

or decrease), the number that improved by half a grade or more, and the number that

decreased by half a grade or more between Fall and Spring. For those students that

did not change, programs were provided the ability to indicate the number of such

students that were already at the highest grade (e.g., “A”) and, therefore, unable to

improve. If using a 100-point scale, programs were instructed that a half-grade

change is a decrease or increase of 5 points. If using an A–F scale, a half-grade

change was described as any decrease or increase in the letter grade (e.g., for

example, A to A- is a decrease and C+ to B- is an increase). If using an E-S-U

(Excellent-Satisfactory-Unsatisfactory) or similar non-A–F letter-grade scale, a half-

grade change is defined as a decrease or increase from one letter grade to another.

However, there is a negative bias within the method used by PPICS in determining

student improvement in academic achievement. Namely, grade maintenance should

not be considered a negative indicator, as a student performing at an “A” level at the

beginning of the year and maintaining that “B” level at the end of the year suggests

that the student has actually learned substantial information to remain at the “above

average” level of performance (rather than decreasing in performance over the course

of the year). The purpose of the objectives proposed by the 21st CCLC program is to

demonstrate improvement in knowledge, not simple improvement in grades.

Therefore, for the purposes of this evaluation, it is more appropriate to compare

grades to determine whether there was knowledge growth among students

participating in the 21st CCLC program. More specifically, student growth and

academic development were categorized into three categories: (1) Improved: this

includes those students who increased at least ½ letter grade or those who maintained

an “A” or “B” from the first Fall semester to the most recent semester (including A to

B); (2) Maintained: this includes those students who maintained their grade across the

semester grades available (C to C, D to D, F to F); and (3) Declined: this includes

those students whose course grade dropped during the course of the semesters graded

to date (A to C, C to D, etc.).

School Grade Caveats: It is important to note that, for the purposes of this formative

evaluation report, only grades from the first quarter were available. As such, no

comparisons can be made at this time, but this information was included strictly for

informational purposes.

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

ACADEMIC  OBJECTIVE  PROGRESS:  PRE‐POST  ASSESSMENTS 

The Brevard County Zoo Explorers program implemented pre- and posttests for each

quarterly project. Each pre- and posttest contained elements of each academic subject

area for which the program has an academic objective. Tables 9 and 10 indicate the

number of students for whom pretest and posttest scores are available at each site, the

number of students who scored correctly on the test item for reading on the pretest

and posttest at each site, and the percentage of students who scored correctly on the

test item for reading on the pretest and posttest at each site.

Table 9: Reading Pre/Post Test Scores (PBL Quarter 1: Museums) 

Site # Tested

– Pre #

Correct %

# Tested – Post

# Correct

%

Cambridge 84 54 64.29% 85 62 72.94%

Endeavour 82 56 68.29% 88 65 73.86%

Golfview 60 40 66.67% 48 36 75.00%

Saturn 72 54 75.00% 57 46 80.70%

Table 10: Reading Pre/Post Test Scores (PBL Quarter 2: Animals) 

Site # Tested

– Pre #

Correct %

# Tested – Post

# Correct

%

Cambridge 70 43 61.43% 75 49 65.33%

Endeavour 71 32 45.07% 75 28 37.33%

Golfview 62 38 61.29% 61 33 54.10%

Saturn 62 45 72.58% 64 40 62.50%

Tables 11 and 12 indicate the number of students for whom pretest and posttest scores

are available at each site, the number of students who scored correctly on the test item

for writing on the pretest and posttest at each site, and the percentage of students who

scored correctly on the test item for writing on the pretest and posttest at each site.

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

Table 11: Writing Pre/Post Test Scores (PBL Quarter 1: Museums) 

Site # Tested

– Pre #

Correct %

# Tested – Post

# Correct

%

Cambridge 84 37 44.05% 85 45 52.94%

Endeavour 82 40 48.78% 88 48 54.55%

Golfview 60 37 61.67% 48 32 66.67%

Saturn 72 39 54.17% 57 43 75.44%

Table 12: Writing Pre/Post Test Scores (PBL Quarter 2: Animals) 

Site # Tested

– Pre #

Correct %

# Tested – Post

# Correct

%

Cambridge 70 51 72.86% 75 50 66.67%

Endeavour 71 33 46.48% 75 28 37.33%

Golfview 62 34 54.84% 61 32 52.46%

Saturn 62 34 54.84% 64 33 51.56%

Tables 13 and 14 indicate the number of students for whom pretest and posttest scores

are available at each site, the number of students who scored correctly on the test item

for math on the pretest and posttest at each site, and the percentage of students who

scored correctly on the test item for math on the pretest and posttest at each site

Table 13: Math Pre/Post Test Scores (PBL Quarter 1: Museums) 

Site # Tested

– Pre #

Correct %

# Tested – Post

# Correct

%

Cambridge 84 67 79.76% 85 69 81.18%

Endeavour 82 72 87.80% 88 79 89.77%

Golfview 60 60 100.00% 48 46 95.83%

Saturn 72 67 93.06% 57 55 96.49%

 

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

Table 14: Math Pre/Post Test Scores (PBL Quarter 2: Animals) 

Site # Tested

– Pre #

Correct %

# Tested – Post

# Correct

%

Cambridge 70 62 88.57% 75 70 93.33%

Endeavour 71 51 71.83% 75 60 80.00%

Golfview 62 50 80.65% 61 50 81.97%

Saturn 62 51 82.26% 64 57 89.06%

Tables 15 and 16 indicate the number of students for whom pretest and posttest scores

are available at each site, the number of students who scored correctly on the test item

for science on the pretest and posttest at each site, and the percentage of students who

scored correctly on the test item for science on the pretest and posttest at each site

Table 15: Science Pre/Post Test Scores (PBL Quarter 1: Museums) 

Site # Tested

– Pre #

Correct %

# Tested – Post

# Correct

%

Cambridge 84 44 52.38% 85 47 55.29%

Endeavour 82 48 58.54% 88 57 64.77%

Golfview 60 35 58.33% 48 29 60.42%

Saturn 72 42 58.33% 57 44 77.19%

Table 16: Science Pre/Post Test Scores (PBL Quarter 2: Animals) 

Site # Tested

– Pre #

Correct %

# Tested – Post

# Correct

%

Cambridge 70 47 67.14% 75 54 72.00%

Endeavour 71 37 52.11% 75 40 53.33%

Golfview 62 26 41.94% 61 32 52.46%

Saturn 62 39 62.90% 64 41 64.06%

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

PROGRESS  TOWARDS  OBJECTIVES:  DETERMINATION 

The United States Department of Education (USED) requires all 21st CCLC programs

to indicate progress towards attaining each of the individualized objectives. In order

to assess objective progress, the USED requires each objective to be rated in the

Profile and Performance Information Collection System (PPICS) within one of the

following objective categories.

Met = Met the stated objective

Progress = Did not meet but progressed toward objective

No Progress = Did not meet and no progress made

Unable to Assess = Unable to measure progress on the stated objective

Revised = Revised the stated objective

Dropped = Dropped the stated objective entirely

Not Associated = Objective not associated with the reporting period

Objective 1 

Objective: 65% of regularly participating students (min 30 days attendance) will

maintain or improve reading comprehension.

Data Type / Frequency: The program collects pre- and posttest data for each

quarterly project. The program has collected 1st quarter and will collect 4th quarter

report card grades, as well as 2013 and 2014 FCAT scores as required for entry

into the Profile and Performance Information Collection System (PPICS).

How Data Were Analyzed: This objective is based on a simple “improvement”

objective, such that each student is compared to their own baseline data. Such

within-subjects analysis is achieved by calculating whether each student

increased, maintained, or declined then calculating the percent of all students with

data that demonstrated improvement. It is important to note that the objective was

not proposed to have a “significant increase” in student performance, such that

traditional statistical methods are not necessary nor warranted. In addition, there

is little control over extraneous variables with regard to the metrics used under

this objective, such that a significant amount of Type I Error and potential

violations to statistical assumptions limit the usefulness of “traditional statistical

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

methods” in the analysis of this objective. Only students with more than 30 days

attendance will be included in the calculations for the Summative Evaluation

Report, as the US Department of Education has determined these students receive

the necessary dosage of the 21st CCLC program to show impacts.

Progress Towards Objective: Progress

The majority of students participated in both the pretest and the posttest at

each site, with a minimum of 72.94% answering correctly on the posttest

at each site for the first quarter reading test item.

The performance on both the pretest and the posttest was lower for each

site for the second quarter reading test item. With the exception of the

Endeavour Elementary site (37.33%), however, each site reported a

minimum of 54.1% answering correctly on the posttest at each site for the

second quarter reading test item.

Recommendations: The program is encouraged to ensure that as many students as

possible participate in both the pretest and posttest for each quarterly project in

order to obtain as much data as possible for analyzing progress towards this

objective. The program is also encouraged to collect report card grades each

quarter in order to track progress throughout the program year.

Objective 2 

Objective: 65% of regularly participating students (min 30 days attendance) will

maintain or improve writing skills.

Data Type / Frequency: The program collects pre- and posttest data for each

quarterly project.

How Data Were Analyzed: This objective is based on a simple “improvement”

objective, such that each student is compared to their own baseline data. Such

within-subjects analysis is achieved by calculating whether each student

increased, maintained, or declined then calculating the percent of all students with

data that demonstrated improvement. It is important to note that the objective was

not proposed to have a “significant increase” in student performance, such that

traditional statistical methods are not necessary nor warranted. In addition, there

is little control over extraneous variables with regard to the metrics used under

this objective, such that a significant amount of Type I Error and potential

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

violations to statistical assumptions limit the usefulness of “traditional statistical

methods” in the analysis of this objective. Only students with more than 30 days

attendance will be included in the calculations for the Summative Evaluation

Report, as the US Department of Education has determined these students receive

the necessary dosage of the 21st CCLC program to show impacts.

Progress Towards Objective: Progress

The majority of students participated in both the pretest and the posttest at

each site, with a minimum of 52.94% answering correctly on the posttest

at each site for the first quarter writing test item.

The performance on both the pretest and the posttest was lower for each

site for the second quarter writing test item. With the exception of the

Endeavour Elementary site (37.33%), however, each site reported a

minimum of 51.56% answering correctly on the posttest at each site for

the second quarter writing test item.

Recommendations: The program is encouraged to ensure that as many students as

possible participate in both the pretest and posttest for each quarterly project in

order to obtain as much data as possible for analyzing progress towards this

objective.

Objective 3 

Objective: 65% of regularly participating students (min 30 days attendance) will

maintain or improve mathematical problem solving skills.

Data Type / Frequency: The program collects pre- and posttest data for each

quarterly project. The program has collected 1st quarter and will collect 4th quarter

report card grades, as well as 2013 and 2014 FCAT scores as required for entry

into the Profile and Performance Information Collection System (PPICS).

How Data Were Analyzed: This objective is based on a simple “improvement”

objective, such that each student is compared to their own baseline data. Such

within-subjects analysis is achieved by calculating whether each student

increased, maintained, or declined then calculating the percent of all students with

data that demonstrated improvement. It is important to note that the objective was

not proposed to have a “significant increase” in student performance, such that

traditional statistical methods are not necessary nor warranted. In addition, there

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is little control over extraneous variables with regard to the metrics used under

this objective, such that a significant amount of Type I Error and potential

violations to statistical assumptions limit the usefulness of “traditional statistical

methods” in the analysis of this objective. Only students with more than 30 days

attendance will be included in the calculations for the Summative Evaluation

Report, as the US Department of Education has determined these students receive

the necessary dosage of the 21st CCLC program to show impacts.

Progress Towards Objective: Progress

The majority of students participated in both the pretest and the posttest at

each site, with a minimum of 81.18% answering correctly on the posttest

at each site for the first quarter math test item.

The majority of students participated in both the pretest and the posttest at

each site, with a minimum of 80% answering correctly on the posttest at

each site for the second quarter math test item.

Recommendations: The program is encouraged to ensure that as many students as

possible participate in both the pretest and posttest for each quarterly project in

order to obtain as much data as possible for analyzing progress towards this

objective. The program is also encouraged to collect report card grades each

quarter in order to track progress throughout the program year.

Objective 4 

Objective: 65% of regularly participating students (min 30 days attendance) will

maintain or improve their understanding of scientific concepts.

Data Type / Frequency: The program collects pre- and posttest data for each

quarterly project. The program has collected 1st quarter and will collect 4th quarter

report card grades.

How Data Were Analyzed: This objective is based on a simple “improvement”

objective, such that each student is compared to their own baseline data. Such

within-subjects analysis is achieved by calculating whether each student

increased, maintained, or declined then calculating the percent of all students with

data that demonstrated improvement. It is important to note that the objective was

not proposed to have a “significant increase” in student performance, such that

traditional statistical methods are not necessary nor warranted. In addition, there

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

is little control over extraneous variables with regard to the metrics used under

this objective, such that a significant amount of Type I Error and potential

violations to statistical assumptions limit the usefulness of “traditional statistical

methods” in the analysis of this objective. Only students with more than 30 days

attendance will be included in the calculations for the Summative Evaluation

Report, as the US Department of Education has determined these students receive

the necessary dosage of the 21st CCLC program to show impacts.

Progress Towards Objective: Progress

The majority of students participated in both the pretest and the posttest at

each site, with a minimum of 55.29% answering correctly on the posttest

at each site for the first quarter science test item.

The majority of students participated in both the pretest and the posttest at

each site, with a minimum of 52.46% answering correctly on the posttest

at each site for the second quarter science test item.

Recommendations: The program is encouraged to ensure that as many students as

possible participate in both the pretest and posttest for each quarterly project in

order to obtain as much data as possible for analyzing progress towards this

objective. The program is also encouraged to collect report card grades each

quarter in order to track progress throughout the program year.

<<‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐>> 

 

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In addition to academic remediation and enrichment, a second specific purpose of the

21st CCLC initiative is to offer eligible students a broad array of personal enrichment

activities that reinforce and complement the regular academic program and help

participating students meet local and state academic standards in core subjects.

Including a variety of personal enrichment activities helps retain and attract student

participants, while also providing a well-rounded breadth of experiences to help

increase student commitment to the education process. As per rules established by the

Florida Department of Education, personal enrichment must include a variety of

structured activities, as well as encourage active participation regardless of individual

student skill levels. All personal enrichment activities must directly or indirectly

support the academic achievement of participating students. According to Section

4205(A) of ESEA, as amended, 21st CCLC programs are limited to providing

additional services within the following categories: physical education and recreation

activities; dropout prevention and character education activities; tutoring and

mentoring services; educational arts and music activities; entrepreneurial education

programs; programs for limited English proficient students; telecommunications and

technology education programs; expanded library service hours; and/or drug and

violence prevention and/or counseling activities. Brevard County Zoo Explorers was

required to propose activities within at least four (4) of the personal enrichment

categories to assist targeted 21st CCLC students in meeting Florida’s Common Core

Standards and/or Florida’s Next Generation Sunshine State Standards.

NEED‐BASED  OBJECTIVES 

In addition to academic-focused objectives and activities, Brevard County Zoo

Explorers developed the following need-based objectives to help guide personal

enrichment activities for student participants.

Objective 5: 65% of regularly participating students (min 30 days attendance)

will maintain or increase their level of strength and/or flexibility.

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

Objective 6: 65% of regularly participating students (min. 30 days attendance)

will exhibit improvement in attitudes toward school and community and

increased positive behaviors in relationships with peers and caring adults.

Objective 7: 65% of regularly participating students (min. 30 days attendance)

will maintain or increase their knowledge of performing and/or visual arts.

Objective 8: 65% of regularly participating students (min. 30 days attendance)

will maintain or increase their knowledge of technology.

PERSONAL  ENRICHMENT  ACTIVITIES  PROVIDED  

With established need-based objectives for personal enrichment activities, Brevard

County Zoo Explorers developed and implemented a broad array of activities aligned

to at least one of the personal enrichment objectives and designed to support the

academic achievement of participating students. Specific proposed enrichment

activities are outlined in the approved grant application, and the program strived to

adhere to those specified activities, with the addition of some project-based and

problem-based learning activities that support the approved personal enrichment

objectives. However, some activities were different than those proposed, as project-

based and problem-based activities tend to be “living” and can significantly change as

the project progresses and students’ interest peaks about various topics. The following

provides an understanding of activities provided in support of the academic objectives

(note that some also support the academic objectives discussed in the prior section):

Physical Education and Recreation: Health First Pro-Health and Fitness is

the cornerstone of the program’s physical education, fitness, and health

activities addressing the 25% obesity statistics. Their program, facilitated by

health trainers, includes 30-45 minutes of instruction weekly in fitness, health,

and nutrition. In addition, 30 minutes of daily guided fitness activities

provided by paraprofessionals ensure the program regularly provides

stimulating, age-appropriate, physical activities. Students participate in fitness

and health awareness activities supporting an understanding of the importance

of physical activity, good nutrition, and promoting improvements in strength

and flexibility. During inclement weather, indoor physical education includes

30-60 minutes of age-appropriate physical activities. The Washington State

Department of Early Learning (2010) presents that “physical activity is not

only good for keeping children’s hearts, minds, and bodies in shape and

disease-free, but it also supports young children in developing motor skills

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

that influence many other areas of their development.” The maximum staff-to-

student ratio for fitness activities is 1:25.

Dropout Prevention and Character Education: According to the National

Dropout Prevention Network (NDPN, 2010), “when all groups in a

community provide collective support to the school, a strong infrastructure

sustains a caring supportive environment where youth can thrive and

achieve.” School/Community Collaboration is one of the first “1 IN 15

Strategies” suggested by NDPN (2010). The Zoo Explorers program brings

together recommended collaborative efforts between four schools, the Brevard

Zoo, Brevard Cultural Alliance, Health First Pro-Health and Fitness, Cocoa

Police Athletic League, and School Age Child Care. This program provides

opportunities for active involvement in creative arts, social activities, and

academic enrichment. In addition, it addresses several other NDPN strategies

through the implementation of strong character education and homework help

programs that promote success. All character education activities are designed

to capture the interest of children and enhance their attitudes toward school.

Presenting hands-on learning opportunities increases the students’ curiosity

and interest in the world around them, and the cooperation required in team

projects helps to improve relationships with peers. Because character

development instills a sense of belonging and community and builds self-

esteem, it is included in all aspects of Zoo Explorers programming. The

maximum staff-to-student ratio is 1:25.

Arts and Music Education: Arts and music education activities involve arts-

based activities that authentically address the interests of students, their

culture, and their community. Activities take many forms, such as drawing,

collage, personal essays or poems, dancing, the spoken word, or singing. The

Brevard Cultural Alliance provides Artists-in-Residence weekly at each

school during the People project to work with the students for 30 to 45

minutes in realizing their projects. During the rest of the year, activities will

be offered weekly for 30-45 minutes by the 21st CCLC project teachers and/or

paraprofessionals. The maximum staff-to-student ratio is 1:25.

Telecommunications and Technology Education: Because proficiency in

technology is such an important element in today’s society and because many

of the students in Zoo Explorers do not have access to educational technology

at home, technology is a part of many of the activities offered daily. Through

research and presentations related to the quarterly projects, the students learn

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

to use the internet and programs such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

Activities such as photography and videography are designed to capture the

interest of children and teach them skills they will use throughout their lives.

Technology is a part of academics and enrichment, and, at minimum, is

offered weekly for 30-45 minutes. The maximum staff-to-student ratio is 1:25.

PROGRESS:  STRENGTH  AND  FLEXIBILITY  ASSESSMENTS 

Brevard County Zoo Explorers collected pre- and mid-assessment data for afterschool program students in regard to fitness levels by measuring both strength and flexibility. Figure 3 indicates the number of students who decreased, increased, maintained, and for whom there was no comparison data available at each site for the strength assessments. Figure 4 indicates the number of students who decreased, increased, maintained, and for whom there was no comparison data available at each site for the flexibility assessments.

Figure 3: Strength Performance by Site 

 

As indicated in Figure 3, comparison scores were unavailable for many students. This was due to the fact that only one strength assessment score was available for many of the students. As such, baseline data was established, but comparisons are unable to be made for many students. Scheduling conflicts with Pro-Health and Fitness and Brevard Zoo resulting in missed Pro-Health and Fitness classes may have had an impact on the number of students assessments conducted for the Endeavour Elementary and Saturn Elementary sites. Missed Pro-Health and Fitness classes will be made up in the fourth quarter.

16 16

10

14

45

33

26

42

15

20

42

7

33

47

26

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Cambridge Endeavour Golfview Saturn

Nu

mb

er o

f S

tud

ents

DecreaseIncreaseMaintainNo Data

356 Participants

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

Of the 356 enrolled afterschool students, comparison scores were available for 243 students (68.3%). Of the 243 students for whom comparison scores were available, 187 (77.0%) maintained or increased scores on strength assessments.

Figure 4: Flexibility Performance by Site 

 

As indicated in Figure 4, comparison scores were unavailable for many students. This

was due to the fact that only one flexibility assessment score was available for many

of the students (see note about scheduling in the above analysis for the strength

assessment). As such, baseline data was established, but comparisons are unable to be

made for many students. Of the 356 enrolled afterschool students, comparison scores

were available for 243 students (68.3%). Of the 243 students for whom comparison

scores were available, 138 (56.8%) maintained or increased scores on flexibility

assessments.

PROGRESS:  PRE‐POST  ASSESSMENTS 

The Brevard County Zoo Explorers program implemented pre- and posttests for each

quarterly project. As with the academic objectives, each pre- and posttest contained

elements of each personal enrichment area for which the program has an objective

other than the previously discussed strength and flexibility assessments.

23

2625

31

47

30

14

27

6

11

3

0

7

35

45

26

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Cambridge Endeavour Golfview Saturn

Nu

mb

er o

f S

tud

ents

Decrease

Increase

Maintain

No Data

356 Participants

2013‐2014 Formative Evaluation Report        |       55 

Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

PROGRESS  TOWARDS  OBJECTIVES:  DETERMINATION 

The United States Department of Education (USED) requires all 21st CCLC programs

to indicate progress towards attaining each of the individualized objectives. In order

to assess objective progress, the USED requires each objective to be rated in the

Profile and Performance Information Collection System (PPICS) within one of the

following objective categories.

Met = Met the stated objective

Progress = Did not meet but progressed toward objective

No Progress = Did not meet and no progress made

Unable to Assess = Unable to measure progress on the stated objective

Revised = Revised the stated objective

Dropped = Dropped the stated objective entirely

Not Associated = Objective not associated with the reporting period

Objective 5 

Objective: 65% of regularly participating students (min 30 days attendance) will

maintain or increase their level of strength and/or flexibility.

Data Type / Frequency: The program has conducted pre- and mid-assessment in

both strength and flexibility and will conduct post-assessments to measure

throughout the program year.

How Data Were Analyzed: This objective is based on a simple “improvement”

objective, such that each student is compared to their own baseline data. Such

within-subjects analysis is achieved by calculating whether each student

increased, maintained, or declined then calculating the percent of all students with

data that demonstrated improvement. It is important to note that the objective was

not proposed to have a “significant increase” in student performance, such that

traditional statistical methods are not necessary nor warranted. In addition, there

is little control over extraneous variables with regard to the metrics used under

this objective, such that a significant amount of Type I Error and potential

violations to statistical assumptions limit the usefulness of “traditional statistical

methods” in the analysis of this objective. Only students with more than 30 days

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

attendance will be included in the calculations for the Summative Evaluation

Report, as the US Department of Education has determined these students receive

the necessary dosage of the 21st CCLC program to show impacts.

Progress Towards Objective: Progress

Of the 243 students for whom comparison scores were available, 187

(77.0%) maintained or increased scores on strength assessments.

Of the 243 students for whom comparison scores were available, 138

(56.8%) maintained or increased scores on flexibility assessments.

Recommendations: The program is encouraged to strive to attain scores for a

greater percentage of regularly participating students prior to the end of the

program year.

Objective 6 

Objective: 65% of regularly participating students (min. 30 days attendance) will

exhibit improvement in attitudes toward school and community and increased

positive behaviors in relationships with peers and caring adults.

Data Type / Frequency: The program collects pre- and posttest data for each

quarterly project.

How Data Were Analyzed: This objective is based on a simple “improvement”

objective, such that each student is compared to their own baseline data. Such

within-subjects analysis is achieved by calculating whether each student

increased, maintained, or declined then calculating the percent of all students with

data that demonstrated improvement. It is important to note that the objective was

not proposed to have a “significant increase” in student performance, such that

traditional statistical methods are not necessary nor warranted. In addition, there

is little control over extraneous variables with regard to the metrics used under

this objective, such that a significant amount of Type I Error and potential

violations to statistical assumptions limit the usefulness of “traditional statistical

methods” in the analysis of this objective. Only students with more than 30 days

attendance will be included in the calculations for the Summative Evaluation

Report, as the US Department of Education has determined these students receive

the necessary dosage of the 21st CCLC program to show impacts.

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

Progress Towards Objective: Progress

The majority of students participated in both the pretest and the posttest at

each site, with a minimum of 83.33% answering correctly on the posttest

at each site for the first quarter character education test items.

Overall, the performance on both the pretest and the posttest was lower for

the second quarter character education test items. With the exception of

the Golfview Elementary site (38.52%), however, each site reported a

minimum of 68% answering correctly on the posttest at each site for the

second quarter character education test items.

Recommendations: The program is encouraged to ensure that as many students as

possible participate in both the pretest and posttest for each quarterly project in

order to obtain as much data as possible for analyzing progress towards this

objective.

Objective 7 

Objective: 65% of regularly participating students (min. 30 days attendance) will

maintain or increase their knowledge of performing and/or visual arts.

Data Type / Frequency: The program collects pre- and posttest data for each

quarterly project.

How Data Were Analyzed: This objective is based on a simple “improvement”

objective, such that each student is compared to their own baseline data. Such

within-subjects analysis is achieved by calculating whether each student

increased, maintained, or declined then calculating the percent of all students with

data that demonstrated improvement. It is important to note that the objective was

not proposed to have a “significant increase” in student performance, such that

traditional statistical methods are not necessary nor warranted. In addition, there

is little control over extraneous variables with regard to the metrics used under

this objective, such that a significant amount of Type I Error and potential

violations to statistical assumptions limit the usefulness of “traditional statistical

methods” in the analysis of this objective. Only students with more than 30 days

attendance will be included in the calculations for the Summative Evaluation

Report, as the US Department of Education has determined these students receive

the necessary dosage of the 21st CCLC program to show impacts.

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Progress Towards Objective: Progress

The majority of students participated in both the pretest and the posttest at

each site, with a minimum of 62.07% answering correctly on the posttest

at each site for the first quarter fine arts test items.

The performance on both the pretest and the posttest was lower for each

site for the second quarter fine arts test items, with no site reporting higher

than 55% answering correctly on either set of test items.

Recommendations: The program is encouraged to ensure that as many students as

possible participate in both the pretest and posttest for each quarterly project in

order to obtain as much data as possible for analyzing progress towards this

objective.

Objective 8 

Objective: 65% of regularly participating students (min. 30 days attendance) will

maintain or increase their knowledge of technology.

Data Type / Frequency: The program collects pre- and posttest data for each

quarterly project.

How Data Were Analyzed: This objective is based on a simple “improvement”

objective, such that each student is compared to their own baseline data. Such

within-subjects analysis is achieved by calculating whether each student

increased, maintained, or declined then calculating the percent of all students with

data that demonstrated improvement. It is important to note that the objective was

not proposed to have a “significant increase” in student performance, such that

traditional statistical methods are not necessary nor warranted. In addition, there

is little control over extraneous variables with regard to the metrics used under

this objective, such that a significant amount of Type I Error and potential

violations to statistical assumptions limit the usefulness of “traditional statistical

methods” in the analysis of this objective. Only students with more than 30 days

attendance will be included in the calculations for the Summative Evaluation

Report, as the US Department of Education has determined these students receive

the necessary dosage of the 21st CCLC program to show impacts.

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

Progress Towards Objective: Progress

The majority of students participated in both the pretest and the posttest at

each site, with a minimum of 63.79% answering correctly on the posttest

at each site for the first quarter technology test items.

Overall, the performance on both the pretest and the posttest was lower for

the second quarter technology test items. With the exception of the

Golfview Elementary site (38.52%), however, each site reported a

minimum of 68% answering correctly on the posttest at each site for the

second quarter character education test items.

Recommendations: The program is encouraged to ensure that as many students as

possible participate in both the pretest and posttest for each quarterly project in

order to obtain as much data as possible for analyzing progress towards this

objective.

<<‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐>> 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The third specific purpose of the 21st CCLC initiative is to offer families of actively

participating 21st CCLC students the opportunity for literacy and related educational

development. In particular, 21st CCLC programs are required to provide services

designed to increase the involvement of adult family members in their child’s

education (e.g., family reading nights, student performances/showcases, participation

in school-based parent activities that have a documented 21st CCLC focus, etc.)

and/or to develop literacy or related educational skills that will enable adult family

members to be supportive of the child’s learning (e.g., GED preparation, money

management, parenting skills, etc.). While programs are provided some flexibility

with regards to the level of adult family member services they provide, the program

must provide at least monthly activities and/or services, and must provide enough

outreach to progress towards the proposed family-based objectives. Many programs

in Florida limit adult family member activities to special events (e.g., student plays)

and general meetings. Unfortunately, secondary to the difficulty in getting adult

family member participation in these services, it is rare for Florida programs to serve

a substantial percentage of adult family members. Regardless, 21st CCLC programs

may only provide services to adult family members of students actively participating

in 21st CCLC services.

NEED‐BASED  OBJECTIVES 

Brevard County Zoo Explorers developed the following need-based objectives for

providing services to adult family members of actively participating 21st CCLC

students:

Objective 9: 25% of adult family members of regularly participating students

(min 30 days attendance) will exhibit increased engagement in their child’s

education by attending 21st CCLC sponsored activities such as: Family Zoo

Science Night, Family Art Night, etc.

Objective 10: 10% of Adult family members of regularly participating

students (min 30 days attendance) will increase their knowledge of the skills

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

needed to support their child’s education by attending at least two family

literacy and/or parenting workshops and showing learning gains.

ACTIVITIES  PROVIDED 

In support of the approved needs-based objectives, Brevard County Zoo Explorers

proposed several research-based and family-focused activities to help parents and

adult family members support the academic achievement of participating students.

The following are a sampling of adult family member services proposed by Brevard

County Zoo Explorers:

A parent and family orientation, presented by experienced grant administrators, will

be offered yearly to explain the program’s goals, procedures, and the commitments

required of parents and students. Data collected for Adult Member Services will be

attendance logs and surveys of learning gains. Family literacy and parenting

workshops on topics such as helping your child with homework, reading with your

child, and/or Science Fair 101 will be offered monthly at each school by certified

teachers to enable parents to be active participants in their child’s education. Teachers

delivering this material will be offered professional development opportunities in

areas such as curriculum development and implementation, the support of a Project

Manager, and access to Title I resources.

The following is a list of events by site that have taken place during the 2013-2014

program year prior to this report, along with the number of attendees at each event:

Cambridge Elementary Parent Orientation (31 Attendees) Zoo Family Day (27 Attendees) Title I Fitness Night (19 Attendees) Title I Dinner & Data Night (15 Attendees) Title I Bullying Night (15 Attendees)

Endeavour Elementary

Parent Orientation (12 Attendees) Zoo Family Day (15 Attendees) Helping Your Child with Homework (6 Attendees)

Golfview Elementary

Parent Orientation (21 Attendees) Zoo Family Day (17 Attendees) Helping Your Child with Homework (11 Attendees)

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Helping Your Child with Math (6 Attendees) Science Fair 101 (3 Attendees)

Saturn Elementary

Parent Orientation (37 Attendees) Zoo Family Day (4 Attendees) Title I Writing Night (10 Attendees) Science Fair 101 (15 Attendees)

PROGRESS  TOWARDS  OBJECTIVES:  DETERMINATION 

The United States Department of Education (USED) requires all 21st CCLC programs

to indicate progress towards attaining each of the individualized objectives. In order

to assess objective progress, the USED requires each objective to be rated in the

Profile and Performance Information Collection System (PPICS) within one of the

following objective categories.

Met = Met the stated objective

Progress = Did not meet but progressed toward objective

No Progress = Did not meet and no progress made

Unable to Assess = Unable to measure progress on the stated objective

Revised = Revised the stated objective

Dropped = Dropped the stated objective entirely

Not Associated = Objective not associated with the reporting period

Objective 9 

Objective: 25% of adult family members of regularly participating students (min

30 days attendance) will exhibit increased engagement in their child’s education

by attending 21st CCLC sponsored activities.

Data Type / Frequency: Attendance data acquired through sign-in sheets at each

adult family member event throughout the program year serves as the data for this

objective.

How Data Were Analyzed: Given this is a participation-based objective, data are

analyzed based on attendance counts at each event throughout the program year.

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

Progress Towards Objective: Progress

Each site has offered at least three (3) events at the time of this report.

Attendance at the indicated events ranged from 4 attendees (at the Science

Fair 101 at Golfview Elementary) to 37 attendees (at the Parent

Orientation at Saturn Elementary).

Recommendations: The program is encouraged to investigate the reasons for

differences in attendance levels at adult family member events from site to site

and from event to event and to explore new strategies for increasing attendance at

future events.

Objective 10 

Objective: 10% of Adult family members of regularly participating students (min

30 days attendance) will increase their knowledge of the skills needed to support

their child’s education by attending at least two family literacy and/or parenting

workshops and showing learning gains.

Data Type / Frequency: Survey data acquired at each adult family member

workshop throughout the program year serves as the data for this objective.

How Data Were Analyzed: Data are analyzed based on totals and percentages of

attendees indicating increased knowledge at each workshop throughout the

program year.

Progress Towards Objective: Progress

While limited survey data are available from these workshops, feedback

was generally positive when provided. For example, all 15 adults who

attended Title I Bullying Night at Cambridge Elementary indicated gains,

and all 10 who attended Title I Writing Night at Saturn Elementary

indicated gains. Overall, 73 (88.0%) of 83 adults who completed

workshop surveys indicated gains, while the remaining surveyed adults

indicated they maintained knowledge.

Recommendations: As with Objective 9, the program is encouraged to explore

new strategies for increasing attendance at future adult family member

workshops. Further, it is recommended that the program encourage all attendees

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to fill out surveys at each event in order to obtain as much data as possible for use

in analyzing this objective.

<<‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐>> 

 

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

Overall, Brevard County Zoo Explorers has made outstanding progress towards

implementing the primary activities and services of the 21st CCLC program and made

strong progress towards achieving the approved grant objectives. However, because

of the unique challenges associated with developing a strong and diverse 21st CCLC

program, results presented in this formative report should be viewed as reflecting a

“work in progress” for the current program year, rather than a final outcome. It is

believed that the findings and recommendations within this report will help guide

future efforts toward enhancing the program and furthering progress towards stated

goals and objectives. Within the model of continuous program improvement, several

recommendations for further enhancing this 21st CCLC program are provided. These

are not considered “weaknesses,” as the program is already focused on addressing

many of these challenges and/or implementing these recommendations. Rather, this

section serves to document those areas where the program is planning or should plan

to focus additional attention over the remainder of the operational year.

ENSURE  THE  CONSISTENCY  AND  ACCURACY  OF  ALL  DATA  

During the creation of this year’s Formative Evaluation Report for Brevard Public

Schools 21st CCLC projects, inconsistencies were discovered in data obtained through

reports in the online database utilized by the program. For instance, within the

Student Attendance and Demographics section of this report, a note was made about

gender data on page 35. These inconsistencies have been discussed between the

program’s external evaluator and program leaders, and the program has already

worked with EZReports to address some of the concerns with generated reports. The

program is encouraged to continue communicating with support professionals at

EZReports, the creators of the online database software, in order to resolve these and

future issues. The program’s external evaluator will be involved in addressing this

recommendation.

INCREASE  PERCENTAGES  OF  STUDENTS  WITH  COMPARISON  DATA  

As indicated in regard to specific program objectives, the program is encouraged to

ensure that comparison data is available for as many students possible for each

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objective. It is recommended that each student take a pretest and a posttest for each

objective, if at all possible.

<<‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐END OF REPORT‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐>> 

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If you are interested in learning more about the 

21st Century Community Learning Center Initiative at 

Brevard County Zoo Explorers: 

 

 

Debi Embry District Coordinator 

21st Century Community Learning Centers 

School Board of Brevard County 

2700 Judge Fran Jamieson Way 

Viera, FL  32940‐6601 

(321) 633‐1000 ext. 357 

[email protected] 

 

 

 

http://sacc.brevardschools.org/21CCLC/ZooExplorers 

 

   

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Brevard County Zoo Explorers 

 

REPORT PREPARED BY:  

    

CENTER FOR ASSESSMENT, STRATEGIC PLANNING, EVALUATION AND RESEARCH 

4110 NORTHWEST 64TH STREET GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA 32606 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative is conducted with support from a 

grant from the Bureau of Family and Community Outreach (BFCO) within the Florida Department of 

Education. The overall direction of the initiative is provided by Ms. Lani Lingo, Director of the Florida 

21st CCLC Program. Any questions regarding this report may be directed to the Center for Assessment, 

Strategic Planning, Evaluation and Research. 

    

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“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

― Nelson Mandela

Report Prepared By

Center for Assessment, Strategic Planning, Evaluation and Research (CASPER)