For out-of-school programs to learn more about how they serve children and youth, it is important that they invest in outcome evaluations, according to the fourth part of the Child Trends research series on Practical Evaluation Methods.

An outcome evaluation investigates whether changes occur for participants in a program and, if so, why. Evaluating outcomes for program participants is vital because it allows for ongoing quality management and serves as an indicator that the program is maintaining a level of effectiveness.

Outcome evaluations can be conducted at different points in the development of a program, but experts do not typically recommend conducting such evaluations for start-ups. Outcome and process evaluations are imperative because program practitioners or participants may believe a program is effective, but that needs to be proved objectively.

Another brief (second link) from Child Trends describes why process evaluations are important, when they should be used and how they can be a useful tool for out-of-school program practitioners.

The brief also focuses on guidelines and strategies for implementing process evaluations and provides some concrete examples that illustrate their usefulness. It concludes with a list of helpful resources for out-of-school time program practitioners.

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