Assessment Guide - 3Levels.org

What

How well do the project process and outcomes align with objectives? The idea:

To understand what’s happening or what happened
To learn from both successes and failures in attaining objectives
To make adjustments during a project or when designing the next one to do even better

Assessment items/questions typically fall into one of these categories:

Item Category	Focus	Included
Participant Engagement	What each participant puts into the project	Timeliness, attitude, attentiveness
Impacts on Participants	What each participant gets out of the project	Meeting learning outcomes
Project Process	How the project is going or went in general	Teamwork quality, limiting factors
Community Impacts	Success in addressing a challenge or need	Immediate and longer term effects

When

Ideally assessment happens at least three times:

Before – to check initial awareness, feelings, beliefs, and previous experiences

During (a.k.a. formative) – to get a sense of how it is going

At the end (a.k.a. summative) – to learn about how it went and measure impacts on attitudes

Why

All project participants can benefit from assessing. It includes reflecting on the consequences of our actions and effectiveness of individual or team approaches. Formative assessment promotes identifying things that are going as planned or not. This allows for adjusting if necessary to maximize positive impacts. Summative assessment promotes identifying take-home lessons and effective planning for future projects.

How

Who assesses what can depend on their availability and knowledge of the process or impacts. Ideally formats and anonymity levels support easy and frank responding. Levels of anonymity include:

None (name included)
Partial (only the advisor knows who provided it)
Full (nobody knows the name of who provided it)

The table below from the Drive Guide shows an example of an assessment plan, excepting the questions/items, which are listed after it.

Example Questions/Items

Recommended minimum grade level is indicated in parentheses after each item. The Drive Guide has many more from which to select.

For Learners in Grades 6+

Before Starting

Name a positive impact you'd like to have on a community in the future. Specify the community (familly, school, town, or other).

How interested are you in doing service activities in the future? Not at all/ Minimally/ Somewhat/ Interested/ Very

If applicable, describe what kind(s) you are most interested in and why.

How important is it to you to be of service to others? Not at all/ Minimally/ Somewhat/ Important/ Very

During the Project

Describe a skill learned in class that has been useful during the project, along with how.

Empathy is defined as the ability to understand and share other people's feelings. Has the project impacted your empathy for one or more community members? If so, describe how.

What has been the most challenging part of the project for you and why?

What has been your favorite part of the project and why?

At the End

Of any community impacts you’ve observed during the project, which is most meaningful to you and why?

How useful do you consider knowledge and skills developed through projects like this to be for your life in general? Not at all/ Minimally/ Somewhat/ Useful/ Very

Describe something you learned about yourself during the project.

For Learners in Grades 9+

Note: These are designed to be possible additions to items also suitable for lower grade levels.

Before Starting

Community service is a type of civic engagement. List three other types.

During the Project

How important do you consider addressing the issue to be? Not at all/ Minimally/ Somewhat/ Important/ Very

Has the project impacted the level of kinship or closeness you feel toward one or more members of the community? If so, how?

At the End

Has the project impacted how you view your role in the community (or your class or school)? If so, how?

If applicable, what type(s) of service activities would you like to take on in the future, and why? Have you committed to any already?

If the project has influenced your thinking about career possibilities, describe how.

If you signed a learner commitments form (or otherwise committed to certain actions to promote project success), assess your follow through in doing what you said you would: None apparent/ Minimal/ Some/ Strong/ Very strong

For Learners in Grades 11+

Note: These are designed to be possible additions to items also suitable for lower grade levels.

Before Starting

Briefly describe a previous service experience, including something that impacted you during it.

During the Project

Describe any perceived limiting factors (e.g., logistics, learner academic or personal skills/knowledge/experience, other) for maximizing the project's success.

If possible, describe a habit or way of thinking that might be limiting/have limited your success or enjoyment during the project, as well as ideas for addressing it.

At the End

If you signed a learner commitments form (or otherwise committed to certain actions to promote project success), assess your follow through in doing what you said you would: None apparent/ Minimal/ Some/ Strong/ Very strong

Describe any lapses along with any steps taken to acknowledge, repair, or prevent future ones.

How would you rate follow-through by the advisor? None apparent/ Minimal/ Some/ Strong/ Very strong

Specify your rationale.

How would you rate follow-through by the organization representative? None apparent/ Minimal/ Some/ Strong/ Very strong

Specify your rationale.

For Educators/Advisors

Participant Engagement

Assess the level of execution by youself and other project participants in one or more of the below areas. If possible provide an idea to improve the efficiency or quality overall for anything less than Usually. Scale: Never/ Rarely/ Sometimes/ Usually/ Consistently

Prioritizing and accomplishing specific tasks

Communicating about needs, challenges, progress, etc.

Collaborating with others (e.g., obtaining and integrating community member input for each project step)

Impacts on Participants

How stressful has the overall project (or individual steps, specified) been on you? Not at all/ Minimally/ Somewhat/ Stressful/ Very

Describe areas in which you perceive potential for you to develop as a project leader

Project Process

Is the project progressing according to the plan? If not, what has changed and why? Do any goals or objectives require revision?

Describe any perceived limiting factors (e.g., logistics, learner academic or personal skills/knowledge/experience, other) for maximizing the project's success

Community Impacts

What community need(s) is the project addressing, and how?

List ideas for making community impacts larger or better.

For Community Partners

Participant Engagement

Assess the level of execution by youself and other project participants in one or more of the below areas. If possible provide an idea to improve the efficiency or quality overall for anything less than Usually. Scale: Never/ Rarely/ Sometimes/ Usually/ Consistently

Fulfilling responsibilities/commitments made at the outset

Prioritizing and accomplishing specific tasks

Communicating about needs, challenges, progress, etc.

Collaborating with others (e.g., obtaining and integrating community member input for each project step)

Do you have any additional feedback about working with the learner?

Impacts on Participants

How stressful has being part of the project (working with the learner) been on you? Not at all/ Minimally/ Somewhat/ Stressful/ Very

Project Process

Is the project progressing according to the plan? If not, what has changed and why? Do you suggest revising any site-related or other objectives?

To what extent has the project reinforced your organization’s work? Not at all/ Minimally/ Somewhat/ Mostly/ Fully

Please list any ideas for making the experience better, for learners, yourself, or others involved

Community Impacts

What community need(s) is the project addressing, and how?

Do you perceive any positive or other impacts from the project?

If there is room for improvement, what might be changed (immediately or next time) to more effectively address community needs or challenges?

For Community Representatives

Participant Engagement

What has your experience been like working with --------- (learner's name)? For each of the items below, select a level, make a comment, or both. Scale: Lacking entirely/ Unsatisfactory/ Neutral/ Satisfactory/ Excellent

Respectful interaction

Professionalism

Communication ability

Interest in others’ needs

Do you have any additional feedback about working with the learner?

Impacts on Participants

Please describe what the project experience (or working with the learner) has been like for you.

Please describe any ways in which you’ve been personally impacted by the project (or by working with the learner).

Project Process

Are there ways in which you'd like to contribute to the project but haven't had an opportunity?

Community Impacts

What community need(s) is the project addressing, and how?

Do you perceive any positive or other impacts from the project?

Please describe any additional community needs or issues you'd like to see this project or others like it address.

If there is room for improvement, what might be changed (immediately or next time) to more effectively address community needs or challenges?