Facts In Action

Performance outcomes, program outcomes, and outcome measurement are all terms that we hear more and more frequently today with respect to human service programs, including child care. But what do they really mean?

Put simply, outcomes are any changes or benefits that people — in this case, children — experience as a result of participating in an activity or program. Outcome measurement is a way of determining whether or not a program is making a difference in the lives of the people it serves.

Outcome measurement is a way of determining whether or not a program is making a difference in the lives of the people it serves

Outcome measurement is really a process that involves identifying what your program is designed to achieve, how your program plans to measure its impact, and how data will be collected and used to improve your program. Outcomes that child care programs often strive to achieve include children's health, child-teacher relationships, and cognitive development. Daily teacher progress notes, child assessment forms, health records, and attendance records can all serve as tools in tracking the outcomes of a program.

Why should we measure outcomes? There are several reasons, the most important of which are:

• to document our achievements - that is, what we contribute to children's total development and how children are better off from being in our programs

• to communicate what we do to others, including parents, funders, policymakers, and potential teachers

• to strengthen and support our programs by letting us know what is working and what isn't so that we can reinforce some things or make adjustments to others.

• It is also important to measure outcomes because government and other funders are looking for programs to demonstrate "accountability" for the funds that they provide. In other words, they want to be sure that their dollars are being put to good use.

Now is a good time to develop your own model of outcome measurement to help set the standard and shape the process for what may be required in the future. In this way, you and your program can decide on what things are most important to measure.

In future editions of Facts in Action, we will provide information to help you develop ways to measure outcomes in your program. We will talk about the pros and cons of the tools that currently exist, and talk to teachers who have used them in the classroom (see the example from Columbus, Ohio.) And we'll report on new strategies we've found.

Source:
Measuring Program Outcomes: A Practical Approach, United Way of America, 1996.

Facts in Action, March 2000