Evaluation of New and Existing Programs 6-26

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Policy 6-26

INSTRUCTION

Evaluation of New and Existing Programs

1. Purpose

   The School Division will employ a systematic approach to program evaluation for the purpose of maintaining relevant, high quality programs. It is expected that results from program evaluations will be used for continuous improvement. For the purposes of this Policy, programs are defined as all educational programs and initiatives that impact students or staff that are currently in operation or being planned for implementation that operate with local resources. This Policy does not apply to programs and initiatives that are funded solely through external grant funds with evaluations completed by external evaluators or funded solely through school-based funds and managed by the school.

2. Evaluation of New Programs

   All new programs will be evaluated for a minimum of two years. The year-one evaluation will focus on the implementation of the program, while the year-two evaluation will focus on program outcomes, progress made toward meeting the program’s goals and objectives, and program effectiveness. Programs that have been designed to take more than two years to fully implement will also be evaluated during the year in which the program reaches full implementation. This full-implementation evaluation will focus on the accomplishment of the program’s goals and objectives and program effectiveness.

   In accordance with School Board Regulation 6-24.2, as amended, a formal written report will be reviewed by the Planning and Performance Monitoring Committee (PPMC) and provided to the School Board. Each evaluation will include a recommendation to continue the program without modifications, continue the program with modifications, expand the program, or discontinue/phase out the program. If a new program is recommended for continuation without modifications following its final evaluation, the program will not be eligible again for evaluation until after one annual evaluation cycle has passed. After that period, the program will be classified as an existing program and will be evaluated in accordance with section C of this Policy. All new program proposals shall include a sunset provision in accordance with School Board Regulation 6-24.2. Program evaluations for these programs shall adhere to established timelines.

3. Evaluation of Existing Programs

   Existing programs will be evaluated based on an annual Program Evaluation Schedule which will be developed by the Program Evaluation Committee and approved by the School Board annually. The composition of this committee will be determined by the Superintendent and may include representatives from the Office of Research and Evaluation, the Department of Teaching and Learning, the Department of School Leadership, the Office of Professional Growth and Innovation, appropriate school-based personnel, and/or community members.

   Existing programs will be prioritized by the Program Evaluation Committee based on the following factors:

   1. Alignment with the School Division’s strategic plan and School Board goals;
   2. Program cost;
   3. Program scale;
   4. Cross-departmental interest;
   5. Community/stakeholder interest in the program;
   6. Availability of information on the program’s effectiveness; and
   7. Date of most recent evaluation.
4. Program Status Assessment

   Once the existing programs are recommended by the Program Evaluation Committee and approved by the Superintendent, the Office of Research and Evaluation will conduct an assessment of each program to determine the recommended course of action for the program prior to reviewing the Program Evaluation Schedule with the PPMC and seeking approval of the School Board. This assessment will investigate the extent to which the program’s goals, objectives, activities, and outcomes are connected, plausible, well defined, and measurable. Based on the outcome of this assessment, the program will be scheduled for an Evaluation Readiness Report or a Comprehensive Evaluation as described below:

   1. Evaluation Readiness Report

      For those programs scheduled for an Evaluation Readiness Report, the Office of Research and Evaluation will assist program staff in defining measurable goals and objectives, as well as linkages with activities and outcomes. An Evaluation Readiness Report focusing on the outcomes of this process and baseline data (if available) will be presented to the Superintendent, PPMC, and School Board with a recommendation regarding future evaluation plans for the program. If appropriate based on the evaluation readiness process, the program will be scheduled for a Comprehensive Evaluation.

   2. Comprehensive Evaluation

      For those programs scheduled for a Comprehensive Evaluation, the Office of Research and Evaluation will complete an evaluation focused on the implementation of the program, outcomes of the program, and program effectiveness. Upon completion of the evaluation, a formal report with findings and recommendations will be provided to the Superintendent, PPMC, and School Board and will include a recommendation to: a) continue the program without modifications; b) continue the program with modifications; c) expand the program; or d) discontinue/phase out the program. Programs that are continued with modifications may require additional program evaluations to monitor the implementation of any School Board approved modifications. If a program is continued without modifications, the program will not be eligible again for evaluation until after one annual evaluation cycle has passed.

5. In addition, all existing programs that receive a comprehensive evaluation may be subject to the inclusion of a sunset provision at the discretion of the Superintendent and/or the School Board. If a sunset provision is applied to an existing program, future program evaluations shall adhere to established timelines.

Related Links

School Board Regulation 6-24.2

Adopted by School Board: September 5, 2007
Amended by School Board: February 5, 2008
Amended by School Board: June 2, 2009
Scrivener’s Amendments: September 28, 2011
Scrivener’s Amendments: January 8, 2014
Amended by School Board: September 16, 2014
Amended by School Board: September 24, 2019
Amended by School Board: August 25, 2020