Evaluation of a Career Center

Improving the Career Center and finding new directions for future growth and development call for both formative and summative evaluations.  Examples include:

Formative

• Progress related to GO Center objectives.

• Success of individual programs, computers, audiovisual activities.

• Effectiveness of GO Center operations.

Summative

What effect did the GO Center have on students--now and later?

Was the GO Center an effective means of providing needed career guidance and/or career education experiences and activities?

• Programs and activities

• Impact on users

• Center use

• Community awareness and support

Suggested evaluation questions:

• Are the environmental conditions favorable to promoting good learning?

• Is the existing space adequate in size, location, and configuration?

• Is the Center adequately staffed to meet client/student needs?

• How helpful are Center staff in assisting students and community?

• Is staff time allocated so that services can be provided in an effective and efficient way?

• Does the Center contain a variety of career information resources?

• What materials are used most frequently by Center students/staff?

• How many career materials does Center contain?

• Are the materials readily accessible to students and staff?

• What types of equipment does the Center have?

• Is there sufficient equipment to meet the needs of students/staff?

• Is the equipment in good working order?

• What equipment is used most often?

• What programs, services and/or activities do Center students/staff find most useful?

• How many and what types of programs, services and activities were initiated by the Center?

• How many students/staff visited the Center?

• What proportion of the population for whom the Center is designed utilized the facility?

• What student-centered objectives were met through Center utilization?

• Were the student's career development awareness and skills increased?

• Have more teachers incorporated career development activities or information into their instruction as a result of the Center?

• Were products or outcomes evaluated?

• What is the level of community awareness of the Center's objectives, activities, and availability?

After the objectives, activities, and resources that have been identified to evaluate, consider what approaches can be used to gather/collect data.  Data can come from numerous sources:

• Interviews

• Questionnaires

• Observations

• Ratings

• Records

• Tests

• Documents

GCIS has a method for evaluating the number of students/staff use of GCIS.

Most evaluation efforts will require a combination of data sources.  Files and logs documenting Center activity should be maintained and examined on a regular basis.  Some career centers maintain a sign-in log to record the number of individuals who use the center.  A short questionnaire can be used to elicit student/staff feedback.  An example questionnaire is included:

STUDENT/STAFF QUESTIONNAIRE

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