Evaluation Strategies for After-School Programs: Evaluation provides objective measures of the value of JA programs. JA has a 10-year history of supporting strong external studies of its programs to demonstrate their effectiveness and increase program improvement.

JA plans to conduct the following evaluations of its new after-school programs:

1. Formative evaluation of JA after-school programs during their pilot phase to maximize the quality and effectiveness of program materials, activities, and implementation guides.

2. Summative evaluation of JA after-school programs during their first full year of implementation to assess student outcomes and stakeholder satisfaction.

3. Summative evaluation of an existing JA after-school high school program in Boston (JA Academy) to determine if some aspects of this program might be incorporated into JA’s new after-school high school program mix.

4. State-specific summative evaluation of JA after-school programs in New Hampshire, including analysis of program alignment with New Hampshire’s academic and curriculum standards. 

Specific student outcomes will also be measured to gauge the initial, intermediate, and long-term effects of the new JA after-school programs.