Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
MEDT 8480
Dr. Westine
December 4, 2016
insight and abilities they need to possess their economic success, plan for their future and make
clever educational and financial choices. JA offers programs for young people in grades K-12
(JuniorAchievement.org, 2014). Their various programs help prepare young people for the real
world by showing them how to produce prosperity and successfully handle it, how to generate
jobs which cause their communities to be stronger. Additionally, JAs programs teach young
JA-MBA EVALUATION REPORT 2
individuals how to apply innovative thinking to the workplace. Then, they put these teachings
into hands-on activities and learn the importance of giving back to their communities.
JA was founded in 1919 by Theodore Vail. It began as an after-school program for high
school students. Since then, Junior Achievement has broadened its activities and expanded its
opportunities to include in-school and after-school students for all age levels. JA employs people
and centers throughout the United States (JuniorAchievment.org, 2014). Luckily, the state of
Georgia is one of these areas that benefits from the commitment and programs offered by JA.
Junior Achievement (JA) of Georgia focuses on empowering programs that propel long-
term outcomes in areas of financial literacy, career readiness and nurturing the innovative
young people will comprehend the chances and certainties of work and life in the 21st century.
By developing a generation of individuals who are equipped with the certainty, wisdom and
fortitude to flourish, better futures will be built for themselves and their communities.
Junior Achievement of Georgia and Fulton County Schools. The magnet school is located inside
Banneker High School and is comprised of 9th and 10th grade students. Banneker's JA program
is 98% African American, 1% Hispanic, 0.2% White/non-Hispanic, and 0.8% other. There is a
50:50 male/ female ratio. Most of the students come from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Banneker High School is a Title 1 school where 90% of the students receive free or reduced-
priced lunches.
JA-MBA EVALUATION REPORT 3
Why is JA-MBA so important to the students at Banneker High School? JA-MBA uses
Junior Achievement of Georgias mission and has infused the concepts of career readiness,
business, marketing, financial literacy and entrepreneurship into its English Language Arts,
Math, Science, and Social Studies classes. By providing these engaging and relevant classes,
students will be more ready for college or the work environment when they graduate from high
The President and CEO of Junior Achievement USA believe that, the success of our
nation can flourish through young people with a desire to dream big and change the world
High School are actively involved in a rigorous curriculum. This curriculum provides students
with opportunities to earn college credit through Advanced Placement classes. These classes give
students a laborious mental workout while improving their study skills and ability to manage
time. Additionally, students are provided the opportunities to participate in hands-on activities on
various job sites. By visiting these job sites, students can get to see personally and observe some
of the responsibilities they may or may not encounter. Also, it aids them in making a
knowledgeable conclusion about whether they want to pursue a profession in a particular field.
Bannekers seniors are able to participate in internships which helps them gain work experience
and opportunities to make good career choices. JA-MBAs goal is to produce students that are
self-assured, educated, and skilled in taking control of their futures so that they can achieve their
Table 1
JA-MBA EVALUATION REPORT 4
Evaluation Purpose
Junior Achievement Magnet Business Academy (JA-MBA) in the Fulton County School
District has been in effect only two short years. Therefore, Dr. Ava Debro, the primary
stakeholder, realizes that the program needs to be evaluated to help her and its stakeholders
(administrators, students, parents, and Fulton County Schools) determine if the program needs
the certainty, wisdom and courage to flourish in the 21st century. The evaluation will also help
stakeholders acquire a greater understanding of the program and help them conclude if the
program goals and objectives are being met. If JA-MBAs goals are not being met, then the
JA-MBA EVALUATION REPORT 5
stakeholders will realize that they need to revisit their objectives or their methods of attaining
them. The relationship between JA and Banneker High School has only been in practice for two
years. Assessing their program outcomes and the methods of achieving their goals is of
importance to the success of this union. Currently, it is believed that JA-MBA is experiencing
stakeholders with the information needed in determining if the program goals are being achieved.
The formative evaluation will target obtaining feedback from student pre/post test scores from
the financial literacy course and student surveys completed by students who completing the
course. In addition, responses recorded in student case study journals and interviews with
students who have completed the program will provide feedback for evaluators. Site facilitators
surveys assessing student knowledge and application of skills in the workplace, will also help
determine the merit of the JA- MBA program. Lastly, the data collected by the stakeholders from
the surveys completed by students, parents, and business leaders will provide additional evidence
According to Alkin (2011), formative questions also might seek to answer whether a
specific program activities had been implemented and, if not, what program modifications or
changes might be appropriate (p.188). Furthermore, four evaluation questions had been
providing young people the insight and abilities they need to possess their economic success,
plan for their future and make clever educational and financial choices.
JA-MBA EVALUATION REPORT 6
1. To what extent has JA-MBA increased financial literacy for the students? Are the students able to
(via behavior and performance) to the real world scenarios provided by jobsite visits and case
Evaluation Team
The evaluation team consisted of four evaluators Alexcia Moore, Kim Spain, Kaywanna
School in Douglas, Georgia. She has over twenty-three years experience teaching elementary
students in first, third, and fifth grades. This year she currently teaches third-grade English
Language Arts. She is currently in her last semester at the University of West Georgia. In
December, she will complete the requirements necessary in obtaining her Specialist Degree in
Instructional Technology. She is currently in her final semester and is graduating in December
2016. Ms. Spain possesses great leadership skills as demonstrated in her previous positions held
during her teaching career. She has served as Student Support Team Chairperson, Grade Level
Lead Teacher, Literacy Team Representative, Leadership Team Representative, PBIS Team
Leader, Gifted Committee Member, SACS Accreditation Committee, SWAT Team Member, and
School Spirit Committee. As a Leadership Team Representative, she has assisted in gathering
data and writing the Striving Readers Grant. In addition, she helped revise ICEs mission,
vision, and goals for SIP. Ms. Spain has also served on the third-grade ELA Unit Refinement
JA-MBA EVALUATION REPORT 7
Team and assisted in creating assessments for the county. In 2009, she was a nominee for ICE
Teacher of the Year, additionally; in 2015 she was awarded the title.
Kaywana Stewart is a RTI/SST Intervention Specialist for Atlanta Public Schools. She
uses best practices to provide support to teachers to assist students who may be struggling
academically. She has over twelve years of teaching experience. She began her career in Fulton
County Schools as a Middle Grades Social Studies teacher. After one year of teaching, she went
on to obtain her Gifted Endorsement. She has taught Social Studies at all three grades. She later
went on to become the Department Chair for Social Studies. Being a passionate teacher and
seeker of knowledge, she later went on to obtain her Masters degree in Curriculum and
Instruction. After several years as the Department Chair at a middle school in South Fulton
County, she was offered a position at an IB Middle School in Atlanta Public Schools. It was not
long before she was offered the Gifted Lead Teacher position. Within that position, she provided
teacher support in the area of Gifted Education, maintained student records, requested placement
for newly identified Gifted Students and provided professional development to staff. Kaywana is
currently an Ed.S candidate at the University of West Georgia. She will fulfill her degree
Shuntia Wallace is a Visual arts instructor in Fulton County Schools, with over fifteen
years of teaching experience. Shuntia began her career with Clayton County Public Schools
(2000-2015). While in Clayton County, Shuntia served on the SACS Accreditation Team for
Drew High School (2009-10) and she served as lead High School Visual Arts Teacher, for
Clayton County (2010-12). Currently Shuntia is employed by Fulton County Schools, and is the
Co-Department Chair of Fine Arts for Creekside High School, where she routinely evaluates
Fine Arts Programs and Instructors using standards from the Georgia Professional Standards
JA-MBA EVALUATION REPORT 8
Commission. Ms. Wallace is currently completing the Specialist Degree Program in
The fourth and final evaluator is Alexcia Moore. Alexcia is an Ed.S. candidate at the
University of West Georgia. She will complete her degree in Instructional Technology in the
spring of 2017. She is the proud mother of two children, ages 1 and 4. She is a native of Decatur,
Georgia. She enjoys relaxing, spending time with family, and vacationing. Mrs. Moore currently
works as a 3rd grade educator in the DeKalb County School District and has been teaching for 6
years. Her career goal is to step outside the classroom and help to improve the efficiency and
transformative uses of technology that promote student learning through best teaching practices.
Methodology
gathered, both survey and achievement data and identified the impact JA-MBA had on students
financial literacy by gauging the decision making skills and career choices as it relates to
selecting careers within finance and business. In gathering and analyzing data, evaluators looked
for a correlation between program participation and increased achievement and financial literacy.
Evaluators also used surveys to gather data regarding program satisfaction. Achievement test
such as the End of Course Assessments and Advance Placement Exam scores were used to
determine whether JA-MBA had impacted students achievement. In addition to achievement test
we analyzed students performance data within their related core content areas (Business
Computer Science, Economics and Math). We analyzed the end of course data and advance
placement data for students who were enrolled in the program compared to those who were not
EQ1: To what extent has JA-MBA increased financial literacy for the students? Are the students
EQ2: To what extent has JA-MBA increased student achievement in the areas of business
EQ3: To what extent are the students of JA-MBA able to apply what they have learned in the
classroom (via behavior and performance) to the real world scenarios provided by jobsite visits
Using mixed methods provided a variation in data collection that lead to greater validity.
It allowed evaluators to answer the evaluation questions from a number of different perspectives
and helped ensure that there are no gaps in the collection of information (Creswell, 2003). We
used mixed methods to collect data for the evaluation of JA-MBA. Mixed methods research
offers great promise for practicing researchers who would like to see methodologists describe
and develop techniques that are closer to what researchers actually use in practice (Johnson &
participants participation in the program and increased percentages in the number of students
who completed/ passed AP courses, and increased achievement on Advanced Placement Exams
and End of Course Exams. Within this evaluation, the evaluators analyzed surveys, and
achievement data. Evaluators used surveys to identify linkages between program participation
and informed financial decision making skills (did students assess needs over wants; did students
JA-MBA EVALUATION REPORT 10
consider the prices of items or compare prices between items; whether or not students have a
savings plan and/or budget). A large sum of the data came from surveys; therefore, evaluators
identified metrics to quantify survey data. Survey data was used to identify the number of
participants that were considering a career in business and finance or who had decided to major
in finance and business as a result of participating in the program. In addition, the survey data
will be used to identify possible patterns regarding the type of student who chose career paths in
business and finance as a result of participating in the program. Survey data allowed researchers
to gauge program satisfaction of participants, their parents and partnering businesses. Since the
program is relatively new, determining causation may be difficult. The evaluators also surveyed
and analyzed the achievement data of that of their peers (students of the same age and grade
level at Banneker High School who did not participate in the program).
Data
Those approaches included pre and post test scores from financial literacy courses, completed
(Pre/ Post
JA-MBA EVALUATION REPORT 11
Scores)
Question 1 X X X X
Question 2 X
Question 3 X X
Question 4 X X
Evaluators used a variety of assessment tools (i.e. surveys, Advance Placement tests and
questions.
Faculty Attitudes
Educational Outcomes
Findings
JA-MBA EVALUATION REPORT 12
The survey data showed that the financial literacy obtained through the JA-MBA program
had impacted the way students who were in the program made decisions about spending,
savings, and investing. Eighty-five percent of the students who participated in the program
appear to make financially responsible decisions (assessing needs over wants prior to spending,
comparing costs for similar products) prior to spending. The other 15 % of participants did not
make financially responsible decisions but after further investigations, evaluators found that
outside factors such as, parents and peers, and prior financial habits had the greatest impact on
students. Nevertheless, students did have advance knowledge as it relates to spending, savings,
and investing. This did not impact the way the students made decisions related to spending,
savings and investing. In addition, they have more knowledge about savings and investing than
The survey data also indicated that most students, parents, and benefactors are pleased
with the JA-MBA program. According to the surveys, 96% percent of the people who took the
survey (teachers, parents, students, and benefactors), were pleased with the structure of the
program and the skills it provides to students. The data also shows an increase in the number of
students who go on to pursue careers and advanced degrees in finance and business. Eighty
JA-MBA EVALUATION REPORT 13
percent of the students who participated in the program have pursued careers and advanced
degrees in finance and business, and they accredit their choice for a career pathway into finance
that students were able to transfer the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to real world
applications.
Satisfied
Not satisfied
Through our dealings with school personnel, it appears that they are mostly concerned
with student achievement. After disaggregating and analyzing the data for 50 participants of JA-
MBA and 50 students who were not enrolled in the JA-MBA program with similar
demographics, evaluators found that 25% of the students who participated in the program passed
the Advanced Placement exam with a score of 3 or higher, compared to the students who were
not enrolled in the program. Only 5% of the students who were not enrolled in the program
scored a 3 or higher on the AP Exam at the end of the year. There appears to be a direct
Placement Exam. When analyzing the Georgia Milestone End of Course Exams of the 50
students who were in the program and those who were not, it appears that participation in the
JA-MBA EVALUATION REPORT 14
program did not have a huge impact on achievement as it relates to the End of Course Exam. Ten
percent of the students who participated in JA-MBA had a 5% percent increase in achievement
on the End of Course Test compared to 8% of students who were not in the program but also had
a 5% increase in achievement. The advance decision making skills obtained in the course did
not make a significant difference in achievement; individual instructors had a greater impact on
Conclusion
In conclusion, the survey data and the achievement data shows that participation in the
Junior Achievement Magnet Business Academy at Banneker High School has increased students
financial literacy which has led to more informed decision making skills as it relates to spending,
program provided students with skills and knowledge about finance and business that they were
able to transfer and apply within the real world. Site supervisors reported that students were able
to interact positively with peers and clients in the workplace, network, build lasting partnerships
and forge relationships with other groups within the company. Students who participated in the
program had critical thinking and decision making skills that surpassed that of their peers.
Banneker High School are continue to build relationships with all stakeholders including school
administrators, teachers, parents, partnerships, and benefactors to assure that the program is
JA-MBA EVALUATION REPORT 15
operating on JA-MBAs foundational principles of the financial literacy and economic success of
young people.
team/ focus group be put in place for future years. We feel that it will provide the program
significant evaluative information that could be garnered from this methodology. These
educators have a great deal of insight to the program. Their feedback could shed light on
We understand that the JA-MBA program is hosted at Banneker High School and is open
to all Fulton County high school students. The Fulton County School district stretches 70 miles
long with over 96,000 students (2016). It may prove to be difficult for parents on the north end of
the county to drive their students to Bannekers site in South Fulton. We recommend the program
consider another host school in North Fulton to open up more opportunities for students in
Fulton County to benefit from this program that is positively influencing students business
Regarding Banneker High Schools junior and senior students, we recommend that JA-
MBA consider opening their program entry requirements to juniors and seniors. This will extend
the financial, hands-on practices that are the foundation and heart of JA-MBA. It will also leave
a fresh imprint on students as they prepare for collegiate level studies and endeavors.
JA-MBA EVALUATION REPORT 16
References
https://apscore.collegeboard.org/scores/about-ap-scores
Alkin, M. C. (2011). Evaluation Essentials from A to Z. New York: The Guilford Press.
Fulton County Schools (2016). Banneker High School Website. Retrieved from
http://school.fultonschools.org/hs/banneker/Pages/JAMBA.aspx
Johnson, R. B., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2004). Mixed Methods Research: A Research Paradigm
Whose Time Has Come. Educational Researcher, 33(7), 14-26.
Johnson, E., & Sherraden, M. S. (2007). From Financial Literacy to Financial Capability among
Youth. J. Soc. & Soc. Welfare, 34, 119.
PR, N. (2016, May 6). Georgia STEM Day: Randstad US and Junior Achievement to Show
Stirgus, E. (2015). Bottom line on learning: financial literacy needed: Gwinnett County schools
Van Scotter, R. (1996). Starting Early: Junior Achievement's Elementary School Program.
Walstad, W. B., Rebeck, K., & MacDonald, R. A. (2010). The effects of financial education on
the financial knowledge of high school students. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 44(2),
336-357.