The purpose of this project is to conduct a mid-term evaluation of a nutrition and physical activity intervention four elementary schools so that the intervention team will have information about how the current status of the project. The project has been funded by Group Health Community Foundation and the Injury Free Coalition for Kids initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The project at the schools is called “Start Strong: Walk to School and School Breakfast Program.” The long term purpose of the full evaluation of this program is to assure that school environments and policies are optimally designed to support healthy food choices physical activity. Students will plan, conduct and analyze information about student participation in walking to school and school breakfast and the perceptions of parents and school staff from four Seattle elementary schools: Dearborn Park, Emerson, Maple, and Wing Luke. Beacon Hill does not have this same nutrition and physical activity intervention and will serve as the "control" or comparison school.
Students will develop a report and executive summary that will be presented and disseminated to a variety of stakeholders. The project will be divided into "deliverables." Students will work on these deliverables in teams.
The Class will be organized into four teams for the first set of deliverables.
Prepare a well referenced briefing paper that outlines the current state of knowledge about the food and physical activity environment in elementary schools, policies that impact these food environments and interventions that seek to improve these environments. This paper will be based on a search of medical and social work publications databases, the "grey" literature of web sites and publications sponsored by the government and non-profit organizations. Many references will be reviewed, but the final document will contain only 10-15 of the most high quality, current rigorous review articles and guidelines and recommendations from the most prominent organizations. The backgrounder will answer these questions:
Why are nutrition and physical activity important in elementary schools?
Why is school breakfast important? What are the barriers and enhancers? Are there demographic differences?
Why are walking to school programs important? What are the barriers and enhancers? Are there demographic differences?
What is the current knowledge about the impact of school breakfast and walk-so-school programs?
What do we know about the challenges and barriers to research and evaluation of nutrition and physical activity programs in elementary schools?
Prepare a 30 minute presentation for classmates and other stakeholders.
Prepare a basic key informant interview procedure manual (that includes importance of confidentiality and Human Subjects issues and a brief discussion of the uses and quality of qualitative data) for your classmates. There are several good resources on the Web. You might want to start with a good general overview, Conducting Key Informant Interviews and progress to more details with The Survey Kit,
Conduct a pilot of the interview guide and procedures with at least 5 respondents, including parents of grade school children, teachers and school administrators.
Prepare a 40-50 minute basic hands-on raining on organizing and conducting key informant interviews for your classmates.
Develop a plan for recording, compiling and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data from the interviews and "hands-up" student data.
Develop drafts of tables and charts that will be filled with data for the final report
Prepare a 20 minute presentation for your classmates.
Develop a Communications Plan that includes:
Who: List potential audiences (internal and external) for the results of this project
What: What do you want to communicate to your potential audiences? What outcome do you want? What would make them pay attention?
Where: Where is your audience? Where does your audience get information?
When: When do the communications products need to be completed? When will your potential audiences be paying attention?
Why: Why would the potential audiences care or take action?
How: What tools and channels will you use?
Prepare outlines for the detailed final report, the executive summary and the powerpoint presentation.
Present the plan and the outlines to the class in a 20 minute presentation.
About 3 pages that can easily be scanned by policy makers in less than 5 minutes. Key results and recommendations should stand out. Data should appear in tables or charts. The document should include a concise summary, bullets and plenty of white space.
January 5 |
Introduction and BackgroundKirsten Frandsen, Katy Busby, Mollie Greaves
Mary Podrabsky
Donna Johnson
Getting Organized
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January 12 |
Work with team on Phase One deliverables.
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January 19 |
Work with team on Phase One Deliverables and other tasks to prepare for data collection
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January 26 |
Present Phase One DeliverablesDivide into New Action Teams and Plan for Next Steps |
February 2 |
Data collection
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February 9 |
Data collection
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February 16 |
Data collection |
February 23 |
Work with Team on Phase Two Deliverables |
March 2 |
Work with Team on Phase Two Deliverables |
March 9 |
Work with Team on Phase Two Deliverables |
March 13 |
Group Presentation |
| Points | |
Group |
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| Each of the protocols, briefing papers, plans for data collection, analysis and distribution\, presentations and training demonstrate comprehension and appropriate application of basic concepts learned in class for cultural competence, evidence based practice, practical program evaluation, and relationships with coalitions and partnerships. | 85 |
| Organization and presentation of final products | 15 |
Individual |
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| Successful participation in steps of phase one, data collection, data compilation and analysis, and product development. Evaluation methods will include evaluations from site supervisors and observation during classroom activities. | 40 |
| Role in phase one and final presentations | 10 |
| Rating of individual effort by other members of group | 50 |
| 200 |