How to Write Goals and Objectives

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How to Write Goals and Objectives
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Overview

• Definitions of Goals and Objectives
• Purpose of Measurable Objectives
• Relationship Between Measurable Objectives and
  the Strategic Plan
• Elements of a Measurable Objective
• Methodology for Writing Measurable
• Objectives
• Tips for Writing Measurable Objectives

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Overview (continued)

• Writing the Objectives
• Strategic Plan
• Purpose of an Evaluation Plan
• Types of Evaluations
• Writing the Evaluation Section
• Question and Answer Period

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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

• GOALS
• Are broad statements that indicate what you hope
  to accomplish in school health.
• Create the setting for what you are proposing.
• Focuses on how a situation will be changed as a
  result of a successful project, not what a
  project will do.

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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

• OBJECTIVES
• Provide an organized pathway to meet your
  higher goals in school health.
• Are operational and measurable.
• Describe specific things you will be
  accomplishing.
• Include the quantitative or qualitative degree,
  amount or level of achievement or change.

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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

• Qualities of an objective S.M.A.R.T.
• Specific. What kind of, or which problem is to be
  addressed.
• Measurable. How much, how many, and how well the
  problem/need will be resolved.
• Action-Oriented. Uses action verbs.
• Reasonable. Result you can expect to achieve.
• Time-bound. Gives specific data for its own
  achievement.

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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

• Sample GOAL
• Our child nutrition program will help
• children learn how to make healthy food
• choices.
• and related OBJECTIVE
• Our child nutrition program will offer two new
  vegetable and two new fruit offerings per week to
  all students during our 6 week Healthy Eating
  Challenge.

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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

• GOALS
• Global statements of the need or
• the problem(s) to be solved by your project.
  
• OBJECTIVES
• What it is your project will accomplish.
• MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES
• Include outcomes that define how the
• participants in the project will be
  different
• as a result.

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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

• PROCESS Objectives
• OUTCOME Objectives

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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

• PROCESS Objectives typically begin with
• words like To develop and To establish
• and describe a process rather than an outcome.

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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

• An example of a process objective
• To establish a district Coordinated School Health
  Leadership Team.
• Attainment measurement of this objective
• is that the objective was met.

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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

• OUTCOME Objectives typically begin with
• words like To increase or To reduce and
  describe a measurable, expected outcome.

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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

• An example of an outcome objective
• To increase the average amount of daily moderate
  to vigorous physical activity of all students in
  grades k-8 by 20 .
• Attainment measurement of this objective
• is that all students increased their average
• daily physical activity by 20.

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Purpose of Measurable Objectives

• Measurable objectives enable members of
• the SHAC and CSH Leadership Team to
• Clarify where they are going
• Clarify when they will get there
• Clarify what they will need to get there
• Assess whether or not they got there.

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Relationship Between Objectives and a Proposal

• Objectives form the basis for the
• activities of a project.
• Make evaluation easier to create if
• objectives and outcomes are clearly
• stated.
• Create a strong sense of integration and
• consistency.

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Elements of a Measurable Objective

• For an objective to be measurable, it must
• include
• an action verb that identifies an
• observable behavior
• the conditions under which the desired
• result should be performed
• the criteria for determining how well and
• when the behavior is to be performed.

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Elements of a Measurable Objective

• Use language such as
• Increase
• Improve
• Eliminate
• Implement
• Maintain
• Seek
• Reduce

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Worksheet for Developing Measurable Objectives
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Methodology for Writing Measurable Objectives

• Measurable objectives are as simple to
• write as A-B-C-D-E.
• A Audience Who will be affected (target
• group)
• B Behavior The observable change
• (knowledge, attitude, behavior,
• process) that will occur in the target
• group because of your project.

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Methodology for Writing Measurable
Objectives(continued)

• C Conditions How the behaviors
• will be observed or measured, including
  the
• instruments to be used.
• D Data Levels of attainment that must
• be met in order for your project to be
  
• called a success (your definition).
• E Era Identifies when the effects of
• your program will be measured.

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Methodology for Writing Measurable
Objectives(continued)

• Following the A-B-C-D-E method
• At the end of the three years of
  implementation (Era), 90 of the students in
  grades k-8 (Audience) will eat (Behavior) at
  least 3 servings of milk products per week
  (Conditions) as measured by increases in annual
  food service sales (Data).

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Tips for Writing Measurable Objectives

• Ask the following questions before and after
• writing the objective
• What is to be increased or decreased?
• How much of an increase or decrease?
• How realistic is the increase or decrease?
• To what extent are objectives OUTCOME
• objectives as opposed to PROCESS
• objectives?

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Tips for Writing Measurable Objectives(continued)

• To what extent are the anticipated results
• being measured with measures that are
• meaningful to you, easy to do, and not too
• numerous?
• To what extent are the objectives related
• directly to the problem(s) to be solved and
• to the goal(s) of the proposal?
• What impact will they have on the
• problem(s)?

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Writing the Objectives

• Objectives Activities Evaluation
• What do you propose to achieve and to
• what extent?
• What will you do to get there?
• How will you know what you did worked?

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Writing the Objectives

• Objectives____Activities Measures

To review, select and implement one of the TEA
approved coordinated school health programs
during the 2006-2007 year.
Form a SHAC/CSH Leadership Team work group to
review and recommend a specific program to be
selected.
A specific program will be selected and all
teachers trained by January 2007
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Purpose of an Evaluation Plan

• Present strategies for collecting data that
  will
• provide evidence that the proposed
  objectives
• have been met.
• Describes exactly how you will decide whether
• or not your project has been successful and
  
• achieved its objectives.
• Demonstrates how you will prove
• you achieved your objective.

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• Types of Evaluations
• -Formative/Process Evaluation
• -Summative/Product Evaluation

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Types of Evaluations (continued)

• Formative/Process Evaluation
• -Sample Question
• How are we doing? Provides for
• ongoing monitoring of the project,
• focuses on processes and short-term
• results.

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Types of Evaluations (continued)

• Summative/Product Evaluation
• -Sample Question
• How did we do? Measures the
• effectiveness of achieving objectives,
• and focuses on the outcomes and
• impacts of the project, as well as the
• processes that affect the outcomes.

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Writing the Evaluation

• Use the clearly stated goals and objectives,
• to determine the purpose of the evaluation
• (what you are attempting to assess) and the
  
• questions that can be asked to determine
  the
• results of the project.
• Include the type of information to be
  collected,
• how it will be collected, and how the data
  will
• be analyzed.

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Writing the Evaluation Section (continued)

• Questions to ask before and after writing the
  evaluation section
• Will carrying it out tell you whether you have
  
• achieved your stated objectives?
• Will carrying it out tell you whether you were
• able to follow your original plan of
  action and
• if not, why?
• Will carrying it out tell you whether you
• completed your project on time and within
  
• fiscal constraints?

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Writing the Evaluation Section (continued)

• Will carrying it out tell you whether your
• project has made a difference?
• How much closer to your goal are you now
• than when you began?
• Is your plan realistic?
• Do you have the resources to capture the
• data?
• Does it measure what matters?
• Is it too ambitious or grandiose for the
• project?

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Summary

• Goals are global statements of the need or
• problem being solved stated as if the
  problem
• has been solved.
• Measurable Objectives are S.M.A.R.T. and can
• be developed using the A-B-C-D-E
• methodology.
• Evaluation can be formative and/or summative
• and is often key to a successful programs
• informs others how you will determine
  whether
• the project was successful.

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• Question and Answer Period

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References

• Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal
• http//www.anrecs.msu.edu/dissthes/hints5.htm
  
• Measurable Objectives If Youre Not Measuring
  It,
• Youre Not Managing It
• http//www.growthassociates.org/Articles/Meas
  urable.html
• Leon County Schools Grant Writers Guide and
  Related
• Resources - Designing a Sound Evaluation
• http//www.tandl.leon.k.12.fl.us/grants/guide
  _deveval4.htm
• Grant Guide
• http//www2.njstatelib.org/njlib/grhdeval.htm
  
• The Foundation Center
• http//www.fdncenter.org