Final Paper

By
Devon Saggers
PADM S688: Program Evaluation
University of Alaska Southeast
Instructor: Dr. Kathlene DiLorenzo
July 29, 2023

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running head: FINAL PAPER PADM S688

Introduction

This program strives to achieve a goal of increasing empathy towards students

with cognitive disabilities of autism, ADHD, Tourette’s syndrome, and dyslexia so that
students with these disorders can experience social acceptance that critical for social
well-being and academic success. The evaluation team will consist of me the
researcher, two grade three teachers, two teaching assistants, and the parents of child
in the selected classrooms who has been diagnosed with any of the four cognitive
disabilities mentioned above. My role and responsibilities of evaluator would be to
gather and analyze the data from questionnaires given by the teachers, teaching
assistants, and parents at the beginning and end of the school year regarding the
mental health outcomes with the children with these cognitive disabilities and levels of
social acceptance of them that were observed by the teaching staff and their parents.
While the responsibilities of the teachers, teaching assistants, and parents involved
would be to answer the survey questions regarding their observations throughout the
school year. Also, throughout the school year, in the selected class in the study,
awareness programs designed to increased empathy for the non-special needs children
towards the children with cognitive disorders, as well as make the children aware of the
dynamics of autism, ADHD, Tourette’s syndrome, and dyslexia, so they can recognize
symptoms of those who have yet to be diagnosed would be implemented.

The stakeholders in this program evaluation are children with autism, ADHD,
Tourette’s syndrome, and dyslexia, their parents, their teachers, the school board, and
the unnamed billionaire philanthropist with autism who is funding this experiment
through his foundation called the “Acceptance Foundation for children with cognitive
disabilities”, along with the board of directors for this foundation. The general interest of
all these stakeholders is a classroom environment where children with cognitive
disabilities are socially accepted and not bullied, so that they can thrive academically
and socially. If the goal of this study is successful, the model used in the controlled
classroom to increase awareness and acceptance of children with cognitive disabilities
can be implemented worldwide and to help them become productive adults.

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Stakeholder Analysis

Stakeholder Type/Purpose Expectations Potential Perceived - Engagement/Communication

Contribution Attitudes/Risks Strategy
Special Needs - Subjects - Social - Increased - Unaware - None
acceptance from
students in the study children without social skills
special needs and
increased
- Positive school
environment academic
and social
-Better academic
and social
performance
progress

Non-special needs - Subjects - New - Increased - Unaware - None

students in the study friendships awareness of
with children children with
with special special needs
needs
Parents of special - Subjects - Increased - Feedback - Supportive - Beginning and End of School
needs students in the levels of social year survey questionnaires
study acceptance of - Increased regarding the progress of their
their children awareness of children who have special
with special children with
needs
needs
special needs
- Meetings
- E-mail and phone
Parents of non- - Crowd - Their children - Increased - Unaware - None
special needs developing awareness of
positive social
students in the study relationships with children with
special needs special needs
students

Teachers/Teacher’s - Subjects - Increased - Feedback - Supportive - Beginning and End of School

assistants of both levels of social year survey questionnaires
special needs/non- acceptance of - Increased regarding the progress of their
special needs children with awareness of students who have special
special needs children with
students in the study needs
special needs
- Meetings
- E-mail and phone
School board - Context - Increased - Feedback - Supportive - E-mail
Settlers levels of social
acceptance of - - Phone
children with Partnerships
special needs - Meetings
- Joint
ventures
Board of Directors for - Players - Increased - Feedback - Leading - E-mail
“Acceptance levels of social
Foundation for acceptance of - Funding - Phone
children with children with
special needs - Joint - Meetings
cognitive disabilities” ventures
-
Partnerships
Unnamed billionaire - Players - Increased - Feedback - Leading - E-mail
with autism who is levels of social
acceptance of - Funding - Phone
funding this study
children with - Partnerships - Meetings
special needs

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Activities and Outcomes
Activities
 Awareness training of non-
special needs children regarding
the nature of Autism, ADHD,
Tourette’s Syndrome, and
Dyslexia in third grade at Selkirk
Elementary School in
Whitehorse.
 Surveys of parents and
teachers of the children with
these cognitive disabilities
informing the researcher of the
progress regarding the special
needs children in program.
Short-Term Objectives
 Peace of mind for parents of
special-needs children in the
survey knowing that their child
is doing well academically and
socially.
 Social acceptance by the
peers of the special- needs
children in the study.
 Increase levels of academic
success by special-needs
students in the study.
 Lower incidence of bullying in
the classroom.
 An increase in the self-
esteem and confidence of
students with special needs
in the class.
 New friends for the non-
special needs students in the
study.
 Easier classroom to manage
for the teacher & teaching
assistants.
Intermediate Objectives Long-term Goals
 Increased funding from
government and
philanthropic non-profits to
access resources to help
special-needs students at
the school.
 Replication of the program in schools
throughout the world at every grade-
 Social acceptance and
level and higher education facilities
friendship of special-
such as universities.
needs students at the
school by their peers.
 Greater public awareness of
ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, and
 Lower incidence of
Tourette’s Syndrome.
bullying.
 Lower incidence of behavioral
 Increased participation in the
economy and society by people with
problems with special-need these cognitive disabilities.
students because of bullying,
and social isolation.
 Social acceptance of people with these
disabilities.
 Increased academic
performance of special-
needs students.
 Lower incidence of
disciplinary actions against
special-needs students such
as detention, suspensions,
and expulsions.
 Increase satisfaction of
teaching staff regarding
their jobs and lower staff
turnover.
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running head: FINAL PAPER PADM S688

Logic Model

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Outcomes Measurement

Short-term Outcomes Measurement Overview

This project takes place over two decades with three separate windows of
measurement over three separate time intervals during the cognitively disability
awareness study. The first window of measurement for this project takes place in two
grade 3 classrooms over the over the course of the school year. A week before the start
of the school year at Selkirk Elementary in Whitehorse, surveys by teachers and
parents of children with cognitive disabilities will be conducted; asking questions
regarding the children and the same surveys will again be conducted at the end of the
school year. The second time interval will take place in grade 8 in which the same
surveys will be conducted with the same parents of the cognitively disabled children
from the original grade 3 classrooms, but also with the current grade 8 teachers of the
children. Finally, when the cognitively disabled children from the original grade 3
classroom study reaches the age of twenty, a separate survey asking them about their
life accomplishments and experiences will be conducted.
The short-term outcomes are for the cognitively disabled children, their non-disabled
peers, their parents, and their teachers. The midterm outcomes are for the same
children, and other cognitive disable students, their parents, and current teachers while
they are in grade 8. Finally, the long-term outcomes are for the children themselves
after finishing high school.

Measurement tools for parents of children with cognitive disabilities short-term

outcomes

 In-person survey of the parents at the beginning and end of the school year
asking questions regarding how many times their child a) endured bullying during
the past month. b) Does their child have any friends from the past school year. c)
Their child’s level of enthusiasm for attending school. d) How often their child’s
teacher reported their child enduring bullying and social rejection by their peers
during the past school year. e) How is their child’s current self-esteem. f) Their
child’s academic performance.

Measurement tools for teachers and teaching assistants of children with

cognitive disabilities short-term outcomes

 In-person survey of the teachers and teaching assistants at the end of the third
month and end of the school year asking a) how often they observed their
students with cognitive disabilities enduring bullying by their non-disabled peers.
b) Observable acceptance of social acceptance of the children with cognitive
disabilities as either good, average, or bad. d) Rating the cognitively disabled
children’s observable self-esteem as either good, average, or bad. e) The

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cognitively disabled child’s academic performance. f) The disabled child’s

enthusiasm for participation of classroom activities as good, average, or bad.

Short-term outcomes for students with cognitive disabilities

 Increase levels of academic success by cognitively disabled children in the study.

 Increase levels of social acceptance by cognitively disabled children in the study
by their non-disabled peers.
 Increase levels of self-esteem and enthusiasm for classroom participation by
cognitively disabled children in the study.
 Decrease levels of disciplinary action of cognitively disabled children in the study.

Short-term outcomes for students without cognitive disabilities

 Increase levels of awareness and empathy for children with cognitive disabilities.
 Increase in the number of friends for children without cognitive disabilities.
 Decrease levels of disciplinary action of against non-cognitively disabled children
for bullying others.

Short-term outcomes for teachers of cognitively disabled students

 Easier classroom to manage.

 More time on classroom instruction and less time on disciplining students.
 Lower levels of employment turnover.
 Increase in the level of job satisfaction.

Short-term outcomes for parents of cognitively disabled students

 Peace of mind for parents of cognitively disabled children knowing that their child
is doing well socially and academically.
 Increase levels of satisfaction with home life.
 Increase levels of satisfaction with marriage.

Short-term outcomes for non-profit funding the project

 Satisfaction knowing that their funding is making a difference for children with
cognitive disabilities.

Short-term outcomes for school board

 Increase levels of academic performance of students.

 Less disciplinary actions of students.

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Midterm-Outcomes Measurement Overview

The mid-term outcomes measurement will take place with same cognitive disabled
children who will be entering grade 8. There will be no social awareness experiments
regarding cognitive disabilities that was carried out in grade 3 this time, but just
questionnaires for the parents and teachers of the cognitively disabled students asking
how the children are currently doing academically and socially.

Measurement tools for parents of children with cognitive disabilities mid-term

outcomes

 In-person survey of the parents at the beginning and end of the school year
asking questions regarding how many times their child a) endured bullying during
the past month. b) Does their child have any friends from the past school year. c)
Their child’s level of enthusiasm for attending school. d) How often their child’s
teacher reported their child enduring bullying and social rejection by their peers
during the past school year. e) How is their child’s current self-esteem. f) Their
child’s academic performance.

Measurement tools for teachers and teaching assistants of children with

cognitive disabilities mid-term outcomes

 In-person survey of the teachers and teaching assistants at the end of the third
month and end of the school year asking a) how often they observed their
students with cognitive disabilities enduring bullying by their non-disabled peers.
b) Observable acceptance of social acceptance of the children with cognitive
disabilities as either good, average, or bad. d) Rating the cognitively disabled
children’s observable self-esteem as either good, average, or bad. e) The
cognitively disabled child’s academic performance. f) The disabled child’s
enthusiasm for participation of classroom activities as good, average, or bad.

Mid-term outcomes for students with cognitive disabilities

 Continuing academic success.

 Continuing social acceptance by their non-cognitively disabled peers.
 Continuing access to social and academic support programs funded by the non-
profit “Acceptance Foundation for Children with Cognitive Disabilities.

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Midterm-term outcomes for parents of cognitively disabled students

 Continuing peace of mind for parents of cognitively disabled children knowing

that their child is doing well socially and academically.
 Continuing levels of satisfaction with home life and marriage.
Mid-term outcomes for teachers of cognitively disabled students

 Easier classroom to manage when children with cognitive disabilities are present.
 Continuing high level of time spent on classroom instruction and less time on
disciplining students.
 Continuing low levels of employment turnover.
 Continuing high levels in the level of job satisfaction.

Mid-term outcomes for non-profit funding the project

 Continuing satisfaction knowing that their funding is making a difference for

children with cognitive disabilities.

Mid-term outcomes for school board

 Continuing funding of programs that aids students with cognitive disabilities.

 Continuing low turnover levels of staff and high levels of job satisfaction.
 Continuing high levels of private and public funding for programs that aid children
with cognitive disabilities.

Long term-Outcomes Measurement Overview

The long term-outcomes measurement is designed specifically to have cognitively

disabled children from the original social experiment in grade 3 to become successful in
college and employment.

Midterm-Outcomes Measurement tools for adult students with cognitive

disabilities

 In person surveys with the disabled children from the original social experiment in
grade 3 asking their current levels of self-esteem, academic, and employment
accomplishments, and general satisfaction with their personal lives as either
good, average, or poor.

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Long-term outcomes for adult students with cognitive disabilities

 Successful stable long-term relationships with adult students with cognitive

disabilities.
 Gainful well-paid employment matching their academic and work qualifications.

Conclusion

This project must be implemented because children with cognitive disabilities

have so much potential to thrive and become productive members of society but often
face barriers due to prejudice and a near dearth of social supports for their disabilities.
This project in theory should prove to be successful in providing awareness of cognitive
disabilities to non-disabled children so that incidences of social rejection, and bullying
would be decreased thus allowing children with cognitive disabilities to grow up in an
environment that is welcoming to them and allows them to thrive socially, and
academically.

Reference

References Giancola, S. P. (20200103). Program Evaluation: Embedding Evaluation

into Program Design and Development. [[VitalSource Bookshelf version]]. Retrieved
from vbk://978150635745

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Appendices

Introduction Pg. 1

Stakeholder Analysis Pg. 2

Activities and Outcomes Pg. 3

Logic Model Pg. 4

Outcome Measurement Pg. 5 to 9

Conclusion Pg. 9

Reference Pg. 9