Keep, Change, or Expand?

Collecting and Using Data to

Evaluate a Library Service

Homework Help Center

Worthington ParkHHC 2008

Five computersTwo tables

Open Monday through Thursday

3:00-6:00

Why Assessment

•Move away from “I feel like…”

•Establish effectiveness

•Understand scope of service

•Consider community need

•Tell a story

Questions to Ask: Be Curious

What data do we need?

How can we collect it effectively and efficiently?

What we will do with the data once collected?

What else do we need to tell our story?

Are we asking the hard questions?

Evaluation Topics

Unique Issues with Evaluation

•Lots of moving parts and pieces•Mix of students using the service•Multiple school districts•Drop in program•Variety of types of homework•Limited contact with parents and teachers

A volunteer helping a student with her math homework.

Evaluation Tools

Data collection

Anecdotes and observations

Surveys

Research

Data Collection

•The power of the sign-in sheet

•Tally sheets •Textbooks•Volunteers•HHC hours

•No List

The number of students who have visited the HHC has increased every school year.

With the opening of the new HHCs at Northwest and Old Worthington Libraries, we have helped almost 400 students so far this school year!

Homework Help Center Statistics

050

100150200250300350400450

OWL

NWL

WPK

Students Using the HHC

Students from all grades visit the HHCs, but the majority of students are in the elementary grades.

The graph shows the number of individual students from each grade level who have visited the HHCs during the 2012-2013 school year (through February).

Homework Help Center Statistics

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

GradesK-3

Grades4-6

MiddleSchool

HighSchool

OWL

NWL

WPK

Students by Grade

Based on statistics for all 3 locations for the 2012-2013 school year (through February):

Nearly half (46%) of the visits to the HHCs were for math homework help.

Many students work on multiple subjects when they visit the HHCs.

Homework Help Center Statistics

47%

20%

3%

3%

24%

3%

Subject

Math Language Arts

Science Social Studies

Multiple Subjects Other Subjects

Anecdotes and Observations

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

Snapshot of a Day in the HHC

• 19 students• Grades 1-11 (except 9th)• 14 had math homework• 6 had homework in multiple subjects• 3 students had foreign language

homework• 10th grader had biology homework• 11th grader had chemistry homework

How We Support Students & Worthington City Schools Curriculum

Surveys

Patron

Volunteer

School Media Specialists

A volunteer helping a student with her homework

Impact

Worthington Libraries goal is for the homework help centers to help children from kindergarten through twelfth grade do better in school.

• We do customer surveys twice a year.• According to customer survey results

84% said that their children’s schoolwork had improved because of visits to the HHCs. 76% said that the HHCs were helpful.

• Overall, patrons are satisfied with the HHCs. Most patrons ranked “people to help” or “a place to do homework” as the most important aspect of the HHC.

Research

Articles and Books

Site Visits

School Trends

Why Are HHCs So Important

Research shows:• Students do better in school when they

have help understanding directions and vocabulary.

• Students learn to work with others.• Kids have increased self-esteem.

Telling Our Story

Gather everything together

Analyze, analyze, analyze

Double check your formulas

Draw conclusions

Design action steps

Share the story of your service

Homework Help Center Worthington Park 2017

Lessons Learned

Be okay with what you know and what you don’t know

Rely on your experts

Evaluate your evaluation

Look ahead

Questions?

Amy Brownabrown@worthingtonlibraries.org