Program Evaluation of the HuB

1. Program Evaluation of the HuB By Marc Gold

2. Program Evaluation • Program Name Here u Belong (HuB) • Building/Location SOMSD • Name and Title of Supervisor C.W. Site Manager • Evaluator Marc Gold • Date(s) of Evaluation 3/16/12 and 3/22/12 • How many staff members are involved in the program? Four • How many participants are involved in the program? 285 • What is the average daily attendance of students? 65 • Is the program Academic or Non-Academic? Non-Academic

3. How is the HuB Funded? • The HuB is managed by Family Connections, a private non-profit agency weaving together education, social work, crisis intervention, psychology and psychiatry to provide comprehensive solutions to life’s challenges. • Family Connections is licensed by the State of New Jersey to provide mental health and substance abuse services. We are a member of the Alliance for Children and Families and accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children (COA) • Depart of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and it is primarily state funded and matched federally.

4. Description of the Hub • The Hub is a School-Based Youth Services Program dedicated to the emotional, social and academic success of MMS youth. With our own office in the school, we deliver mental health counseling, skills-building and prevention services, recreational activities, special events, and academic support. Working in collaboration with school personnel and community groups, our services help youth and their families build strength, character, compassion and optimism about themselves and their futures, so they can form healthy relationships, make positive choices and achieve success both in Middle School and beyond. After school, the Hub is open for supervised recreation including, videogames, ping pong, foosball, board games, computer use and hanging out with friends. All services and events provided by the Hub are free of charge.

5. Mission of the HuB • The mission of the HuB. is for all students, regardless of academic level or background, to get the most out of their school experience. This includes therapeutic, vocational and recreational opportunities for youth to build on their own strengths and reach for success. • The HuB is designed to enhance existing school services. Our programming is offered year round and tailored to meet each student’s and family’s personal goals. Services are voluntary, free, confidential, on site at school, both during and after school hours.

6. Needs Assessment? • There was a needs assessment in 2002.

7. Duration of the HuB • Hours of operation are from 9:00am-5:30pm Monday-Friday • Open to students 2:45pm-5:30pm Monday-Friday • 12 months even during school vacations, besides federal holidays.

8. How are the Participants Selected • The program is completely voluntary based. Therefore, any student may participate in the HuB’s activities. Just have to be a student of the school.

9. Previous Evaluations of the HuB • Yes, the DCFS evaluated the program. They evaluate every four years. • However, there was never an evaluation from an administrator.

10. Qualifications Required to Work at the HuB • Master’s degree and license in social work or related field. • License Social Worker LSW. • Clinical Physician needs a master’s degree in social work. • Youth Development Specialist: State requires High School diploma and the agency (Family Connections) requires a bachelor’s degree.

11. Observation Rubric

12. Post-Conference • What is the correlation between student success and the program? How is that success measured? • The HuB currently does not have access to student data. But they are able to improve individual students thought self-esteem issues, social issues and academic issues by signing agendas and making sure homework assignments are completed.   • Have the expectations been satisfied? • C.W. believes that expectations should never be satisfied and it always needs to be improving. Students are always changing and needs are always changing so expectations need to be modified to meet everyone’s needs.

13. Areas of Strengths • Providing community liaison board meetings to get school and community involvement. • Providing a calendar of events to share with the community, school and students. • Providing an opportunity for students to collaborative amongst each other both academically and socially. Currently twelve girls in the 8th grade group are building their social skills and leadership through a homework group that works as a cohort to make sure assignments are completed.

14. Areas of Strengths • Involving students and teachers in activities outside of the classroom helps builds a rapport outside of the classroom. • Offers a homework club through the HuB. Homework club will reward individuals for their participation and completion of homework assignments. • Homework club provides Peer-to-peer tutoring. They also have a reward system which is the following: 1 hour for a bagel, 2 hours for ice cream, and 4 hours for pizza. At the end of the homework club the students receive a piece of candy. The average attendance is around ten students.

15. Areas of Strengths • The HuB is really doing a great job of providing therapeutic, vocational and recreational opportunities for youth to build on their own strengths and reach for success; which in turn is fulfilling the mission of the HuB. • Student satisfaction questionnaire is a phenomenal tool to reflect upon how students view the program. It also allows the HuB to correlate the data that the students provide and improve the program.

16. Areas to Grow • Possibly get more funding to have more athletic, recreational and educational resources. • The homework club is a great program that you have occurring within the HuB, it would be beneficial for the students if it were available to them on Friday’s as well. • To communicate with all teachers in the school to indentify struggling students and students that need to serve detentions. If the communication improves with school faculty, we might see some struggling students grades improve as well as detentions decrease.

17. Recommendations • Is it possible to get more funds for more athletic, recreational and educational resources through the DCFS or by writing a grant? I think it would be valuable for the HuB to have a surplus of athletic, recreational and educational resources for the students to use. • Since teachers offer extra help after school from 2:45-3:15. Is it possible to start homework club at 3:20 and end at 4:20 as well as extending the program to five days a week?

18. Recommendations • To communicate with all teachers in the school to indentify struggling students and students that need to serve detentions. It might be beneficial to create a permission slip that could be signed daily by the teachers for these struggling students. • Ask the director of Family Connections to advocate to have access to student data. This will allow all employees of the HuB to provide more academic support for all students.

19. Recommendations • I went around and asked students if they knew what the HuB stood for. • I believe that it is important for students to know what the program stands for. You can start displaying the meaning around the HuB office, cafeteria and gymnasium I think it will benefit the mission of the HuB.