This checklist provides the Evaluation Team guidance in organizing their data collection efforts. Organizing for the data collection activity is an essential first step. Otherwise, the data collection effort may fulfill the adage, "garbage in, garbage out."

This checklist provides the Evaluation Team guidance in organizing their data collection efforts. Organizing for the data collection activity is an essential first step. Otherwise, the data collection effort will fulfill the adage, "garbage in, garbage out."

This worksheet from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook lists possible evaluation activities for each project stage from planning to policy.

This tool from the U.S. Department of Education's An Idea Book for Planning is useful for managing the data collected during the needs assessment. It consists of two parts: Data Sources Matrix and Data Collection and Analysis Plan.

"The Data Sources Matrix helps organize needs assessment data collection by identifying information sources and methods of data collection. In the matrix, fill specific sources of information you already have on hand from the school profile (e.g., student achievement data, results from a parent survey with results that are pertinent to the planning effort) so you do not duplicate efforts. Then, list any additional information the team decides to collect. Examine each focus area to make sure that there are data describing the status of major aspects of the priority focus areas."

"The Data Collection and Analysis Plan prioritizes the "focus areas" for which data will be collected and it lays out the data collection and analysis plans. First, define the team's key questions, the data collection methods (i.e., surveys, interviews, focus groups, shadowing, etc.), instruments to be used by analysis subcommittee members, and summarize the plans for analysis. List two to three "focus areas" the team plans to study in order of highest (#1) to lowest priority for data gathering. Respond to the questions for each focus area."

Alternate format: PDF

This chart compares the pros and cons of eight data collection methods.

This document provides an overview of six data collection techniques that can be useful in profiling the school.