A Youth Development Approach to Evaluation: Critical Participatory Action Research

Across the U.S., youth development approaches are being tested in out-of-school time programs as a strategy to combat the growing opportunity gap between privileged and underprivileged youth (Gardner, Roth, & Brooks-Gunn, 2009). Along with increased recognition of the value of youth development programming has come increased financial support (Padgette, 2003; Zeller-Berkman, 2010). This investment, in turn, brings increased pressure to continually prove to funders that youth development programs affect student outcomes (Zeller-Berkman, 2010). The increased emphasis on accountability has sometimes forced community-based organizations (CBOs) to maintain a myopic focus on outcomes that are easily measurable but not necessarily the most important (Fusco, Lawrence, Matloff-Nieves, & Ramos, 2013). Underfunded nonprofits can feel overwhelmed by the intense emphasis on producing “evidence-based” outcomes, especially if evaluation feels like an “add-on” rather than being aligned with and integrated into program goals.