Program Outcomes Report

Evaluators Include:Gerard Banez, PhD

Program Director, Pediatric Pain Rehabilitation ProgramThe Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital

Jodi SnyderLiteracy Coach

Cleveland Metropolitan School District

2012 - 2013

2012-2013 Outcomes Report 2

Our MissionAmerica SCORES inspires urban youth to lead healthy lives, be engaged students and

have the confidence and character to make a difference in the world.

Program ModelIn the 2012-13 school year, America SCORES Cleveland (SCORES) provided after-school programming for over 500 youth in 10 Cleveland public schools, teaching soccer, creative writing and service-learning to measurably improve fitness, literacy and community engagement. SCORES’ innovative tri-curricular approach effectively demonstrated to young people how physical activity, creativity and teamwork promote a sound body, mind and heart.

Why Soccer? As a popular sport requiring minimal equipment, soccer is accessible to children regardless of economic status. Soccer engages youth with their peers in vigorous activity and provides a platform for teaching fitness and nutrition. Youth who play soccer also learn the values of teamwork, sportsmanship and discipline.

Why Poetry? Creative thinking promotes problem solving and performing instills public speaking skills. Writing and performing poetry gives youth an outlet to express emotionally charged experiences that may inhibit their ability to perform academically. Creative writing also encourages a personal connection to literature, which deepens classroom engagement.

Why Service-Learning? Volunteerism instills in children a sense of compassion, social responsibility, and personal worth. Through service-learning projects, children develop leadership skills and collaborative experiences at an early age. Youth apply their knowledge to group-selected community projects, which inspires self-efficacy and pride.

Who are Poet-Athletes? Poet-Athletes are the youth participating in the America SCORES Cleveland program. The term poet-athlete is used to signify the holistic approach SCORES uses to celebrate each participant’s creativity and physical activity.

Elementary school poet-athletes met five days a week for 60-90 minutes each day, for 20 weeks of the school year. Two days per week, poet-athletes met with their Writing Coaches (SCORES-trained school teachers and qualified community members) for creative writing workshops. Three days per week, poet-athletes met with their Soccer Coaches (school teachers and qualified community members) for soccer practices and games.

Middle school poet-athletes met four days a week for 60-90 minutes each day, for 10 weeks in the spring. Two days per week, poet-athletes met with their Writing Coaches for creative writing workshops and community service activities. Two days per week, poet-athletes met with their Soccer Coaches for soccer practices and games.

SCORES united children, teachers, families and community partners with a support system for learning and celebrating youth’s achievements. SCORES met The Ohio Afterschool Network guidelines for providing high quality after-school programming, and all curricula was aligned to State and National Standards in language arts, physical education and service-learning.

Methods of AssessmentAmerica SCORES Cleveland conducts comprehensive evaluations to continually assess the successes and/or needs of the program from poet-athletes, coaches and parents. All assessments and surveys are administered as pre/post measurement unless otherwise noted, and quantifiably measures levels of literacy, fitness, school engagement, self-confidence, leadership skills, cooperation and teamwork, and healthy behaviors and activities. (* Post-only assessments)

Literacy:WRITING ASSESSMENTS: Take place every year in the fall and spring. Poet-athletes are asked to write a poem or short story on any topic they choose. They must complete their writing within a set time limit and are assessed using a rubric in various categories of writing including ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, presentation and conventions.

Physical Fitness:PACER TEST: This test involves running continuously between two points that are 20 meters apart. These runs are synchronized with a pre-recorded CD which plays beeps at set intervals. As the test proceeds, the interval between each successive beep reduces, forcing the poet-athlete to increase their speed over the course of the test. This Pacer Test has become recognized as one of the most popular and valid tests used to estimate a person’s maximum oxygen uptake, or aerobic fitness. (Aerobic fitness refers to a person’s ability to exercise at low/moderate intensity for a long duration utilizing oxygen for metabolism.)

iSOCCER ASSESSMENT: This is a skill-specific assessment, which evaluates growth in technical abilities that are fundamental to the game of soccer. SCORES currently uses three assessments from the iSoccer Program (www.playisoccer.com).

Surveys*:SELF-EFFICACY ASSESSMENT: Measures a person’s belief about his or her ability and capacity to accomplish a task or deal with the challenges of life. This term encompasses a person’s ability to succeed across a variety of outcome sets including: academic engagement, physical fitness, sense of belonging and increased self worth. Self-efficacy in each of these areas is assessed through youth, parent and coach surveys. Parents respond to survey questions that focus on their child’s experience in the SCORES program, and

Coaches focus on how they perceive that the SCORES program affects students across a variety of outcome sets including: language arts skills, levels of self-confidence, leadership, cooperation and teamwork, and general attitude towards school.

2013-2013 Outcomes Report 3

Youth ParticipantsDemographics

100% of Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) students are considered economically disadvantaged according to the Ohio Department of Education 2012-2013 School Year Report Card. Therefore, all CMSD students are eligible for the Federal Free Lunch Program.

2012-2013 Outcomes Report 4

Youth Served:

419

48% Male52% Female

— Treshaun Anderson, Age 13 (left)Willow School in the Slavic Village Neighborhood

“I love poetry because I can express myself

and have fun while doing it.”

“I used to get into a lot of trouble at school. America

SCORES has taught me how to express

myself without using my fists.” — McKayla Ayala, Age 8 (left)

Artemus Ward School in the Puritas-Longmead Neighborhood

“Soccer [is my favorite part of SCORES]

because I like to learn and be a better player.”

“My favorite part of America SCORES is being able to work

with people and have a team that works

together.”

— Chayce Lightner, Age 12 (front right)R.G. Jones School in the Puritas-Longmead Neighborhood

— Karter Harris, Age 11 Michael R. White School in the Glenville

Neighborhood

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“I learned that I like writing poems because it brings out the real me.”— A SCORES Poet-Athlete

Literacy OutcomesPaired samples t-tests revealed a statistically reliable difference between pre- and post-season writing and reading assessments.

WRITING ASSESSMENTWriting samples composed by poet-athletes were assessed in the categories of writing including the use of creativity/ideas, voice, mechanics/structure, presentation and use of metaphor and simile.

On average, students’ scores improved in each of the following categories:• Voice: 27%• Presentation: 13%• Creativity/Ideas: 20%• Word Choice: 16%• Mechanics/Structure: 14%• Sentence Fluency: 17%

70% of poet-athletes that completed both Pre- and Post-WritingAssessments showed improvement on their total scores.

Student Self-Efficacy AssessmentPoet-athletes are given a survey that provides a holistic view of their self in the areas of academic engagement, sense of belonging and increased self worth.

• 93% of students said that they try to stay out of trouble and avoid detentions so that they do not miss SCORES.

• 89% of students said that they play sports or exercise more on their own because of the SCORES program. • 95% of students said that they try not to be absent from school because they do not want to miss SCORES.

POET-ATHLETE TESTIMONIALS“I joined SCORES to achieve new goals and make school a better place.”

“This program helps build my confidence and lets me express my feelings.”“I liked working as a team and making a difference in our community.”

Physical Fitness Outcomes

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Spring 2013 Fall 2012

17.3

0

10

20

30

18.219.0

23.5 23.6

26.7

Spring 2013

Middle SchoolElementary School

PRE

POST

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uttle

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Pacer TestIn Fall 2012, 58% of the elementary school poet-athletes who completed pre- and post- testing demonstrated an improvement in the number of shuttles run. Overall, elementary school poet-athletes achieved a 5% increase in the number of shuttles run from pre-to post-season, with 19% improving their scores by 50% or more.

In Spring 2013, 68% of the elementary school poet-athletes who completed pre- and post- testing demonstrated an improvement in the number of shuttles run. Overall, elementary poet-athletes achieved a 24% increase in the number of shuttles run from pre- to post-season, with 29% improving their scores by 50% or more. At the middle school level, 56% of the poet-athletes completing both pre- and post- testing demonstrated an improvement in the number of shuttles run. Overall, middle school poet-athletes achieved a 13% increase in the number of shuttles run from pre- to post-season, with 10% improving their scores by 50% or more.

These results suggest improvements in aerobic fitness following program participation in both seasons.

iSoccer AssessmentProgram effects on soccer skills were evaluated with iSoccer assessment. In both seasons, poet-athletes at the elementary and middle school levels exhibited improvements in each of the three iSoccer skills evaluated (Toe Taps, Foundations, Wall Passes).

These findings suggest that children were more comfortable with the soccer ball and had better fundamental skills following program participation in both seasons.

0

15

30

45

Elementary School Middle School

Toe Taps

Foundations WallPasses

Toe Taps

Foundations WallPasses

30.9

35.7

24.5

28.7

3.24.3

33.2

41.1

32.4

38.3

5.17.0

PRE

POST

Ave

rage

iSoc

cer R

esul

ts

Spring 2013

0

15

30

45

Elementary School

Toe Taps Foundations Wall Passes

29.0

40.3

23.3

32.6

3.7 3.9

PRE

POST

Ave

rage

iSoc

cer R

esul

ts

Fall 2012

2012-2013 Outcomes Report 7

Survey OutcomesIn addition to poet-athletes, America SCORES Cleveland also surveys Coaches, classroom teachers, principals and parents of each participant to measure program benefits and impacts. Indicated below are key outcomes and testimonials from the surveys completed at the end of the fall and spring seasons.

Coach Survey Outcomes • 96% of coaches believe that the SCORES program helps increase levels of cooperation and teamwork. • 96% of coaches believe that the SCORES program helps students develop leadership skills. • 92% of coaches believe that the SCORES program improves students’ self-confidence.

COACH TESTIMONIALS“The SCORES program helps them form values, teamwork and organization.”

“SCORES gives the students certain leadership skills they wouldn’t have without the program.”

Parent Survey Outcomes• 94% of parents believe that SCORES helps improve their child’s overall academic

performance.• 95% of parents believe that the amount of time their child spends exercising has

increased because of SCORES.• 92% of parents believe that the amount of time their child spends reading has

increased since joining SCORES.• 92% of parents believe that SCORES has helped increase their child’s self-confidence.

PARENT TESTIMONIALS“My daughter has ADHD, so doing extracurricular activities can be a challenge. Now that she is in SCORES, she actually wants to go to school and loves being part of a team.”

“Each and every day my child had a positive story concerning what happened at SCORES that day.”

Principal and Classroom Teacher Survey Outcomes• 100% of principals and classroom teachers believe that the SCORES program

increases students’ levels of self-confidence.• 100% of principals and 94% of classroom teachers believe that the SCORES program

increases student’s cooperation and teamwork in the classroom.

PRINCIPAL AND TEACHER TESTIMONIALS“This program has increased parent involvement at my school and it has also improved the culture and spirit of the building.”

“SCORES provides all participants a greater sense of team and pride. All SCORES students keep up on grades and behavior because they want to participate.”

WORLD CUP$500,000 +Bestfoods Educational FoundationCorporation for National and Community Service

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS$100,000-$249,999adidas America

TEAM CHAMPIONS$50,000-$99,000Fairmount Minerals Foundation Third Federal Foundation

SCORING CHAMPIONS$25,000-$49,999The Cleveland Foundation

MVPS$10,000-$24,999The Abington Foundation Eva L. and Joseph M. Bruening FoundationMartha Holden Jennings FoundationMyCom InitiativeNord Family FoundationThe Stocker FoundationThe Thomas H. White Foundation, a KeyBank TrustU.S. Soccer Foundation

FANS$5,000-$9,999AXA AdvisorsHoward & O’Brien Associates, Inc.The United Black Fund of Greater Cleveland

SUPPORTERS$2,500-$4,999Aon FoundationJones DayKeyBank FoundationMedical Mutual of OhioNOSHOK, Inc.Ohio Savings BankRPM International, Inc.

F O U N D A T I O N

America SCORES Cleveland would like to thank the following local and national sponsors who made our program a success during the 2012-2013 school year:

America SCORES Cleveland Board of Directors

Ruth Coffey (Chair) — Invacare Corporation

Michi Eaton (Secretary) — Quanex Building Products

Matthew Milcetich (Treasurer) — KeyBank

Silvia Garcia-Luengo — Loparex

Meredith Holt - Walgreens Take Care Health System

Gregg LaSpisa - AXA Advisors

Kristin Lewis — Fairmount Minerals

Vikki Meldrum — Communications Professional

Laura Mimura — KeyBank

John O’Brien — Howard & O’Brien Associates

Brian Slife — Aon

Rita Tersigni Grabowski — CPA

America SCORES Cleveland Staff

Debra Pence-Meyenberg, Executive Director

Matthew Williams, Program & Soccer Director

Paul Khacherian, Education & Evaluation Director

Alissa O’Neill, Comm. & Development Associate

Allie Cozzone, Program Coordinator

America SCORES Cleveland

3631 Perkins Ave., Unit 2CE

Cleveland, OH 44114

(216) 881-7988

www.AmericaSCORESCleveland.org

www.Facebook.com/SCORESCleveland