3 SIF Performance Measures Instructions

CNCS Pilot Performance Measures

Instructions and Definitions

Social Innovation Fund

2015

Table of Contents

Social Innovation Fund Pilot Performance Measures Overview ............................................................... 3

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY .................................................................................................................. 5

EDUCATION .............................................................................................................................................14

HEALTHY FUTURES ...............................................................................................................................30

Social Innovation Fund Pilot National Performance Measures

This guidance document provides definitions on the pilot performance measures that will be captured by Social Innovation Fund grantees to track interim and ongoing progress in key areas connected to the goals and strategies envisioned in the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) 2011-2015 Strategic Plan.

Focus Area Overviews

The Social Innovation Fund provides grants to organizations focused on three focus areas: Economic Opportunity, Youth Development, and Healthy Futures. See below for descriptions of the focus areas and the desired outcomes for grants in each area.

Economic Opportunity

Grants will provide support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to the improved economic well-being and security of economically disadvantaged people. Grant activities will help economically disadvantaged people to:

1. have improved access to services and benefits aimed at contributing to their enhanced financial literacy,

2. transition into or remain in safe, healthy, affordable housing, and

3. have improved employability leading to increased success in becoming employed.

Youth Development

Grants will provide support and/or facilitate access to services and resources that contribute to improved educational outcomes for economically disadvantaged people, especially children. Grant activities will improve:

1. school readiness for economically disadvantaged young children,

2. educational and behavioral outcomes of students in low-achieving elementary, middle, and high schools, and

3. the preparation for and prospects of success in post-secondary education institutions and employment for economically disadvantaged students.

Healthy Futures

Grants will meet health needs within communities including access to care, aging in place, and addressing childhood obesity. Grant activities will:

1. increase physical activity and improve nutrition in youth with the purpose of reducing childhood obesity and increasing access to nutritious food, and

2. improve access to primary and preventive health care for communities served by CNCS-supported programs (access to health care).

In addition there are measures related to capacity building. While this is not a SIF focus area per se, building the capacity of nonprofit organizations is an integral part of the SIF model.

CNCS Agency-Wide Performance Measures

CNCS' National Performance Measures provides a common focal point for CNCS' work across all programs and initiatives. In this guidance document, you will see references to the Strategic Plan and Agency-Wide Performance Measures. You can utilize this chart to see how your program measures fit in with the 16 Agency-Wide Performance Measures. The majority of our measures are aligned with existing CNCS National Performance measures; however, we are piloting some additional measures that are specific to SIF and our grantees.

How to Use This Document

This document will aid you in selecting the performance measures that best demonstrate the desired outputs/outcomes of your program. As you select your measures in the Performance Measures/Scaling Tab of the Data Supplement, you can refer to this guidance to:

1. identify the measures that you will select to report on,

2. understand key definitions and terms of the measures, and

3. view suggestions for calculating the measure and collecting data.

As with all CNCS reporting, please maintain records of the data that you provide, which may be subject to review for data validation.

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

Improved Access to Housing

O5. Number of economically disadvantaged individuals, including homeless individuals, receiving housing services.
Definition of Key Terms	Economically disadvantaged: Must be receiving or meet the income eligibility requirements to receive: TANF, Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SCHIP, Section 8 housing assistance OR have a poor credit score OR are at least 60 days behind on one or more personal/family accounts. Homeless: Individuals who spend the night in a place not intended for human habitation, in an emergency shelter, or in a transitional housing facility. See the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development definition at http://www.hud.gov/homeless/definition.cfm Individuals: Each unique person who will be occupying the unit legally including adults and children, but not unborn children. Housing services: Helps qualifying individuals find appropriate housing, find the resources to support use of appropriate housing, and assists individuals in accessing the appropriate housing. May or may not result in an actual placement. May also include hands-on housing development and repair activities. Housing development: Adds to the housing stock by building a new unit or substantially rehabilitating a unit that was either uninhabitable or soon would have become so. Involves replacing major systems such as the roof, the plumbing, the wiring, the foundation, or elevating the unit as required by a flood plain standard. Housing repair: A more modest level of physical work on the unit, such as weatherizing, painting, replacing appliances and removing safety hazards. Service: Requires an engagement with the individual in person, by phone, or through a web-interface. Pamphlets, brochures, or web-based information that does not involve a human interaction is not sufficient.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Count of Individuals as defined above benefitting from the housing service. Can only count each individual once during the SIF project, even though it may be necessary to provide services to the individual more than once.
	The data should be collected using a tracking mechanism appropriate for the type of service, which may include: CNCS-supported agency’s administrative or call center records, referral logs, attendance logs or sign-in sheet, client tracking database, or other information management system. The client tracking database should have unique IDs (e.g. Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).

O4. Number of housing units developed, repaired, or otherwise made available for low-income individuals, families or people with disabilities.
Definition of Key Terms	Housing unit: A single-family home (including a mobile home if permanently placed), an apartment, or a room in a group home for people with disabilities. Develop: Build new or substantially rehabilitate housing units that were uninhabitable or soon would have become so. Involves replacing major systems such as the roof, the plumbing, the wiring, the foundation, or elevating the unit as required by a flood plain standard. Repair: A more modest level of physical work on the unit, such as weatherizing, painting, replacing appliances and removing safety hazards. Otherwise made available: Activities that make available, through improved access, a housing unit that is in the housing stock and likely to remain habitable. For example, assistance in searching for the unit, or a rent subsidy that makes the unit affordable to the individual or family. Low-income: Must be receiving or meet the income eligibility requirements to receive: TANF, Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SCHIP, Section 8 housing assistance OR have a poor credit score OR are at least 60 days behind on one or more personal/family accounts. Individuals and families: The U.S. Census definition of “household,” which includes all the persons who occupy a housing unit. The occupants may be a single family, one person living alone, two or more families living together, or any other group of related or unrelated persons who share living arrangements. People with disabilities: Subset of individuals and families that meets a definition related to inability to live independently without support (could use HUD definition). A separate mention in this measure may not be needed, but could be left in to count units for people with disabilities separately to acknowledge emphasis on this population.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Unduplicated count of Housing Units developed, repaired, or otherwise made available as defined here for low income individuals, families or persons with disabilities. This count indicates that the work has been completed to make the units available but they may or may not have been occupied. Programs can use a dollar cut-off to distinguish “developed” from “repaired” (e.g., 30K/unit) or can distinguish by whether major systems are replaced. Dollar cut-off would require valuing volunteer labor, distinguishing between skilled trades and other workers.

O11. Number of economically disadvantaged individuals, including homeless individuals, transitioned into safe, healthy, affordable housing.
Definition of Key Terms	Economically disadvantaged: Must be receiving or meet the income eligibility requirements to receive: TANF, Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SCHIP, Section 8 housing assistance OR have a poor credit score OR are at least 60 days behind on one or more personal/family accounts. Homeless: Individuals who spend the night in a place not intended for human habitation, in an emergency shelter, or in a transitional housing facility. See the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development’s definition at http://www.hud.gov/homeless/definition.cfm Individuals: Each unique person who will be occupying the unit legally including adults and children but not unborn children. Safe, healthy, affordable housing: Family or individual moves into a housing unit with secure tenure (lease or ownership document). Grantee certifies that the housing is safe and healthy, based on an inspection or other documentation. Grantee defines affordability and certifies that the housing unit is affordable to the household. See the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development’s Affordable Housing page at http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/affordablehousing/
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Count of individuals. Can only count each person once during the SIF project even though it may be necessary to provide services more than once. An inspection report and certificate of occupancy, proof of residence such as lease or mortgage, or other verification from an external agency that the work was completed and is being occupied might be used.

Increased Financial Literacy and/or Financial Stability

O1. Number of economically disadvantaged individuals receiving financial literacy services.
Definition of Key Terms	Economically disadvantaged individuals: Must be receiving or meet the income eligibility requirements to receive: TANF, Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SCHIP, Section 8 housing assistance OR have a poor credit score OR are at least 60 days behind on one or more personal/family accounts. Individuals: May be a single individual or may represent a family; may be of any age considered an “adult” in the state where services are provided. Financial literacy services: Includes “financial literacy education with regard to credit management, financial institutions including banks and credit unions, and utilization of savings plans” (Sec. 122(a)(5)(B)(i) of the National and Community Service Act, as amended).
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Unduplicated count of economically disadvantaged individuals to whom the “financial literacy services” are provided. Note that this is not simply a referral service. Individuals may contact the organization more than once during the year to get help but each individual should be reported here only once. Services may be provided in-person, on the phone, or by email.
	A tracking mechanism appropriate for type of service, such as a sign-in sheet or a tracking database

O9. Number of economically disadvantaged individuals with improved financial knowledge.
Definition of Key Terms	Disadvantaged individuals: Those counted as participating in O1. Improved Financial Knowledge: The financial literacy program should have learning objectives. The improved financial knowledge should be based on those pre-defined learning objectives. Individuals participating in the financial literacy services should know more after they participate than before.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Count of disadvantaged individuals provided services in O1 whose pre-test and post-test scores indicate that they know more about at least one of the financial literacy topics presented.
	Must conduct a pre-test/post-test to determine amount of knowledge gained.

O21. Number of economically disadvantaged individuals who experienced an increase in wealth.
Definition of Key Terms	Economically disadvantaged individuals: Must be receiving or meet the income eligibility requirements to receive: TANF, Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SCHIP, Section 8 housing assistance OR have a poor credit score OR are at least 60 days behind on one or more personal/family accounts. Increase in wealth: Individuals who experience an increase in net worth (net assets minus net liabilities) as a result of CNCS funded activities.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Count of economically disadvantaged individuals who demonstrate an increase in wealth since receiving services provided through SIF funds.
	Before and after participant surveys on net assets and net liabilities

Improved Employment Outcomes

O2. Number of economically disadvantaged individuals receiving job training or other skill development services.
Definition of Key Terms	Economically disadvantaged individuals: Must be receiving or meet the income eligibility requirements to receive: TANF, Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SCHIP, Section 8 housing assistance OR have a poor credit score OR are at least 60 days behind on one or more personal/family accounts. Job training: Occupational skill training delivered in an institutional or classroom setting or skill training provided in an experiential workplace setting (may be called on-the-job training or work experience). P. 3, Job Training Policy in the United States, The Upjohn Institute, 2004. Includes job training that results in obtaining a state or union certification in a skilled trade. Other skill development services: these include: Remedial Education such as Adult Basic Education, GED Education, Adult ESL Education. Classroom soft skills training that provides information about appropriate workplace behavior or job search skills. (Job Training Policy in the United States, The Upjohn Institute, 2004.)
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Unduplicated count of economically disadvantaged individuals completing the job training, skill development, or job placement services for which they enrolled.
	Course attendance records.

O3. Number of economically disadvantaged individuals receiving job placement services.
Definition of Key Terms	Economically disadvantaged individuals: Must be receiving or meet the income eligibility requirements to receive: TANF, Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SCHIP, Section 8 housing assistance OR have a poor credit score OR are at least 60 days behind on one or more personal/family accounts. Job placement services: These services include job search and placement assistance (including career counseling); labor market information (which identifies job vacancies; skills needed for in-demand jobs; and local, regional and national employment trends); initial assessment of skills and needs; information about available services.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Unduplicated count of economically disadvantaged individuals completing job placement services for which they enrolled.
	Course attendance records.

O10. Number of economically disadvantaged individuals placed in jobs.
Definition of Key Terms	Economically disadvantaged individuals receiving services: Individuals counted for O2/O3. Placed in jobs: Individual is hired in a new job as a result of job placement services provided; individual may have been previously working in a different job or previously unemployed.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Count of economically disadvantaged individuals receiving services who are placed in a new job. Count each individual only once even if the individual receives placement in more than one job.
	Suggested method is a copy of acceptance letter from employer or copy of first pay stub.

O18. Number of economically disadvantaged individuals who retain employment for 6 months
Definition of Key Terms	Economically disadvantaged individuals placed in jobs: Individuals counted for O10. Retain: Individuals who remain employed in the same job for the determined period.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Count of individuals who were hired into a job in Measure O10 who are still employed after six months.
	Suggested method is a copy of a letter from employer or wage records.

O19. Number of economically disadvantaged individuals who attain credentials or certifications.
Definition of Key Terms	Economically disadvantaged individuals receiving services: Individuals counted for O2/O3. Certifications: Recognition of an individual’s attainment of measurable technical or occupational skills necessary to obtain employment or advance within an occupation. These technical or occupational skills are based on standards developed or endorsed by employers. Credential: A nationally recognized degree or certificate or state/locally recognized credential. Credentials include, but are not limited to, a high school diploma, GED, or other recognized equivalents, post-secondary degrees/certificates, recognized skill standards, and licensure or industry-recognized certificates. Please find examples of certifications and credentials below: Educational Diplomas, and Certificates (typically for one academic year or less of study); Educational Degrees, such as an associate’s (2-year) or bachelor’s (4-year) degree; Registered Apprenticeship Certificate; Occupational Licenses (typically, but not always, awarded by state government agencies); and Industry-recognized or professional association certifications; also known as personnel certifications; and Other certificates of skills completion. (For additional information on credentials, certifications, or degrees, please see U.S. DOL Training and Employment Guidance Letter 15-10 and U.S. DOL Training and Employment Guidance Letter 17-5)
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Count of economically disadvantaged individuals receiving services who attain either a certificate or credential. Count each individual only once even if the individual receives more than one credential.
	Suggested method is a course/program completion record.

O20. Number of economically disadvantaged individuals who experienced an increase in hourly wage.
Definition of Key Terms	Economically disadvantaged individuals: Must be receiving or meet the income eligibility requirements to receive: TANF, Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SCHIP, Section 8 housing assistance OR have a poor credit score OR are at least 60 days behind on one or more personal/family accounts.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Count of economically disadvantaged individuals who demonstrate an increase in hourly wage since receiving services provided through SIF funds.
	Suggested methods are copies of a letter from employer, wage records or pay stubs indicating original wage and the hourly wage increase.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Improved School Readiness

ED20. Number of economically disadvantaged children or children with special or exceptional needs who start in a CNCS-supported early childhood education program.
Definition of Key Terms	Children: Children younger than the age of kindergarten enrollment. Economically disadvantaged: Eligible for free (at or below 130% of poverty) or reduced (between 130% to 185% of poverty) lunch; may or may not actually be accessing free/reduced lunch. See: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/ChildNutrition/lunch.htm. If data about free/reduced lunch eligibility is not available, economically disadvantaged may alternatively be defined as receiving or meeting the income eligibility requirements at the family level to receive: TANF, Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SCHIP, Section 8 housing assistance. Children with special or exceptional needs: Children who are developmentally disabled, such as those who are autistic, have cerebral palsy or epilepsy, are visually impaired, speech impaired, hearing impaired, orthopedically impaired, are emotionally disturbed or have a language disorder, specific learning disability, have multiple disabilities, other significant health impairment or have literacy needs. Children who are abused or neglected; in need of foster care; adjudicated youth; homeless youth; teenage parents; and children in need of protective intervention in their homes. Completed participation: At the outset of the activity, the program should indicate how much time (i.e. how many days or hours) is required in order to complete the activity. Then they will only count the number of students who meet that threshold by the end of the program or activity. This number will be used as the denominator for selected measures and therefore the amount of participation should be enough to influence the results. Early childhood education program: A program in which CNCS-supported activities help pre-K students maintain enrollment in and succeed in early childhood education programs. The ‘help’ that grantees provide does not need to be in direct service to the students. However, the CNCS-supported activities must provide direct support that makes the program possible. Start in: Children enrolled in the early childhood education program at the beginning of the program. Counts may be updated if the number of participants increases. Enrolled in an early childhood education center where the majority of children are eligible for free or reduced lunch: Grantees using this option to document economic disadvantage must demonstrate that the sites/early childhood centers they will engage already have a population in which the largest percentage of children in the center come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, or explain an outreach strategy to increase the proportions of economically disadvantaged children served by the CNCS-sponsored program.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Count of children who enroll in the program. Children may or may not complete the program. Each child should be counted only once during the program.

ED21. Number of economically disadvantaged children or children with special or exceptional needs that completed participation in CNCS supported early childhood programs.
Definition of Key Terms	Children: Children younger than the age of kindergarten enrollment. Economically disadvantaged: Eligible for free (at or below 130% of poverty) or reduced (between 130% to 185% of poverty) lunch; may or may not actually be accessing free/reduced lunch. See: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/ChildNutrition/lunch.htm. If data about free/reduced lunch eligibility is not available, economically disadvantaged may alternatively be defined as receiving or meeting the income eligibility requirements at the family level to receive: TANF, Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SCHIP, Section 8 housing assistance. Children with special or exceptional needs: Children who are developmentally disabled, such as those who are autistic, have cerebral palsy or epilepsy, are visually impaired, speech impaired, hearing impaired, orthopedically impaired, are emotionally disturbed or have a language disorder, specific learning disability, have multiple disabilities, other significant health impairment or have literacy needs. Children who are abused or neglected; in need of foster care; adjudicated youth; homeless youth; teenage parents; and children in need of protective intervention in their homes. Completed participation: At the outset of the activity, the program should indicate how much time (i.e. how many days or hours) is required in order to complete the activity. Then they will only count the number of students who meet that threshold by the end of the program or activity. This number will be used as the denominator for selected measures and therefore the amount of participation should be enough to influence the results. Early childhood education program: A program in which CNCS-supported activities help pre-K students maintain enrollment in and succeed in early childhood education programs. The ‘help’ that grantees provide does not need to be in direct service to the students. However, the CNCS-supported activities must provide direct support that makes the program possible. Enrolled in an early childhood education center where the majority of children are eligible for free or reduced lunch: Grantees using this option to document economic disadvantage must demonstrate that the sites/early childhood centers they will engage already have a population in which the largest percentage of children in the center come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, or explain an outreach strategy to increase the proportions of economically disadvantaged children served by the CNCS-sponsored program.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Count of children who complete participation in the activity as indicated by above definition.

ED24. Number of children demonstrating gains in school readiness in terms of literacy skills.
Definition of Key Terms	Children: Children up through the age of kindergarten enrollment who are enrolled in early childhood education programs with a majority of economically disadvantaged children and/or a majority of children with special or exceptional needs. Literacy skills: An indicator and element of school readiness that measures a child’s development in one or more of the following domains: phonological awareness, book knowledge and appreciation, print awareness and concepts, early writing, and alphabet knowledge. Each domain of literacy skills development has a set of specific, measurable indicators. The applicant/grantee should identify at the outset those specific domain(s) and indicator(s) of literacy skills development that (a) directly corresponds to the program intervention and (b) will be measured by the particular standardized data collection instrument you choose. School readiness: Preparation for kindergarten which includes multiple indicators assessed across developmental and behavioral domains including but not limited to physical well-being, health and motor development, social and emotional development, approaches to learning, language development, cognitive development and age-appropriate skills and behavior.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Programs should obtain counts of the number of children demonstrating gains in school readiness based on their literacy skills. Accredited early childhood education programs have state requirements for assessing literacy skills of children to determine school readiness. For example, such a measure may be “Number of children almost always recognizing the relationships between letters and sounds at kindergarten entry”. This suggested measure is from the National School Readiness Indicators Initiative Project (Feb 2005) http://www.gettingready.org/matriarch/d.asp?PageID=303&PageName2=pdfhold&p=&PageName=Getting+Ready+%2D+Executive+Summary%282%29%2Epdf There is a fairly short list of pre-K assessments that are recognized as measuring the skills needed for kindergarten-first grade. A Review of School Readiness Factors in the States: Early Learning Guidelines and Assessments, http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2010_06_18_ECH_SchoolReadiness.pdf

ED25. Number of children demonstrating gains in school readiness in terms of numeracy skills.
Definition of Key Terms	Children: Children up through the age of kindergarten enrollment who are enrolled in early childhood education programs with a majority of economically disadvantaged children and/or a majority of children with special or exceptional needs. Numeracy skills: An indicator and element of school readiness that measures a child’s development in one or more of the following domains: numbers and operations, geometry and special sense, and pattern and measurement. Each domain of math (numeracy) skills development has a set of specific, measurable indicators. The applicant/grantee should identify at the outset those specific domain(s) and indicator(s) of math (numeracy) skills development that (a) directly corresponds to the program intervention and (b) will be measured as defined by the particular standardized data collection instrument you choose. School readiness: Preparation for kindergarten which includes multiple indicators assessed across developmental and behavioral domains including but not limited to physical well-being, health and motor development, social and emotional development, approaches to learning, language development, cognitive development and age-appropriate skills and behavior.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Programs should obtain counts of the number of children demonstrating gains in school readiness based on their numeracy (math) skills. Accredited early childhood education programs have state requirements for assessing numeracy (math) skills of children to determine school readiness. For example, such a measure may be “Number of children at kindergarten entry who can count beyond 10, sequence patterns and use nonstandard units of length to compare numbers”. This suggested measure is from the National School Readiness Indicators Initiative Project (Feb 2005) http://www.gettingready.org/matriarch/d.asp?PageID=303&PageName2=pdfhold&p=&PageName=Getting+Ready+%2D+Executive+Summary%282%29%2Epdf There is a fairly short list of pre-K assessments that are recognized as measuring the skills needed for kindergarten-first grade. A Review of School Readiness Factors in the States: Early Learning Guidelines and Assessments, http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2010_06_18_ECH_SchoolReadiness.pdf

Improved Educational Outcomes for K-12

ED1. Number of economically disadvantaged students or students with special or exceptional needs students who start in a CNCS-supported education program.
Definition of Key Terms	Students: Individuals younger than 21 years of age who are enrolled or eligible for enrollment in grades K-12. Economically disadvantaged: Eligible for free (at or below 130% of poverty) or reduced (between 130% to 185% of poverty) lunch; may or may not actually be accessing free/reduced lunch. See: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/ChildNutrition/lunch.htm. If data about free/reduced lunch eligibility is not available, economically disadvantaged may alternatively be defined as receiving or meeting the income eligibility requirements at the family level to receive: TANF, Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SCHIP, Section 8 housing assistance. Students with special or exceptional needs: Children who are developmentally disabled, such as those who are autistic, have cerebral palsy or epilepsy, are visually impaired, speech impaired, hearing impaired, orthopedically impaired, are emotionally disturbed or have a language disorder, specific learning disability, have multiple disabilities, other significant health impairment or have literacy needs. Children who are abused or neglected; in need of foster care; adjudicated youth; homeless youth; teenage parents; and children in need of protective intervention in their homes. Education program: A program in which CNCS-supported activities help students maintain enrollment in and succeed in school (except mentoring programs). The help that grantees provide does not need to be in direct service to the students. However, the CNCS-supported activities must provide direct support that makes the program possible. Enrolled in a school where the majority of children are eligible for free or reduced lunch: Grantees using this option to document economic disadvantage must demonstrate that the sites/schools they will engage already have a student population in which the largest percentage of students in the school come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, or explain an outreach strategy to increase the proportions of economically disadvantaged students in the program. Start in: Children enrolled in the early childhood education program at the beginning of the program. Counts may be updated if the number of participants increases.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Unduplicated count of students who enroll in the program. Students may or may not complete the program.

ED2. Number of economically disadvantaged students or students with special or exceptional needs that completed participation in CNCS-supported K-12 education programs.
Definition of Key Terms	Students: Individuals younger than 21 years of age who are enrolled or eligible for enrollment in grades K-12. Economically disadvantaged: Eligible for free (at or below 130% of poverty) or reduced (between 130% to 185% of poverty) lunch; may or may not actually be accessing free/reduced lunch. See: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/ChildNutrition/lunch.htm. If data about free/reduced lunch eligibility is not available, economically disadvantaged may alternatively be defined as receiving or meeting the income eligibility requirements at the family level to receive: TANF, Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SCHIP, Section 8 housing assistance. Students with special or exceptional needs: Children who are developmentally disabled, such as those who are autistic, have cerebral palsy or epilepsy, are visually impaired, speech impaired, hearing impaired, orthopedically impaired, are emotionally disturbed or have a language disorder, specific learning disability, have multiple disabilities, other significant health impairment or have literacy needs. Children who are abused or neglected; in need of foster care; adjudicated youth; homeless youth; teenage parents; and children in need of protective intervention in their homes. Completed participation: At the outset of the activity, the program should indicate how much time (i.e. how many days or hours) is required in order to complete the activity. Then they will only count the number of students who meet that threshold by the end of the program or activity. This number will be used as the denominator for selected measures and therefore the amount of participation should be enough to influence the results. Education program: A program in which CNCS-supported activities help students maintain enrollment in and succeed in school (except mentoring programs). The help that grantees provide does not need to be in direct service to the students. However, the CNCS-supported activities must provide direct support that makes the program possible. Enrolled in a school where the majority of children are eligible for free or reduced lunch: Grantees using this option to document economic disadvantage must demonstrate that the sites/schools they will engage already have a student population in which the largest percentage of students in the school come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, or explain an outreach strategy to increase the proportions of economically disadvantaged students in the program.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Unduplicated count of students who complete participation in the activity as indicated by above definition.

ED5. Number of students with improved academic performance in literacy and/or math.
Definition of Key Terms	Students: Those reported in ED2. Improved academic performance in literacy and/or math: Improvement as measured by an improved demonstration of skill/knowledge at post-test as compared to pre-test (gain score) using a standardized test/instrument. Literacy: Includes English, language arts, and/or reading. Standardized test/instrument: A test/instrument that has been validated externally on a randomly-selected population of students.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Programs will report the number of students who: (1) achieved the “gain” or amount of progress that was approved at grant award, and/or (2) performed on grade level if the post-test only method is being used. Amount of progress required: The amount of progress required to count as “improved academic performance” must be specified in the approved grant application. If the program is using different tests for different groups of children, then different amounts of progress may be specified by test. Some tests may specify different amounts of progress based on the pre-test results. Standardized tests: Many standardized test instruments provide expected levels of improvement for particular starting levels. Those would be the most appropriate improvement levels for programs to select. Only programs that demonstrate they are serving below grade level students and that demonstrate a sufficient reason for not conducting a pre-test/post-test may request a “post-test only” assessment option. In these specific cases, only a post-test is required to show those previously below-grade-level students are performing at grade level after the program. Programs should select a standardized test that: (1) measures the types of student skills/knowledge the program is trying to improve through its efforts, (2) is appropriate for the grade level, (3) has demonstrated validity or reliability for the population they are serving, and (4) is compatible with, and acceptable to, the school where the program is providing services (different tests may be used at different schools).
	Pre-tests should be administered to the students participating in the program before they begin participation and again near the end of the service delivery period. Some tests suggest measuring improvement at more points during the year. Programs should follow the instructions provided by the test they have selected. State standardized tests should generally not be used by most programs as it is expected that they will not be sufficiently tailored to the material taught by national service participants, may involve long delays before the data become available, and the child’s classroom teacher would have the primary effect on these scores. However, programs may request to use the state standardized test, but need to demonstrate that it is appropriate for their circumstances. For all programs that propose to use the state standardized test, including Teacher Corps programs, please provide a justification that explains how the test is sufficiently tailored to the material taught, how the timeline for obtaining test data will meet national service reporting requirements, and why gains in the test are likely to be attributable, in part or in whole, to the efforts of national service participants. Obtaining test scores from school systems: For programs not themselves administering the test, the program will need to have some form of agreement, such as an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with the school or LEA (local education agency), to ensure that data for the needed children can be secured. Data are needed on the group of children you are serving, but not on individual children. Requesting data in this way is not likely to violate FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). The National Center on Response to Intervention website of the U.S. Department of Education provides some information about assessment tools (they call them progress monitoring tools) at the following site: http://www.rti4success.org/chart/progressMonitoring/progressmonitoringtoolschart.htm Note that these are not specifically recommended, nor are these the only instruments that programs could use but the site provides good information about how to consider which tool your program might choose.

Improved Outcomes for Post-Secondary Education and/or Employment

ED9. Number of students graduating from high school on time with a diploma.
Definition of Key Terms	Students: Those reported in ED1 or ED2. On Time: Within four years of starting the 9th grade.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	School/district promotion and graduation records of individual students who participated in CNCS-supported program.
Notes	This performance indicator is best suited for CNCS-supported programs that primarily serve 11th and 12th graders and whose objective is promoting high school graduation. Programs should consider the number of students served who would be eligible to graduate (i.e., the number of 12th grade students served) each year when setting performance measure targets. Can you develop a reasonable baseline or “comparison” group consisting of the population you plan to serve? For example, what is the typical high school graduation rate of the population you intend to serve? This will become your comparison group or serve as your baseline. The youth served in your program should have a higher rate of high school graduation than this group. Will you be able to set a “reach” target, the minimum anticipated percent of students participating in your education or mentoring program who you hope will graduate from high school; will the percentage you set challenge your program to reach that target?

ED26. Number of students acquiring a high school equivalency diploma or GED.
Definition of Key Terms	Students: Those reported in ED1 or ED2.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	High school equivalency or GED completion records of individual students who participated in CNCS-supported program.
Notes	This performance indicator is best suited for CNCS-supported programs that primarily serve 11th and 12th graders, or out of school youth and whose objective is promoting high school equivalency or GED completion. Can you develop a reasonable baseline or “comparison” group consisting of the population you plan to serve? For example, what is the typical high school equivalency or GED completion rate of the population you intend to serve? This will become your comparison group or serve as your baseline. The youth served in your program should have a higher rate of high school equivalency or GED completion than this group. Will you be able to set a “reach” target, the minimum anticipated percent of students participating in your education or mentoring program who you hope will acquire a high school equivalency or GED; will the percentage you set challenge your program to reach that target?

ED10. Number of students entering post-secondary institutions.
Definition of Key Terms	Students: Those reported in ED1 or ED2. Post-secondary institutions: May include two-year and four-year colleges. Entering: Means matriculating as a full-time or part-time student.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Registration records that confirm student enrollments or self-report on follow up surveys.
Notes	This performance indicator is best suited for CNCS-supported programs that focus on preparing high school students for college. Programs should consider the number of students served who would be eligible to apply to post-secondary institutions (e.g., the number of 12th grade students served) each year when setting performance measure targets. Can you develop a reasonable baseline or “comparison” group consisting of the population you plan to serve who enter post-secondary institutions? Or, what is the typical post-secondary school enrollment rate of the population you intend to serve? This will become your comparison group or serve as your baseline. The youth served in your program should have a higher rate of post-secondary school enrollment than this group. Will you be able to set a “reach” target, the minimum anticipated percent of students participating in your education or mentoring program who you hope will enter a post-secondary institution; will the percentage you set challenge your program to reach that target?
Measure ED28	Number of economically disadvantaged post-secondary students or post-secondary students with special or exceptional needs who start in a CNCS-supported education program.
Definition of Key Terms	Students: Individuals enrolled in post-secondary education institutions. Economically disadvantaged: Eligible for Pell grant or receiving or meet the income eligibility requirements to receive (either individually or at a family level): TANF, Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SCHIP, Section 8 housing assistance Students with special or exceptional needs: Students who are developmentally disabled, such as those who are autistic, have cerebral palsy or epilepsy, are visually impaired, speech impaired, hearing impaired, orthopedically impaired, are emotionally disturbed or have a language disorder, specific learning disability, have multiple disabilities, other significant health impairment or have literacy needs. Students who are abused or neglected; in need of foster care; adjudicated youth; homeless youth; teenage parents; and children in need of protective intervention in their homes. Education program: A program in which CNCS-supported activities help students maintain enrollment in and succeed in post-secondary education. The help that grantees provide does not need to be in direct service to the students. However, the CNCS-supported activities must provide direct support that makes the program possible. Post-secondary education institutions: 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities, graduate or professional schools, and career and technical education institutions. Start in: Students enrolled in the education program at the beginning of the program. Counts may be updated if the number of participants increases.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Unduplicated count of students who enroll in the program. Students may or may not complete the program. Each student should be counted only once during the program.

Measure ED31	Number of economically disadvantaged post-secondary students or post-secondary students with special or exceptional needs that completed participation in CNCS-supported education programs.
Definition of Key Terms	Students: Individuals enrolled in post-secondary education Economically disadvantaged: Eligible for Pell grant or receiving or meet the income eligibility requirements to receive (either individually or at a family level): TANF, Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SCHIP, Section 8 housing assistance Students with special or exceptional needs: Students who are developmentally disabled, such as those who are autistic, have cerebral palsy or epilepsy, are visually impaired, speech impaired, hearing impaired, orthopedically impaired, are emotionally disturbed or have a language disorder, specific learning disability, have multiple disabilities, other significant health impairment or have literacy needs. Students who are abused or neglected; in need of foster care; adjudicated youth; homeless youth; teenage parents; and children in need of protective intervention in their homes. Education program: A program in which CNCS-supported activities help students maintain enrollment in and succeed in post-secondary education. The help that grantees provide does not need to be in direct service to the students. However, the CNCS-supported activities must provide direct support that makes the program possible. Post-secondary education institutions: 2-year and 4-year colleges and universities, graduate or professional schools, and career and technical education institutions. Completed participation: In the approved grant application, the program should indicate how much time (i.e. how many days or hours) is required in order to complete the activity. Then they will only count the number of students who meet that threshold by the end of the program or activity. This number will be used as the denominator for selected measures and therefore the amount of participation should be enough to influence the results.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Unduplicated count of students who complete participation in the activity as indicated by above definition.

ED11. Number of students earning a post-secondary degree.
Definition of Key Terms	Students: Those reported in ED28 and ED31. Degree: May include an associate degree from an accredited academic program or an occupational or vocational program; a bachelor’s degree (ex.: BA, AB, BS); a master’s degree (ex.: MA, MS, MEng, MEd, MSW); a professional school degree (ex.: MD, DDS, DVM); or a doctorate degree (ex.: PhD, EdD).
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Registration records that confirm student enrollments or self-report on follow up surveys.
Notes	This performance indicator is best suited for CNCS-supported programs that work with students in college to help them succeed. Programs may only select this measure if they are able to collect data during the one-year grant period. Programs should consider the number of students served who would be eligible to earn a post-secondary degree (i.e., the number of students served who are close to completing graduation requirements) each year when setting performance measure targets. Can you develop a reasonable baseline or “comparison” group? For example, of the students you plan to serve, what proportion of those who enter a degree program typically complete a post-secondary degree? This would be your comparison group or the group who do not receive your service. Will you be able to set a “reach” target, the minimum anticipated percent of students participating in your education or mentoring program who you hope will earn a post-secondary degree; will the percentage you set challenge your program to reach that target? Remember that the target you set would need to be higher than what occurs already in the comparison group so that you can show the difference that your program is making.

ED32. Number of economically disadvantaged youth receiving job training, job placement and other skill development services.
Definition of Key Terms	Youth: Age 16 to 24 Disadvantaged youth: “Includes those youth who are economically disadvantaged and 1 or more of the following: (A) Who are out-of-school youth, including out-of-school youth who are unemployed. (B) Who are in or aging out of foster care. (C) Who have limited English proficiency. (D) Who are homeless or who have run away from home. (E) Who are at-risk to leave secondary school without a diploma. (F) Who are former juvenile offenders or at risk of delinquency. (G) Who are individuals with disabilities.” (Sec. 101(13) of the National and Community Service Act, as amended) It is the grantee’s responsibility to ensure the beneficiaries of service meet the eligibility requirements provided in the definition. Economically disadvantaged: Eligible for free (at or below 130% of poverty) or reduced (between 130% to 185% of poverty) lunch; may or may not actually be accessing free/reduced lunch. See: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/ChildNutrition/lunch.htm. If data about free/reduced lunch eligibility is not available, economically disadvantaged may alternatively be defined as receiving or meet the income eligibility requirements at the family level to receive: TANF, Food Stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, SCHIP, Section 8 housing assistance. Job training: Occupational skill training delivered in an institutional or classroom setting or skill training provided in an experiential workplace setting (may be called on-the-job training or work experience). P. 3, Job Training Policy in the United States, The Upjohn Institute, 2004. Other skill development services: these include: Remedial Education such as Adult Basic Education, GED Education, Adult ESL Education. Classroom soft skills training that provides information about appropriate workplace behavior or job search skills. (Job Training Policy in the United States, The Upjohn Institute, 2004.) Job Placement Services: These services include job search and placement assistance (including career counseling); labor market information (which identifies jobs vacancies).
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Unduplicated count of youth completing the job training, job placement or skill development service for which they enrolled.
	Course attendance records.

ED33. Number of economically disadvantaged youth who are placed in jobs
Definition of Key Terms	Youth: Age 16 to 24 Disadvantaged youth: “Includes those youth who are economically disadvantaged and 1 or more of the following: (A) Who are out-of-school youth, including out-of-school youth who are unemployed. (B) Who are in or aging out of foster care. (C) Who have limited English proficiency. (D) Who are homeless or who have run away from home. (E) Who are at-risk to leave secondary school without a diploma. (F) Who are former juvenile offenders or at risk of delinquency. (G) Who are individuals with disabilities.” (Sec. 101(13) of the National and Community Service Act, as amended) It is the grantee’s responsibility to ensure the beneficiaries of service meet the eligibility requirements provided in the definition. Economically disadvantaged: Eligible for free (at or below 130% of poverty) or reduced (between 130% to 185% of poverty) lunch; may or may not actually be accessing free/reduced lunch. See: http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/ChildNutrition/lunch.htm Placed in jobs: Individual is hired in a new job as a result of job placement services provided; individual may have been previously working in a different job or previously unemployed.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Count of youth who are hired into a new job. Count each individual only once even if the individual receives placement in more than one job.
	Suggested method is a copy of acceptance letter from employer or copy of first pay stub.

HEALTHY FUTURES

Strategic Plan Objective 2: Reducing Childhood Obesity and Increasing Access to Nutritious Food

Reducing Childhood Obesity

H5. Number of children and youth engaged in in-school or afterschool physical education activities with the purpose of reducing childhood obesity.
Definition of Key Terms	Children and youth must be enrolled in elementary, middle, or high school programs within a public, charter, private, or home-school arrangement. Physical education activities must be in addition to regular activities that would have been provided by the school or afterschool program (cannot supplant existing activities). One goal of the physical activity should be to reduce or prevent childhood obesity.
How to Calculate/ Measure/ Collect Data	Count of the number of children actively participating in the activities. Not just the number enrolled or even the number attending, but rather the number who engage in the activities. Count each child only once.

Increasing Access to Food

Measure H11	Number of individuals receiving support, services, education and/or referrals to alleviate long-term hunger.
Definition of Key Terms	Long-term hunger: Refers to the USDA’s definition of “low food security” or “very low food security” found below: Low food security: Reports of reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet. Little or no indication of reduced food intake. Very low food security: Reports of multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake. Support, services, education, or referrals: Helps qualifying individuals access food, provides nutritional services, education and life skills to alleviate the food insecurity experienced by the individual/family. May include community garden programs.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	At the outset of the activity the grantee should indicate the “dosage,” or how many sessions, days or hours of the service are required to influence the desired outcomes. Only count clients who received some minimum “dosage” that can be expected to have some effect in terms of alleviating hunger. Service requires an engagement with the individual in person, by phone, or through a web-interface. Pamphlets, brochures, or web-based information that does not involve a human interaction is not sufficient. Count of unduplicated individuals receiving the support, services, education or referrals as a result of the grantee’s activities. If more than one method of delivery is used (e.g., a group-level interaction followed by an individual-level interaction), count the individual only once. Only count individuals directly engaged in the service. Grantee client tracking database or tracking forms or logs of interactions with clients.
Other Notes	Programs may not focus their services solely on providing referrals to Federal assistance programs.

Measure H12	Number of individuals that reported increased food security of themselves and their children and/or other members of the household (household food security) as a result of CNCS-supported services.
Definition of Key Terms	Food security: Refers to either of the two definitions below as referenced by the USDA: High food security: No reported indications of food-access problems or limitations. Marginal food security: One or two reported indications—typically of anxiety over food sufficiency or shortage of food in the house. Little or no indication of changes in diets or food intake.
How to Calculate Measure/ Collect Data	Data collection for H12 will be based on a survey of the adult family member who received the food services. See the National Service Knowledge Network, https://www.nationalserviceresources.gov/, to search for performance measurement tools that CNCS has developed for volunteer and service programs. Survey questions could be modeled after those used to assess household food security for the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. The Household Food Security Survey is administered annually as a supplement to the Monthly Current Population Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The questionnaire includes about conditions and behaviors known to characterize households having difficulty meeting basic food needs. The report on Household Food Security in the United States (2013) measures the food security status of households by determining “the number of food-insecure conditions and behaviors the household reports. Households are classified as food secure if they report no food insecure conditions or if they report only one or two food-insecure conditions. (Food-insecure conditions are indicated by responses of “often” or “sometimes” to questions 1-3 and 11-13, “almost every month” or “some months but not every month” to questions 5, 10, and 17, and “yes” to the other questions.) They are classified as food insecure if they report three or more food-insecure conditions.” The referenced question items can be found in the report: http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/1565415/err173.pdf Two different approaches to administering the survey could be used. (1) “Pre/post” questionnaire. The same questionnaire would be administered to the adult family member at the beginning of the education/training program. The questionnaire would ask about the food security of the adults and children in the household. The same questionnaire would be administered three to six months after completion of the education/training. (2) Post-program questionnaire only. Three to six months after completion of receiving the education/training, a questionnaire would be administered to the adult family member asking about a) the current level of food security of the adults and children in the household and b) their level of food security prior to receiving the service. The questions would address the same topics as those in the pre/post questionnaire but reworded to ask separately about current and prior food security. Survey responses can be analyzed to calculate the differences in the number and percent of respondents who reported being food insecure prior to receiving the service and after receiving the service. Each individual should be surveyed only once regardless of the number or type of different services (e.g., education/training, counseling) received during the year.

Increased Access to Preventative and Primary Health Care

H1. Number of individuals who are uninsured, economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, or living in rural areas utilizing preventative and primary health care services and programs.
Definition of Key Terms	Uninsured: An individual lacks insurance coverage. (This definition is consistent with the National Health Information Survey (NHIS). Economically disadvantaged individuals: Meet income eligibility criteria for Medicaid or SCHIP in the state where the individual/family accessing services resides; do not have to meet other eligibility criteria. Medically underserved: An individual who lives in a medically underserved area, as defined by Health and Human Services, or is a member of a medically underserved population. The term “medically underserved population” means the population of an urban or rural area designated by the Secretary as an area with a shortage of personal health services or a population group designated by the Secretary as having a shortage of such services. Section 330(b)(3) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(b)(3)). Programs may also provide justification for other medically underserved populations. Preventive health care services: Preventive health behavior is “any activity undertaken by an individual who is (believed to be) healthy for the purpose of preventing or detecting illness in an asymptomatic state” (Kasl, S.A. & Cobb, S. (1966). Health behavior, illness behavior, and sick role behavior: 1. Health and illness behavior. Archives of Environmental Health, 12, 246). In the context of healthcare services this may include the provision of a range of activities such as immunizations, family planning, and health/wellness education. More broadly this includes individuals engaging in lifestyle changes (e.g., nutrition, exercise) to help mitigate risk of disease. Primary health care: The concept of primary health care was defined by the World Health Organization in 1978 as both a level of health service delivery and an approach to health care practice. Primary care, as the provision of essential health care, is the basis of a health care system. This is in contrast to secondary health care, which is consultative, short term, and disease oriented for the purpose of assisting the primary care practitioner.
How to Calculate/ Measure/ Collect Data	Count of unduplicated new individuals who actually use the preventive and primary health care services and programs, as a result of the grantee’s activities.
	Grantee records that are follow-up data on clients referred to health care services and programs. Requires grantee to follow-up with client.

H2. Number of clients to whom information on health insurance, health care access and health benefits programs is delivered.
Definition of Key Terms	Health insurance: Risk arrangement that assures financial coverage for a defined range of health care services, known as benefits, only if these are required. Coverage is offered to an individual or group in exchange for regular payments (premiums paid regardless of use of benefits) by a licensed third party (not a health care provider) or entity, usually an insurance company or government agency that pays for medical services but does not receive or provide health care services. Preventive health care services: Preventive health behavior is “any activity undertaken by an individual who is (believed to be) healthy for the purpose of preventing or detecting illness in an asymptomatic state” (Kasl, S.A. & Cobb, S. (1966). Health behavior, illness behavior, and sick role behavior: 1. Health and illness behavior. Archives of Environmental Health, 12, 246). In the context of healthcare services this may include the provision of a range of activities such as immunizations, family planning, and health/wellness education. More broadly this includes individuals engaging in lifestyle changes (e.g., nutrition, exercise) to help mitigate risk of disease.
How to Calculate/ Measure/ Collect Data	The information may be delivered using methods such as individual-level interactions, group-level interactions, hotlines, clearinghouses, etc. Count unduplicated new individuals who are provided with information, as a result of the grantee’s activities. If more than one method of delivery is used (e.g., a group-level interaction followed by an individual-level interaction), count the client only once.
	Grantee reports and logs of interactions with clients.

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