Age range

Website: www.savethechildren.org

Mission/Goals: Save the Children aims to create long-lasting positive change in the lives of children. In New Mexico, it is specifically focusing on increasing literacy rates and improving nutrition and physical health.

Notes: There are roughly 21 programs in New Mexico, all of which take place on reservations or in rural areas.

Source(s): www.savethechildren.org

Summary of Available Evaluation Information: Save the Children is in the process of revamping their evaluation procedures. Currently, they are conducting a process implementation evaluation. Each program evaluation (there are 21 sites in New Mexico) examines the gap between where programs are and where they would like to be. Each program is required to include the percentage of children reading at grade level, in addition to the hours a child attended the program and the hours of staff training. However, each program used different methods to determine students' literacy performance. Some schools uses accelerated reader STAR testing, others used state accountability reports, and others reported on how students were doing generally. Each program continues to submit quarterly reports and the Western Area Office is working on creating a more consistent method of examining outcomes. Current evaluations in New Mexico are examining literacy rates and attendance, as well as measures of health and nutrition. There is a national evaluation available for the Save the Children Web of Support Initiative from 1997-2000. It is available through the Harvard Family Research Project at www.hfrp.org. However, this evaluation is not representative of the New Mexico programs.