Obtaining Measures of Citizen Education Goals

This paper is a guide for determining how to measure the goals of citizen education programs. It presents a procedure by which educators or evaluators can identify program goals and determine what types of measures can best assess achievement of the goals. It does not suggest specific tests or measurement instruments; those can be developed or selected on the basis of the procedure outlined in this paper. The opening sections discuss four categories of possible program goals: knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors. Each type of goal must be measured in a different way, based on clarification of the goal's content and determination of the appropriate measurement format. For example, skill goals should be measured with performance tests whereas behavioral goals should be assessed by observational procedures. A lengthy appendix presents 16 sample outlines for reviewing measurement criteria for various goals in each of the four areas of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors. Each sample outline states a goal, clarifies its content, relates it to citizenship, and explains its implications for the type of measurement best suited to it. (AV)