Program Analysis

Theresa Tolbert
Revised 12/10/2016
EDIT 6130
Allen Temple Christian Academy located in Woodstock, GA., a Christian based preschool for

ages eighteen months to five years old. The preschool is one of the ministry that Allen Temple

provides for the community.

The program is guided by a board of directors and a school director. The goals and objectives of

the school is as followed:

Provide a safe and loving environment that children can grow.

Provide a Christian based environment where Christ is the center.

Provide introduction to academic so that there will be a foundational learning

environment.

Provide introduction of academics age approximate to lay solid foundation of growth as

the children progress in each class.

Having children prepared for entering mainstream educational environment in public

school sector.

The preschool is operated under the leadership of the Pastor the church, who appoints seven

board members to govern the school and its operations. The board along with the pastor create

the annual budget, school policies and hiring of staff. The goal for the school to maintain and

increase enrollment each year is to add new students to vacate spaces from the classes where

student advance to the next level or class. Each year another class was to be added to prepare for

the elementary school which should have begun the 2015/2016 school year. Allen Temple

Christian Academy known in the community ATCA have been in operation since September of

2008. The school have graduated four classes with approximately 12 children each year. The

second graduating class had one student to advance to first grade. Out of the remaining forty-
seven children, twelve was on grade level, twenty required additional assistance and the

remaining fifteen no data from them.

Within the school classes there are deficit in the academic level of the children, this is a result of

the staff not being trained to teach the Abeka curriculum. This is a contextual factor indicating

that curriculum cannot produce result desire which is for each child to be academically prepared.

Training is an essential part of the success of ATCA program.

ATCA was struggling to maintain their enrollment after the second year of operation because of

the control from the board not allowing the Center Director to hire certified teachers and another

qualified staff. There were four directors for the center in a three-year period. The third director

could market the school and increase enrollment to the point of having a waiting list. She

resigned in 2015 due to different of vision for the school. The school went from having sixty-six

children enrolled with forty being in the afterschool program to currently having thirty students

enrolled in 2016.

Allen Temple Christian Academy (ATCA) was instituted by Allen Temple AME Church to

provide quality childcare with a Christian base while delivering a curriculum based academic to

the Woodstock community. The school open its door in September of 2008 to begin its service.

The board chose to use an Abeka Curriculum. The staff was the director and one teacher due to

the enrollment being low.

The preschool was to serve children ages two to five and each year add a grade until it was to be

a Preschool and an elementary school. The goal was a religious base school with academic to

give children a strong Christian based to go into the public-school sector.

The teachers are to teach the age approximate Abeka program starting at the age of two. Each

year is to build on the next year. Each class is separate by age. The school years 2013 to 2015

saw an increase in enrollment and becoming known in the community as one of the higher-

ranking preschool in the area. As of this school year 2016/2017 the school is rated one of the

lowest in the area and the enrollment shows this. Former parent complain that their children were

not prepared to enter Kindergarten. The class of 2013 and 2014 student went seventy percent

went to the county Charter School which maintain small class sizes and environment that was

like ATCA. Children at Charter school was assessed weekly to see progress and teachers adapted

the teaching environment to their needs. While in the regular elementary schools where class

sizes were triple, the students were behind in letter formation, sight words recognition and math.

Parent spent additional time and resources working to help student be on level with classmates.

One of the school biggest problem is being controlled by the Pastor and the board. They have not

revised the school vision, doesnt take time to talk to parents and not hiring qualified staff, not

paying teacher salaries to be able to live and no staff training to implement academic programs

that they choose. The board consist of business people and no educators. They maintain control

with no other involvement. The board main interest is making money not serve the children,

parents, teachers or community. I worked for them for two years and have seen firsthand how

they run things.

Many of the board member are leaders of other church ministries within the church. They are

close to the pastor and his wife and agree with whatever they do and say. If you disagree or

speak on something that is known not to be in the best interest of the school, you are taken off

the board and another ministry that you are on.

Being a member of the church will cause some major disagreement because that have no desire

to pay for qualified staff, staff training and development and spending money for necessary

improvement. The reason that I am doing the evaluation is for the new administration that will

come in June of 2017. The current board members and pastor consider the program to be

successful because of the one student who advanced to first grade. The understanding of what it

requires for a well-rounded academic environment is not received by current administration and

will not listen to any improvement suggestions. Since there are no educators on the board

currently and no day to day involvement it is difficult to see them using the evaluation and

maybe hindering the staff from assisting to gain any type of improvement. There is one major

factor that I have not mention would be parents getting involved in day to day activities of

children to insist on new and revised academic direction.

References:

Fitzpatrick, J., Sanders, J., & Worthen, B. (2010). Program evaluation: Alternative approaches and

practical guidelines (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2010). Practical applications: Program evaluation models [Video

file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Reardon, R., & Hartley, S. (2007). Program evaluation of e-portfolios. New Directions for Student

Services, 119, 8397.