How to Write Goals and Objectives

Overview
Definitions of Goals and Objectives
Purpose of Measurable Objectives
Relationship Between Measurable
Objectives and the Strategic Plan
Elements of a Measurable Objective
Methodology for Writing Measurable
Objectives
Tips for Writing Measurable Objectives
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Overview (continued)
Writing the Objectives
Strategic Plan
Purpose of an Evaluation Plan
Types of Evaluations
Writing the Evaluation Section
Question and Answer Period

Definitions of Goals and Objectives

GOALS:
Are broad statements that indicate what you
hope to accomplish in school health.
Create the setting for what you are
proposing.
Focuses on how a situation will be changed
as a result of a successful project, not what a
project will do.

Definitions of Goals and Objectives

OBJECTIVES:
Provide an organized pathway to meet your
higher goals in school health.
Are operational and measurable.
Describe specific things you will be
accomplishing.
Include the quantitative or qualitative degree,
amount or level of achievement or change.

Definitions of Goals and Objectives

Qualities of an objective: S.M.A.R.T.
Specific. What kind of, or which problem is to
be addressed.
Measurable. How much, how many, and how
well the problem/need will be resolved.
Action-Oriented. Uses action verbs.
Reasonable. Result you can expect to
achieve.
Time-bound. Gives specific data for its own
achievement.
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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

Sample GOAL
Our child nutrition program will help
children learn how to make healthy food
choices.

and related OBJECTIVE

Our child nutrition program will offer two new
vegetable and two new fruit offerings per week
to all students during our 6 week Healthy
Eating Challenge.
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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

GOALS
Global statements of the need or
the problem(s) to be solved by your project.

OBJECTIVES
What it is your project will accomplish.

MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES
Include outcomes that define how the
participants in the project will be different
as a result.
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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

PROCESS Objectives
OUTCOME Objectives

Definitions of Goals and Objectives

PROCESS Objectives typically begin with
words like To develop and To establish
and describe a process rather than an
outcome.

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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

An example of a process objective:
To establish a district Coordinated School
Health Leadership Team.
Attainment measurement of this objective
is that the objective was met.

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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

OUTCOME Objectives typically begin with
words like To increase or To reduce
and describe a measurable, expected
outcome.

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Definitions of Goals and Objectives

An example of an outcome objective:
To increase the average amount of daily
moderate to vigorous physical activity of
all students in grades k-8 by 20% .
Attainment measurement of this objective
is that all students increased their average
daily physical activity by 20%.
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Purpose of Measurable Objectives

Measurable objectives enable members of
the SHAC and CSH Leadership Team to:
Clarify where they are going
Clarify when they will get there
Clarify what they will need to get there
Assess whether or not they got there.

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Relationship Between Objectives and a Proposal

Objectives form the basis for the

activities of a project.
Make evaluation easier to create if
objectives and outcomes are clearly
stated.
Create a strong sense of integration and
consistency.
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Elements of a Measurable Objective

For an objective to be measurable, it must

include:
an action verb that identifies an
observable behavior
the conditions under which the desired
result should be performed
the criteria for determining how well and
when the behavior is to be performed.
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Elements of a Measurable Objective

Use language such as:

Increase
Improve
Eliminate
Implement
Maintain
Seek
Reduce
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Worksheet for Developing Measurable

Objectives

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Methodology for Writing Measurable Objectives

Measurable objectives are as simple to

write as A-B-C-D-E.
A = Audience: Who will be affected (target
group)
B = Behavior: The observable change
(knowledge, attitude, behavior,
process) that will occur in the target
group because of your project.
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Methodology for Writing Measurable Objectives

(continued)

C = Conditions: How the behaviors

will be observed or measured, including the
instruments to be used.
D = Data: Levels of attainment that must
be met in order for your project to be
called a success (your definition).
E = Era: Identifies when the effects of
your program will be measured.

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Methodology for Writing Measurable Objectives

(continued)

Following the A-B-C-D-E method:

At the end of the three years of implementation
(Era), 90% of the students in grades k-8
(Audience) will eat (Behavior) at least 3
servings of milk products per week (Conditions)
as measured by increases in annual food
service sales (Data).

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Tips for Writing Measurable Objectives

Ask the following questions before and after

writing the objective:
What is to be increased or decreased?
How much of an increase or decrease?
How realistic is the increase or decrease?
To what extent are objectives OUTCOME
objectives as opposed to PROCESS
objectives?
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Tips for Writing Measurable Objectives

(continued)

To what extent are the anticipated results

being measured with measures that are
meaningful to you, easy to do, and not too
numerous?
To what extent are the objectives related
directly to the problem(s) to be solved and
to the goal(s) of the proposal?
What impact will they have on the
problem(s)?
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Writing the Objectives

Objectives
Activities
Evaluation
What do you propose to achieve and to
what extent?
What will you do to get there?
How will you know what you did worked?

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Writing the Objectives

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Purpose of an Evaluation Plan

Present strategies for collecting data that will

provide evidence that the proposed objectives
have been met.
Describes exactly how you will decide whether
or not your project has been successful and
achieved its objectives.
Demonstrates how you will prove
you achieved your objective.

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Types of Evaluations
-Formative/Process Evaluation
-Summative/Product Evaluation

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Types of Evaluations (continued)

Formative/Process Evaluation
-Sample Question
How are we doing? Provides for
ongoing monitoring of the project,
focuses on processes and short-term
results.

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Types of Evaluations (continued)

Summative/Product Evaluation
-Sample Question
How did we do? Measures the
effectiveness of achieving objectives,
and focuses on the outcomes and
impacts of the project, as well as the
processes that affect the outcomes.
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Writing the Evaluation

Use the clearly stated goals and objectives,

to determine the purpose of the evaluation
(what you are attempting to assess) and the
questions that can be asked to determine the
results of the project.
Include the type of information to be collected,
how it will be collected, and how the data will
be analyzed.
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Writing the Evaluation Section (continued)

Questions to ask before and after writing

the evaluation section:
Will carrying it out tell you whether you have
achieved your stated objectives?
Will carrying it out tell you whether you were
able to follow your original plan of action; and
if not, why?
Will carrying it out tell you whether you
completed your project on time and within
fiscal constraints?
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Writing the Evaluation Section (continued)

Will carrying it out tell you whether your

project has made a difference?
How much closer to your goal are you now
than when you began?
Is your plan realistic?
Do you have the resources to capture the
data?
Does it measure what matters?
Is it too ambitious or grandiose for the
project?
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Summary

Goals are global statements of the need or

problem being solved stated as if the problem
has been solved.
Measurable Objectives are S.M.A.R.T. and can
be developed using the A-B-C-D-E
methodology.
Evaluation can be formative and/or summative
and is often key to a successful programs;
informs others how you will determine whether
the project was successful.
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Question and
Answer Period

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References
Guide for Writing a Funding Proposal
http://www.anrecs.msu.edu/dissthes/hints5.htm
Measurable Objectives: If Youre Not Measuring It,
Youre Not Managing It
http://www.growthassociates.org/Articles/Measurable.html
Leon County Schools Grant Writers Guide and Related
Resources - Designing a Sound Evaluation
http://www.tandl.leon.k.12.fl.us/grants/guide_deveval4.htm
Grant Guide
http://www2.njstatelib.org/njlib/grhdeval.htm
The Foundation Center
http://www.fdncenter.org
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