Increasing Access to Opportunity
The outcomes of this project are explicitly stated, endorsed by relevant parties, and tied to increasing student opportunities.
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The outcomes of this project are explicitly stated, endorsed by relevant parties, and tied to increasing student opportunities.
Charting the Course:
Navigating from Current State to Ideal State
Projects in the education field should scale up evidence-based practices to increase opportunities and outcomes for students. However, it is important to identify and state HOW the project is working toward that goal. Have relevant parties specifically discussed ways in which the project enhances students' opportunities? If so, is this clearly reflected in the project plan? Are there constraints to consider, and how will those be addressed during project implementation?
Building Your Case:
Gathering Evidence for Your Current Position
Identify sources where equal access to opportunities is intentionally written. Consider how this is represented in a logic model, theory of change, project plan, vision, mission, goals, project reports, etc. Once you've gathered and assessed the evidence, use the following scale to identify your current position. Remember that this rating is a benchmark, not a fixed position. If you find yourself at the Emerging stage, don't worry. You now have a clearer understanding of the steps needed to progress toward the advanced stage.
State of the Project
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Emerging
The project partners have not discussed ways in which the project enhances students’ opportunities
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Developing
The project plan does not clearly articulate how the planned activities increase students’ access to opportunities
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Advancing
The project plan clearly articulates the activities to increase opportunities through the delivery chain; however, there are important constraints that need to be addressed
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Mastery
There is evidence that the constraints can be resolved, and the increased access to opportunities allows the project collaborators to independently engage in new opportunities
Looking for tools to help?
- Try this self-assessment worksheet for this element, or look at the complete PSF self-assessment.
- Still struggling? Check out our resource library for additional tools.
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Tap into the full potential of the PSF self-assessment to evaluate your project's standing in each element. Gain valuable insights on the necessary steps to propel your project even closer to achieving successful outcomes.