ACA Youth Outcomes Battery
Using ACA's Youth Outcomes Battery
Since 2007 ACA has been comitted to the development of reliable and valid youth outcomes' measures. Through the generous support of the Lilly Endowment, Inc., the ACA Not-For-Profit Council, and the Religiously Affiliated Council, and the expertise of faculty and research assistants at the University of Utah, we continue to build our battery of scales, analysis templates, and norms appropriate for nonprofit camps.
Preview Ways You Can Bundle Outcomes
Frequently asked questions about the ACA Youth Outcomes Battery
- Why were these tools constructed?
- How can these outcomes tools help me?
- What outcomes can I measure?
- Can I combine these outcomes to measure larger social issues like learning, leadership, etc?
- What are my choices for types of questionnaires?
- How do I analyze the data?
- Can I change the questionnaires?
- Steps to follow to use the Camper Outcomes questionnaires
Buy Now!
You have two options. Purchase the entire collection ($50 member/ $150 nonmember) or individual measures ($10 member/ $30 nonmember). Once purchased you can make as many copies as needed.
OPTION 1: Purchase the entire collection of measures.
Purchase ACA's Youth Outcomes Battery, 2nd edition (YOB)
A collection of all eleven camper outcomes' measures
OPTION 2: Purchase individual measures.
- Purchase Affinity for Nature Scale
- Purchase Camp Connectedness Scale
- Purchase Family Citizenship Scale
- Purchase Friendship Skills Scale
- Purchase Independence Scale
- Purchase Interest in Exploration Scale
- Purchase Perceived Competence Scale
- Purchase Problem-Solving Confidence Scale
- Purchase Responsibility Scale
- Purchase Spiritual Well-Being Scale
- Purchase Teamwork Scale
- Purchase Young Camper Learning Scale
Background Information
Why were these tools constructed?
Many camp professionals are faced with the challenge of proving that they meet their program goals. The following tools—designed with camp professionals in mind—are:
- Camp-specific
- Easy to administer
- Age- appropriate
- Statistically tested (i.e., reliable and valid)
- Individualized (able to select as you want to reflect intentional focus of your program)
- Easily modified for use in other youth programs such as afterschool programs
How can these outcomes tools help me?
The tools:
- Help you evaluate your program goals
- Document the changes in your campers so that information can be shared with key stakeholders (parents, funders, staff, etc)
- Demonstrate your commitment to quality programs that make a difference in people’s lives
- Meet expectations for trust worthy instruments (high reliability and validity statistical checks prove the questionnaires accuracy)
- Can be combined to measure socially relevant concepts (Ex. Environmental Leadership could be measured by combining the scales for teamwork, responsibility, independence, problem-solving, and affinity for nature)
What outcomes can I measure?
These tools focus on ten outcomes common to many camp programs. They include questions that ask if the camp experience has helped campers develop:
- Friendship Skills (i.e., make friends and maintain relationships)
- Independence (i.e., rely less on adults and other people for solving problems and for their day-to-day activities)
- Teamwork (i.e., become more effective when working in groups of their peers)
- Family Citizenship (i.e., encourage attributes important to being a member of a family)
- Perceived Competence (i.e., believe that they can be successful in the things they do)
- Interest in Exploration (i.e., be more curious, inquisitive, eager to learn new things)
- Responsibility (i.e., learn to be accountable for their own actions and mistakes)
- Affinity for Nature (i.e., develop feelings of emotional attraction toward nature)
- Problem-Solving Confidence (i.e., believe they have abilities to resolve problems)
- Camp Connectedness (i.e., feeling welcomed and supported at camp)
- Spiritual Well-Being (i.e., having purpose and meaning in life, transcendence)
What are my choices for types of questionnaires?
All of the questionnaires are age-appropriate measures that allow camp directors to choose the most relevant outcomes. One version was developed for 6-9 year olds called Camper Learning. Two versions were constructed for 10-17 year olds: Basic Camp Outcomes Questionnaires and Detailed Camp Outcomes Questionnaires.
Camper Learning Survey
- Best for campers 6-9 years old
- Staff help the campers do the survey
- Only 14 total questions that combine the original 7 outcomes appropriately for young children into one survey
- Uses an easy 4 point Likert scale
Basic Camp Outcomes Questionnaires (increase format)
- For campers who are 10-17 years old (works especially well for 10-13 year olds)
- Questionnaires measure gains through the camp experience
- Separate questionnaires that can be mixed and matched based upon intentional program efforts
- Uses an easy 5 point Likert scale
- Quick and easy to give (each of the questionnaires generally has 6-14 questions)
Detailed Camp Outcomes Questionnaires (status + change format)
- For campers who are 10-17, but works especially well for 13-17 year olds
- Questionnaires measure gains through the camp experience, plus how much of that gain was due specifically to camp
- Separate questionnaires that can be mixed and matched based upon intentional program efforts
- Uses an easy 6 point Likert scale
- Takes longer to give because each question has two parts
- Each of the individual outcome questionnaires (same questions as the basic version) have between 6-14 questions
How do I analyze the data?
Microsoft Excel templates have been designed for use with these questionnaires. The following steps detail their use:
- Download the template for whatever version chosen onto your computer (requires Excel)
- Read the instruction sheet (notice the tabs on the bottom of the Excel page)
- Go to the tab for the outcome(s) selected
- Enter the data
- Generate a report with the tables and charts.
- You can always do your own analysis through Excel or other statistical packages.
Can I change the questionnaires?
With the exception of the demographics questions and the specific word "camp", none of the individual questions can be altered. The statistical tests showed that these questions are the best predictors for that particular outcome. However, you are encouraged to add your own demographic questions (i.e., session, program, race/ethnicity, etc) to the basic list provided. Since the questions are not setting specific, the word "camp" can be replaced with other setting designators such as "afterschool program", etc.
Steps to follow to use the Camper Outcomes questionnaires
- Read the background information about the tools.
- Decide which version you want to use, then purchase the downloadable PDF(s).
Once PDF is downloaded:
- Click and print the instructions for staff.
- Click and print the instruction for campers.
- Click and print the outcome(s) questionnaire(s).
- Click and print the demographics questions (you list the demographics that you want to ask).
- If you want to combine several questionnaires into a larger survey or possibly combine with other evaluation measures, just cut and paste to make a survey that includes demographic questions or other questions specific to your camp. [Note: Please remember to acknowledge ACA by including the copyright information.]
- Make as many copies of the survey as you need.
- Give the survey to your campers (usually the second to the last day is good timing).
- Enter the data on the template tool provided at this website.
- Generate your report.
- Discuss your findings and how they help with program development or staff training
- Share your information with your key stakeholders (staff, Board, funders, etc).
Bundling the Measures for Use with Different Types of Programs
These outcomes scales CAN be combined to measure larger social issues like learning, leadership, and so on. Want to show that your campers are becoming leaders? 21st Century learners? Outdoor Adventurers? The ACA Youth Outcomes Battery can help you collect the information you need to make these statements! Try out one of our “bundled outcomes” packages this summer!
Examples of ways to bundle the ACA Youth Outcome measures to address larger societal issues:
Leadership Skills
- Teamwork
- Problem-solving confidence
- Independence
- Responsibility
21st Century Learning Skills
- Problem-solving Confidence
- Interest in Exploration
- Teamwork
- (also could consider Friendship skills)
Global Citizenship Skills
- Friendship skills
- Teamwork
- Interest in Exploration
- Problem-solving confidence
Nature and Spiritual Development
- Spiritual Well-Being
- Affinity for Nature
- Interest in Exploration
Outdoor Adventure-Program Related Skills
- Teamwork
- Interest in Exploration
- Problem-solving confidence
- Affinity for Nature
ACA has other youth outcomes resources that will help you train your staff (Creating Positive Youth Outcomes workbook and online course), analyze your data (free Excel-based data analysis tool), and compare your camp’s results to established national norms for the various outcomes scales. For more information on these resources, go to Youth Development Outcomes Resources and Help Your Camp Achieve Positive Youth Outcomes.
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