What are the Essential Effectiveness Tools?
These Tools are easily accessible resources to assist in support of Family and Consumer Sciences secondary education. The Tools are organized into three components:
- Advocacy
- Documenting Effectiveness and Impact
- Professional Development Opportunities
What is the purpose of the Tools?
To place ongoing advocacy tools, effectiveness data, links, and other strategies in one easily accessible location on the AAFCS website that will enable stakeholders to utilize the tools provided.
Who will use the Tools?
Family and Consumer Sciences teachers, supervisors, and teacher educators; Career and Technical Education administrators, Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America Advisers; and other supporters of Family and Consumer Sciences education will use the Tools as resources when communicating the value of Family and Consumer Sciences Education to students, parents, school district administrators and board members, legislators, and other policymakers.
Why are the Tools needed?
Family and Consumer Sciences secondary education programs are at risk. School districts across the nation are facing severe economic constraints. Curricular emphasis is on math, science, and traditional “academics.” School boards and administrators are making difficult choices—choices that too often result in reducing the number of Family and Consumer Sciences teachers or even eliminating programs.
Strong, multi-faceted advocacy for Family and Consumer Sciences Education is essential in order to sustain programs now and in the future. The Tools are designed to help supporters of Family and Consumer Sciences to:
- locate information through the links provided,
- demonstrate effectiveness with examples provided,
- help the public connect the term “Family and Consumer Sciences” with the body of knowledge formerly known as “Home Economics,”
- engage partners in supporting Family and Consumer Sciences Education
- promote the Tools to Family and Consumer Sciences teachers during conferences and meetings, and
- participate in relevant professional development opportunities.
Key to effective advocacy is statistical data on the effectiveness of Family and Consumer Sciences education that will enable advocates to:
- validate academic performance and relevance,
- illustrate alignment with academics,
- provide comparisons to other programs of study, and
- build respect of parents, administrators, policymakers, business and industry, private funders, and the general public for Family and Consumer Sciences Education.