KPMG Foundation Sponsored Curriculum Evaluation

JA Finance Park

®

Final Report | January 2016

Prepared for:

Prepared by:

KPMG and JA USA Areas

Junior Achievement USA® | Education Department One Education Way | Colorado Springs, CO 80906

Acknowledgements This report was made possible by the gracious participation of the following JA USA areas: JA of Delaware JA of Greater New Orleans JA of New York JA of Greater St. Louis JA of Greater Washington JA of Kentuckiana JA of Northern Indiana JA of South Texas JA of Utah JA of Wisconsin

Junior Achievement USA thanks the KPMG Foundation for their support in the redevelopment of the JA Finance Park curriculum and for the creation of this evaluation. Their commitment to the hundreds of thousands of young people who benefit from JA Finance Park is greatly appreciated.

These findings were taken directly from a technical report developed by RMC Research Corporation during the fall semester of 2015. Additional analyses were conducted by the JA USA Education Department and reported herein based on the raw data collected by RMC Research Corporation to supplement findings related to the changes in attitudes of the students participating in the JA Finance Park program.

Table of Contents Executive Summary .......................................................................................................... 1 Key Findings ............................................................................................................................. 1

Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 2 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 3 Evaluation Questions ................................................................................................................ 3 Data Sources ............................................................................................................................ 4 Sample ...................................................................................................................................... 5 Students ................................................................................................................................ 5 Teachers ................................................................................................................................ 6 Volunteers ............................................................................................................................. 7 Site Visits ............................................................................................................................... 8 Analysis Methods ...................................................................................................................... 8 Instrumentation ......................................................................................................................... 8 Baseline Equivalence of Program and Comparison Groups ..................................................... 9

Findings: Implementation ................................................................................................ 10 Curriculum Implementation ..................................................................................................... 10 Variation in Implementation ................................................................................................. 12 Student Experience of the Curriculum ................................................................................. 15 Teacher Experience of the Curriculum ................................................................................ 16 Simulation Implementation .................................................................................................. 17 Recruitment of School and Vo