Program evaluation plan assessing African American male achievement at predominantly white institutions: New Jersey education opportunity fund

A program evaluation will be conducted to assess the achievement of African American males at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) by examining how effectively, efficiently, and equitably the Education Opportunity Fund program supports job placement, graduation, and semester-to-semester progress. Since no comprehensive evaluation of the Education Opportunity Fund has been conducted, this plan will provide valuable insights to help practitioners fund, improve, and set meaningful goals for programs serving economically disadvantaged college students in New Jersey. An Education Opportunity Fund Program Planning & Development logic model serves as the main evaluation approach, with a survey as the qualitative and quantitative data collection method to gather information on mentorship, academic counseling, leadership, and/or extracurricular opportunities from Education Opportunity Fund program staff, students, and others. The primary goal of the Education Opportunity Fund is to structure a sustainable cohort model for first-generation students over time within the United States of America. The need for equity and access is important for African American male students who come from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This program evaluation plan assesses the support services Education Opportunity Fund offers, including academic tutoring, professional development opportunities, and a 5-week first-year orientation, and whether these resources translate into intergenerational success for the target population.