As you write measurable objectives, you may want to keep in mind current expectations at the national level. Short term objectives target knowledge, attitudes, skills, aspirations, tax dollar support, behaviors, and other program participant characteristics which will change as a result of the program/treatment. They generally take about one year or less to accomplish. An example of a short-term objective would be: By (DATE) (WHO) will (DO WHAT IMPLEMENTING/ACTION VERB) for (WHAT OUTCOME)? An example of a short-term objective is:
By January 1, 19xx, fifty parents in Anywhere County will learn to manage their anger, decrease their anger levels and increase their anger control levels as a result of their participation in the STRESSFREE program from pretest to post-test in a six weekly two course.
You might first write objectives to assess knowledge, attitude, skill changes, and tax dollar support level. Although these are not behavior objectives with measurable indicators, objectives may be written to address:
- knowledge about parenting and anger management.
- participants in improving their attitudes about parenting and anger management (be sure to include behavior changes).
- participants in making positive behavioral changes like listening to their children better.
- increased problem-solving skills.
- developing reasonable expectations of one's own children/youth.
- increased involvement in school participation, i.e., within the school year each parent will make at least one school visit with each of their children.
- improved parent-child relationships.
- providing parenting educators programs in which 80% of respondents favor continued tax dollar support for the program.
- increased family coping, quality of life, and self-esteem levels (Fetsch & Gebeke, 1994).
- decreased stress, depression, and family strain levels (Fetsch, 1995).
- decreased anger and violence levels (Spielberger, 1991; Straus, 1979).
- increased scholastic competence, athletic competence, global self esteem levels (cf. Susan Harter's 1985 "What I Am Like").
- maintaining tax dollar support by program participants (Fetsch, 1995; 1996).