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What is a community report card?

___A community report card is a tool for reporting progress – or lack of progress – toward a community goal

___A community report card can serve to document and direct the progress toward that goal

___A community report card only brings a message.  The people who issue and receive it must be the actual agents of change

Why might you create a community report card?

___People understand it

___Selection of a few key issues or categories helps focus attention for problem solving

___Report cards effectively communicate a general message, yet allow for more specific levels of detail

You might create a community report card:

___To communicate the facts of a situation – to your own group or a wider audience

___To interpret the facts

___To raise awareness of an issue in the general public or more specific audiences

___To define goals

___To prompt action

___To influence policy

___To help make a case for a new initiative

___To be accountable to those you serve

___To hold others accountable

What are the common elements of community report card?

___A statement of purpose, possibly with a call to action

___The report card itself

___Explanations of chosen indicators and benchmarks

___An objective measuring system that can show progress toward stated

How do you create a community report card?

___Decide what your purpose is in producing a report card. Form a working group to determine what you want to communicate, to whom, and for what reason

___Set a timeline for your project that relates to your goals

___Determine the essential actors and actions

___Identify indicators related to your goals

___Identify benchmarks for each indicator that are meaningful and measurable

___Determine your grading scale and system

___Compile the data for your indicators and benchmarks, then translate into a grade based on your predetermined system

___Produce the report card (print and/or electronic)

How do you use a community report card?

___Publicize and distribute the report card

___Tell people what they can do

___Continue to call attention to the important grades and the actions you want them to prompt

___Update the report card