The operations of Junior Achievement of Mississippi, Inc. have been analyzed using the methodology and scoring system developed for JA nationally by the Deloitte & Touche Solutions Group. In addition, an accreditation team of National and field Junior Achievement staff conducted a series of onsite focus groups and interviews with members of the Board of Directors, program volunteers, educators, and staff to validate the data. Junior Achievement of Mississippi, Inc. exceeded standards within the eight accreditation areas of focus and is, therefore, officially accredited for 2001—2004. The Cooperative Accreditation Process (CAP) is utilized by the National Junior Achievement organization to facilitate continuous improvement, foster organizational learning, and enable local JA areas and the National office to work together to achieve exceptional impact. Junior Achievement Delivers on Economic Education In studies of Junior Achievement’s K-12 programs by external evaluators, JA students demonstrate a significant understanding of economics and business knowledge–particularly those exposed to programs at consecutive grade levels. Elementary School Program Sequential Curricula Pays Off From 1993-1999, the Western Institute for Research and Evaluation (WIRE) has conducted a comprehensive evaluation of Junior Achievement’s Elementary School Program. Results show that JA’s impact on student achievement has been consistent and significant. Students participating in the elementary school study all attend urban schools in some of the nation’s major cities, representing a diverse ethnic and racial population. The cumulative impact of the program is significant ... WIRE’s longitudinal study shows that students participating in the elementary program over consecutive years acquire significantly more economics and business knowledge than those taking Junior Achievement for the first time. Even a single exposure to a JA program makes a difference ... Students at all grade levels who participate in the Elementary School Program have greater comprehension of concepts and skills than their non-participating peers. Educators value JA programs ... Middle Grade Programs - A History of Performance WIRE evaluators found positive results from the Middle Grade Programs for students in grades seven through nine. JA students consistently outperform their non-participating peers–in each program at three grade levels. The WIRE study tracked performance levels among 772 Personal Economics® students, 868 Enterprise in Action® students, and 824 The International Marketplace™ students in five, geographically diverse areas. JA students outperform their peers ... Earlier research shows that JA ... * These findings came from a study of Project Business, Junior Achievement’s original junior high school program, which was superseded by Personal Economics®, Enterprise in Action®, and The International Marketplace™ High School Programs - JA Students Have the Competitive Advantage WIRE began a comprehensive study of JA’s High School Programs in 1998. Results show that JA programs have a significant impact on student learning. JA Programs Increase Economic Understanding After completing the JA Company Program, students scored 10.6 percent higher on objective-referenced tests that measure understanding of economic concepts. JA Economics and JA Success Skills students scored 8.1 percent higher. JA Programs Improve Critical-thinking Skills WIRE’s alternative assessments reveal that JA’s High School Programs help students use higher levels of thinking to synthesize and integrate information. After completing JA Economics, students scored 18.6 percent higher on alternative assessment tests. JA Company Program and JA Success Skills students scored 10.9 percent and 13 percent higher respectively. Educators and Consultants agree… that JA students are better than traditional students in Additional Program Evaluations Get Involved Junior Achievement welcomes the opportunity to discuss how you can participate in educating tomorrow’s work force. Just click on Want to Volunteer? to go to a request form, fill out the form, click and submit it to us, and and we'll be happy to respond and let you know how YOU can help us make a difference in the life of a child.
