Skills & Dispositions, Part 1: Definition and Measurement

An overview of the most influential research on student motivation, engagement, and 21st-century skills. This paper, originally published in 2012 and revised by in 2014 by Youth Development Executives of King County,  presents a holistic framework for thinking about student success. It provides operational definitions for the skills and dispositions that matter most, and suggests ways that educators, parents, and out-of-school-time program providers can begin to measure these skills in young people. This is the first of a two-part series. The second part covers strategies for building motivation, engagement, and 21st-century skills.

Skills and Dispositions Executive Summary

This artifact is a brief executive summary of YDEKC’s series on student motivation, engagement, and 21st-century skills. The first part of the series, published in 2012 (revised in 2014) proposed a working  definition  of motivation and engagement,  and  suggested  possible approaches to  measurement. The second part, released in 2014, describes a number of strategies for building motivation and engagement in schools and in out-of-school-time settings. YDEKC (Youth Development Executives of King County) served the King County region of Washington State from 2010 to 2023.

Evaluation Budget Worksheet

Whether evaluation is conducted internally or by hiring an external evaluator, there are likely to be costs involved. This tip sheet provides guidance on basic considerations that factor into an evaluation budget.