Planning and Evaluation

 

As the educational planning arm of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, the Jewish Education Center (JEC) engages in community planning for Jewish education. Communal planning is informed by partners’ needs and identified priorities, and seeks to build on existing strengths. In addition, the JEC provides strategic planning and evaluation consultation to partners throughout the community.

 

The JEC recently adopted a new strategic plan to guide the agency’s work and serve as the basis of Federation’s work in improving Jewish education in the community during the next five years. The new strategic plan was carefully crafted to chart an ambitious path forward for Jewish education in Greater Cleveland. Developed by lay leaders and drawing on national and local research and data as well as input from partners in the field, the JEC’s strategic plan is organized around three distinct Strategic Priority Areas:

1. Inspiring a variety of engagement opportunities in Jewish learning, living and community.
2. Deepening high-quality, compelling and accessible Jewish learning experiences.
3. Elevating and celebrating teachers as professionals in Jewish Cleveland. 

The first Strategic Priority Area focuses on expanding engagement opportunities to meet the varied needs and interests of community members and to attract unserved or underserved populations. The second Strategic Priority Area is about ensuring that the Jewish learning experiences supported by the JEC are high-quality Jewish learning experiences in which people are interested in participating. The third Strategic Priority Area is centered on teachers - teacher recruitment, support, satisfaction and retention. The JEC recognizes that teachers are the linchpin in Jewish education and strives to be a leader in having the best teachers who are committed to teaching in the Cleveland Jewish community.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                These Strategic Priority Areas

will take the JEC in new

directions. At the same

time that the JEC will

pursue innovative work

detailed in the strategic

plan, the JEC will continue

our foundational work that

has delivered strong results

and shown great promise.

Much of this foundational

work relates to one or more

of the Strategic Priority Areas.

 

 

 

As a learning organization with an agency core value of גישה חינוכית רפלקטיבית (Gisha Chinuchit Reflectivit), Reflective Practice, the JEC conducts ongoing evaluation of programs and initiatives. The JEC’s approach to evaluation is based upon the following principles:

• Evaluation should be an ongoing and iterative process that is intimately connected to planning.
• Evaluation should be embedded in programmatic work instead of being an afterthought.
• Evaluation should be collaborative and developmental rather than punitive.
• Evaluation findings should be actionable, and implementation requires monitoring.