The Grotto Foundation
Native Language Revitalization Initiative
Mid-Year and Final Report—
Evaluation Guidelines
WHY WE NEED TO EVALUATE
Evaluation is a way to give value to what you are doing in your program or community. It
helps you to understand your project’s successes, or where it may need improvements. It
also helps those that provide funding and support to learn of your effectiveness. The
purpose of evaluation is not to merely prove, but to improve the quality and effectiveness of
your program.
As a Grotto Native Language Initiative Grantee, and partner in language revitalization,
developing new native language speakers is the mission which drives our work. Whether
you are planning a project, developing a curriculum, or operating a teaching/learning
program, the development of new Native speakers is the key to language revitalization.
How do we know our learners are mastering the language? Are language learners becoming
more proficient over time? Are we fostering a positive language environment where
language can flourish? These Evaluation Guidelines may help you to assess your results
and progress.
EVALUATION REPORT FORMS
The following Evaluation Report Forms A and B outlines the means by which Grotto can
assess progress towards a vision of intergenerational Native language fluency. These forms
will gather information related to Language Status and Language Environment outcomes:
Report Form A: Outcome 1— Intergenerational Native language fluency within Native
families and communities.
Report Form B: Outcome 2— Positive Native language environments; communities,
resources, programs, policies and practices which support and nurture, native language
revitalization and usage.
All Grotto grantees operating “Promising indigenous language revitalization models” under
Grant Priority 1, should complete both Forms A & B.
Only Report Form B is required of Grotto grantees funded through:
Grant Priority 2—Community Planning and Capacity-building Initiatives,
Priority 3—Curriculum Development or Instructional Improvement Projects, or
Priority 4— Technical Assistance and Resource Sharing.
EVALUATION REPORTING TIMELINE
A Mid-year Evaluation Report is due after six months of project operation. A Final
Evaluation Report should be submitted at the close of the project year. Please refer to your
award letter for specific dates.
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REPORT FORM A—LANGUAGE STATUS
Outcome 1: Intergenerational Native Language Fluency within Native Families and Communities
Grantee Name:
Mid-year
Grant Priority/Activity:
Project Year:
Actual Number of:
Final
Language/Dialect:
Continuing
Students
New
Students
Targeted Learners
Mean or Average Age
of Targeted Learners
Gender Distribution:
Male/Female
Degree of Speaking
Competence:
-Passive
-Symbolic
-Functional
-Fluent
-Creative
Please see the instructions on the reverse side.
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Total
Year-to-date
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING REPORT FORM A—LANGUAGE STATUS
Report Form A allows for the tracking of change in language status in your program or community.
Check in space provided whether this is a mid-year or final report.
Grantee Name: Include both your organization or tribe, as well as the name of your project if different.
Language/dialect: Indicate the Minnesota indigenous language that you are seeking to restore.
Grant Priority/Activity: Indicate the Priority Area for which you’ve been funded:
Grant Priority 1—Promising indigenous language revitalization models
Grant Priority 2—Community Planning and Capacity-building Initiatives,
Priority 3—Curriculum Development or Instructional Improvement Projects, or
Priority 4— Technical Assistance and Resource Sharing.
Project Year: Indicate the beginning and end dates of your project year. This may be different from your
fiscal year. For example: July 1-June 30.
The Form A-Table allows you to simply fill in the numbers at project mid-year and final year-end
benchmarks. Form A-Table allows you distinguish between learners/students who are continuing from a
previous project period, or project year, and new learners/students. Total year-to-date figures will show
your final results for the report period, and for year end.
Please provide actual numbers for the following Indicators:
 Number of Targeted learners: Actual number of the learners or participants in your language
program or initiative.

Mean or Average age: Add and total the ages of your learners/participants. Divide by the total
number of learners/participants. This is your mean or average age.

Gender distribution of male and female learners: Indicate the ratio of male to female learners.
Simply add each and compare. Ex: Male/Female=12/15.

Degree of speaking competence among targeted learners: Each grantee may be using different
proficiency tests and methods. Grotto supports the self-designed methods of each grantee/community
in assessing language competency. However, for evaluation purposes, Grotto has attempted to capture
a range of language competencies. Daniel S. Rubin’s suggested Five Levels of Language Fluency have
been adopted for this purpose. Please translate your own assessments of your learner’s language
competency to these five levels of language competency. Simply indicate the number of learners within
each range of proficiency. For example: A project may have 10 symbolic speakers and 10 passive
speakers at mid-year, and may end their project year with 15 Symbolic speakers and still 5 passive
speakers.

Passive: Able to understand common words or phrases, with or without deeper comprehension of
their meaning. Novice. Little or no ability to speak or understand.

Symbolic: Able to use common phrases and sentences in a formal setting, as symbols of
participation and cultural ownership. Some ability to speak or understand.

Functional: Able to speak the language with basic understanding of its syntax, grammar, rules
of usage, and a minimal vocabulary. Social competence. Practical, useful ability to speak and
understand.

Fluent: Able to understand and speak the language with confidence an skill,; an understanding of
normal syntax, grammar and rules of form; and an extensive and growing vocabulary. Proficient
ability to speak and understand.

Creative: Able to speak and understand the language fluently in ways that create new word
usage and structures, showing a deeper understanding of the language and its potential new uses.
Usually first language speakers
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REPORT FORM B—POSITIVE LANGUAGE ENVIRONMENTS
Outcome 2: Positive Native language environments, communities, resources, programs, policies,
and practices which support and nurture Native language revitalization and usage.
Grantee Name:
Mid-year
Grant Priority/Activity:
Project Year:
Final
Language/Dialect:
Project Start-up
Inventory Table of Community Language Resources
List names or types of available resources below
Language Mentors, Master Speakers:
Indicate Change in
Availability of Resources
(Less, More, No Change)
Community Resources or Programs (name/type):
Curriculum or Instructional Material:
Language-related Research, Studies, Papers:
Policy or Practices Supporting Language Revitalization:
Advocacy Activities:
Partnerships and Collaborations:
Other:
Please see the instructions on the reverse side.
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING REPORT FORM B—POSITIVE NATIVE LANGUAGE
ENVIRONMENTS
Report Form B will allow for tracking changes in program/community environments where
language can thrive. Community resources, programs, policies and practices which support and
nurture, native language revitalization and usage will be gauged at Mid-year and Final Year
End.
Grantees should indicate the presence of the following language resources or supports. Indicate
the names or types of resources as shown, and whether the availability of these resources or
supports have changed at each reporting interval.
Inventory Table of community language resource-List the following resources in the left
hand column. List additional resource at mid-year or year end, or indicate whether those
resources are no longer available.
-Language mentors or master speakers: Indicate the number of language mentors, elder or
fluent speakers that are available to your community or program.
-Community Resources and Programs: list names and types of community resources or
programs available to your community or program.
-Curriculum or instructional materials: List the names and type of curriculum available to
your community or program.
-Language-related research, studies, papers: List the names and sources of available
research, studies or papers.
-Policy or practice changes: Indicate any tribal, program or community policies and practice
changes that are supportive to language revitalization.
-Advocacy Activities: Indicate any community advocacy, organizing or group mobilization that
advances language revitalization or builds awareness. Indicate the target of your advocacy
activities.
-Partnerships and Collaborations: Indicate any formal or informal community partnerships
and collaborations in which you are engaged. Indicate whether it is a local or regional
partnership/collaborative.
-Other: Indicate other community language resources.
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DIRECTIONS FOR PROCESS REPORT NARRATIVE—TO BE COMPLETED BY ALL GRANTEES.
Process Evaluation: The process and methods used in carrying out your project, is as important
as the outcomes themselves. Please provide brief responses to the following questions, and limit
your narrative to four pages.
1. Are there other project outcomes and results on which you would like to report?
2. How do you teach Native language? (Briefly describe your teaching methods or model. For
example-some grantees are using master/apprentice models, classroom instruction, daily
immersion or a blending of approaches). Grantees that are engaged in curriculum
development, research or planning should present their project approach or methods as well.
3. Why was this model/approach selected? (Briefly describe your sources for designing or
creating your approach. Please cite resources such as names, text, curriculum, research,
model).
4. If a language acquisition or teaching program, how do you know your students/learners are
mastering their heritage language? (Describe your method for assessing language
competency, i.e.; guidelines on proficiency levels, learner comprehension, reading, writing,
abilities).
5. How well is your teaching method or project approach working? Please describe what is
working well and what, if any improvements are needed.
6. What advice would you give to others who are establishing a similar program?
7. Describe your participant feedback regarding your program’s effectiveness and performance.
This may include verbal, written or survey feedback from students, teachers, facilitators,
planners, community members.
8. Have you noticed a change in the integration of native language into daily life and functions
of the family and community, (i.e.; hearing language, oral or written language expression,
presence in local media.). If so, where and how?
9. Any comments or suggestions for the Grotto Foundation on Native Language Revitalization
grantmaking, technical assistance or reporting?
RELATED DATA COLLECTION
In order to examine the benefits of Native language mastery among Native students, the Grotto
Foundation will collect data that is academic in nature. Given the challenges of Indian
Education on a state and national level, it is unfair to expect that this initiative will have
overwhelming impact on the academic achievement of Native students. However, it is
conceivable that positive correlations may occur. The Foundation welcomes any such data from
its grantees.
FINANCIALS
1. Please attach a financial statement of actual income and expenses for your project or
organization. This statement should also reflect specific Grotto grant expenses. Also include
your original budget.
2. Please include a narrative explaining your expenses and income.
3. If you have a fiscal agent, please provide evidence that they have formally recognized the
revenue and expenses of your project within their accounting system.
4. Please attach a list of additional funders, including amounts received for this project or
program.
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