The Elementary School Program
The Western Institute for Research and Evaluation (WIRE) was commissioned in 1992 to evaluate Junior Achievement's Elementary School Program. The WIRE evaluation plan was conducted in three phases (consisting of Formative, Summative, and Longitudinal Evaluations) over the 1993-1995 school years. During these three phases, WIRE assessed the worth, merit, and effectiveness of the Junior Achievement Elementary School program and its specific educational outcomes. Here are the results:

Student Learning Outcomes
During the first year of the summative evaluation (1993-94), WIRE found that students in schools with Junior Achievement programs outperformed control group students on the objective referenced tests at each grade level. Students who were enrolled in Junior Achievement programs learned more about economic concepts and understood them more deeply than students who did not participate in the programs.

Alternative Assessment
Alternative assessment detects the students' ability to perform based on their learning. It tends to be a more sensitive measure than multiple-choice testing of students' abilities to apply what they have learned to every day situations. 

Like all Junior Achievement programs, the High School Program is presented by Volunteers from the local community who are trained by Junior Achievement staff.  All JA programs meet the Sunshine State Standards.