What is the purpose of collecting baseline data when evaluating a new program?

• A. Baseline data unnecessary.
• B. To compare progress and measure impact.
• C. Only post data matters.
• D. Baseline too costly.

Answer: (B)

Baseline data provides a starting point before the program is put into place, so you can see what things looked like before any changes were made. By collecting this pre-program information, you can compare it to later results to determine how much the program affected outcomes and whether changes can be attributed to the intervention rather than to other factors.

This is helpful because it lets you quantify improvement, track progress over time, and set realistic goals based on where you started. For example, if a school introduces a reading program, baseline reading scores show where students stood before the program, and subsequent scores show how much and in what ways those scores improved after implementation.

The idea isn’t that post data alone matters; without the baseline, you wouldn’t know what changed because you wouldn’t have a clear reference point. Baseline data isn’t about avoiding costs; it’s about having the information you need to judge impact accurately and to guide ongoing decision-making.