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APPENDIX C:

Guide To Using Excel To Help

Analyze Your Quantitative Data
The task of reviewing and analyzing your quantitative data is made easier with a
computer software spreadsheet. One such example is Microsofts Excel. You will
want to begin the process by considering the questions in your Community
Assessment which are close-ended questions (e.g., What enrollment option do you
prefer? Do you regularly use child care?) that can be answered using a limited
number of responses (e.g., selection 1, 2, 3, or 4; yes/no; etc.).
For example, if you were to utilize the first few questions in the Sample Questions
for Interviewing Parents on page 59 (i.e.,
Where are you living now?
How many children (under age 5) live with you?
How old are each of the children?
How many children do you have in Head Start?) and put them into a spreadsheet, it might look something like the following:

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Since the first question (Where are you living?) is not a numerical response, you
might want to create some geographical categories (e.g., East, South, West,
North) or names of population centers (e.g., Tall Hills, Blue Lake, etc.) to which
you could then enter a 1 for each parent responding. For questions like How
old are each of the children?, you may want to assign age groups to separate
columns. After entering information into the spreadsheet, you can quickly sum
up the data in the columns by using the Auto Sum button. To double-check that
the information in the selected cell is correct, look at the function (fx)in this
case, the cell J14 has the following function: J14 = SUM ( J3:J13) that is, all
the cells from J3 through J13 have been summed together...and the total equals
twelve.
Using a spreadsheet will also allow you to create other functions, such as
percentages. In the example below, the responses from ten parent questionnaires
have been summed, then percentages have been calculated by creating functions.
For example, the cell J16 has the function (fx = J14/F14)that is, the total
number of children in the Head Start program (in cell J14) is divided by the total
number of children Under 5 (in cell F14). 12/17 = 0.7058 and, if you click on
the Percent Style button, you can change this notation to 71%.

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With a computer spreadsheet, you can also create a summary table (see below).

Highlighting the information that you would like to display, you can then go to
the Standard Toolbar and select the Chart Wizard to help you create a graphic to
represent your information.

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Step by step instructions will then walk you through the process (see below).

From a number of different options (i.e., bar chart, line graph, pie chart), select
the one that you think will best represent your data to your target audience (e.g.,
Tribal Council, Policy Council, Management Staff ) in an easy-to-understand
manner. You can try different options, share the results with your CA team, and
select one that best suits your needs.
You can then print it out, share it with your target audience to get their feedback,
and cut and paste the finished product into your Community Assessment report.

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