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Evaluating a Problem-solving Model: Including Training and Organizational Factors That Influence the Fidelity of Implementation
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| Presenter(s):
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| Elizabeth Cooper-Martin,
Montomgery County Public Schools,
elizabeth_cooper-martin@mcpsmd.org
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| Heather Wilson,
Montomgery County Public Schools,
heather_m_wilson@mcpsmd.org
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| Abstract:
The Collaborative Action Process (CAP) is a problem-solving model in use by more than 50 schools within Montgomery County Public Schools. CAP employs multidisciplinary teams and focuses on designing interventions to address student needs. A large-scale, implementation evaluation of CAP is underway and includes measures of training and organizational factors that may cause variations in the quality of implementation. The paper describes the CAP model, sampling methodology, data collection, and instrument development. The results focus on whether variations in the fidelity of implementation are explained by the following factors: support from district-level staff, administrative support within the school, types and extent of staff professional development, staff level of knowledge and understanding of CAP, staff perceptions about the feasibility and the benefits of participation in CAP, and team composition. The paper concludes with a discussion of the benefits and challenges of measuring fidelity of implementation of problem-solving models in school-based settings.
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What Helps, What Hinders: The Interplay of Conditions Associated with High-performing and Under-performing Diverse, Title I Schools
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| Presenter(s):
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| River Dunavin,
Albuquerque Public Schools,
dunavin_r@aps.edu
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| Abstract:
The focus of this presentation is to report findings and lessons learned from a multi-method evaluation of high-performing and under-performing Title I schools in a large urban public school district. Triangulation of multivariate methods including cluster analysis, regression, and Adequate Yearly Progress designations from No Child Left Behind legislation were used in site selection. Archival, survey, direct observation, and interview data were collected and analyzed. Constructs investigated include student achievement priority, implementation of standards-based instruction, school climate of academic optimism, leadership and teacher quality, use of data and short-cycle assessments to drive instruction, instructional coaching fidelity, professional development alignment, family support, student developmental assets, and instructional resource adequacy and availability. The evaluation expands understanding of the interplay of conditions associated with levels of student academic performance in schools having high percentages of diversity and a majority of students from low-income families.
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Evaluating Organizational Learning in Education: Modifying and Validating an Instrument With Empirical Evidence From Health Settings
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| Presenter(s):
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| Catherine Callow-Heusser,
EndVision Research and Evaluation,
cheusser@endvision.net
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| Wendy Sanborn,
EndVision Research and Evaluation,
wsanborn@endvison.net
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| Heather Chapman,
EndVision Research and Evaluation,
hjchapman@cc.usu.edu
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| Abstract:
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and other educational initiatives implemented in traditionally under-performing schools have increased levels of accountability and evaluation. Outcomes from one initiative, Reading First, are being published and demonstrate positive impacts. Yet, many question the sustainability of these programs, and few validated instruments to measure organizational change and sustainability exist in the education literature.
Given the dearth of validated instruments, we located the Organizational Change Survey (OCR) used extensively in the health field with published findings and validation data. We modified the OCR to better fit educational settings by changing health, eliminating irrelevant scales, and aligning items with the goals of educational programs designed to improve outcomes for typically underserved students and teachers. This presentation will include reporting of analyses to empirically validate the instrument across multiple time points and with data collected from 13 Bureau of Indian Education Reading First schools.
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Learning From School Districts: Practicing Effective Decision-making Through the Use of Multiple Achievement Criteria
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| Presenter(s):
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| Paul Gale,
San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools,
ps_gale@yahoo.com
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| Abstract:
School districts generally have latitude in establishing minimum performance criteria for promoting students. Depending on the program and the district's interpretation of what makes a student ready for promotion, the decision-making methods and data requirements to support them will vary greatly. To illustrate the point, K-12 California districts are required to apply a set of locally-adopted criteria to determine if students have achieved a level of English proficiency to which they no longer are required to receive supplemental language support. However, sites within districts can be very reluctant to interactively use data, especially when the data requires teacher or administrator judgment in determining the students' overall achievement of criteria. The presentation will illustrate how three districts have guided their school sites to now practice effective decision-making for promoting their English language learners.
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