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Students Gobble Blood Oranges for Harvest of the Month
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| Presenter(s):
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| Andy Fourney,
Network for a Healthy California,
andy.fourney@cdph.ca.gov
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| Andrew Bellow,
Network for a Healthy California,
andrew.bellow@cdph.ca.gov
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| Sharon Sugerman,
Network for a Healthy California,
sharon.sugerman@cdph.ca.gov
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| Helen Magnuson,
Network for a Healthy California,
helen.magnuson@cdph.ca.gov
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| Kathy Streng,
Network for a Healthy California,
kathy.streng@cdph.ca.gov
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| Abstract:
Students attending schools with funding from the California Nutrition Network (Network) taste fruits, like blood oranges, as part of a nutrition education Toolkit to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. One “harvest” item is featured each month.
Harvest of the Month (HOTM) is a theory-based nutrition education Toolkit designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in low-resource schools. It includes elements that connect the classroom, cafeteria and community in a synergistic way to augment consumption. A 2005-06 evaluation showed that 1,322 primarily 4th and 5th grade students showed a significant difference in knowledge, preferences, self-efficacy and consumption. The evaluation methodology was deemed practical and feasible. It led to accurate and useful results that were used to refine nutrition education strategies and justify funding. The sound methods led to findings that indicate change in outcomes can partially be attributed to HOTM.
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Learning From School Evaluation: Leadership at a Large High-School in a Changing Community
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| Presenter(s):
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| Laurie Moore,
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning,
lmoore@mcrel.org
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| Abstract:
Evaluators from Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) in collaboration with a public school district in the central United States conducted an evaluation of high-school leadership. The study provided valuable lessons learned in strengthening leadership evaluation services offered to clients. Sharing experiences and offering guidelines for conducting similar evaluations may help evaluators make practical decisions when designing services, particularly as these relate to methods and fiduciary constraints.
Our evaluation was intended as a catalyst for high school reform. As a result, numerous stakeholders were concerned about the study's impact on students, parents and faculty, as well as school and district administrators. Presenters will discuss how these concerns impacted the design and implementation of the evaluation. Attendees will receive a handout of useful guidelines to consider in their own work. Although conducted in a public school, these guidelines are relevant to small-scale evaluation of leadership in broad evaluation settings.
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Evaluating a Museum-Community Science Collaboration
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| Presenter(s):
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| Colleen Manning,
Goodman Research Group Inc,
manning@grginc.com
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| Abstract:
The proposed paper uses an evaluation of a long-term NSF-funded museum-community science collaboration as a lens through which to consider broader issues of evaluation methods and practices. Methodological and practical issues addressed include responding to NSF's priorities, the role of evaluation in supporting a replicable national model for community partnerships and training peer presenters, involving program participants in data collection, and using data for both evaluative and administrative purposes. In addition, the paper discusses using families as units of analysis in evaluation.
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Children Learning Through Fun: Evaluation of a University-sponsored Children's Festival
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| Presenter(s):
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| Heather M Scott,
University of South Florida,
hscott@coedu.usf.edu
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| Melinda Hess,
University of South Florida,
mhess@tempest.coedu.usf.edu
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| James Coraggio,
University of South Florida,
coraggio@coedu.usf.edu
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| Teresa Chavez,
University of South Florida,
chavez@coedu.usf.edu
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| Tina Hohlfeld,
University of South Florida,
thohlfeld@coedu.usf.edu
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| Abstract:
In this age of accountability, the role of informal learning environments is likely to be overlooked as an educational venue. Furthermore, there is limited information about how to appropriately evaluate these initiatives. This study does so by evaluating a children's festival sponsored by a college of education in a large university with an extensive teacher preparation program, and provides a framework for similar evaluations. The festival was geared towards children from pre-kindergarten (3 years old) up to high school (15 years old). The evaluation addressed both the process (planning the event) and product (the event) of the festival. Findings indicate strong satisfaction among those planning and sponsoring events as well as attendees. Although the evaluation process was effective and provided valuable information to organizers, improvements to the process were identified that could enhance future evaluations.
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