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Session Title: Evaluation Apprenticeship: Teaching Evaluation by Doing
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Panel Session 532 to be held in the Granite Room Section C on Friday, Nov 7, 9:15 AM to 10:45 AM
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Sponsored by the Teaching of Evaluation TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Cynthia Tananis,
University of Pittsburgh,
tananis@education.pitt.edu
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| Abstract:
The Collaborative for Evaluation and Assessment Capacity (CEAC) at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Education provides collaborative workspace for evaluation work in education (preK-16), child advocacy and support, and related initiatives through faculty and graduate students. Graduate students come to CEAC with no or little evaluation experience and often faculty serve as content-specialist consultants rather than bringing any particular evaluation expertise.
This panel will explore the ways in which apprenticeship (specifically for graduate students) can provide for their own field-based training in evaluation to augment their primary studies in other areas of education such as comparative studies, international development, educational leadership, and research methodology and simultaneously provide high-quality evaluation services for CEAC clients.
The panel will consist of two faculty members (one who serves as the Director of CEAC and one who works in collaboration with CEAC) and three graduate student evaluators, one who serves as the full-time Project Manager for CEAC and two others who serve as graduate assistants. Lessons learned and dilemmas from practice will be explored from each perspective.
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From the Evaluation Director Perspective
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| Cynthia Tananis,
University of Pittsburgh,
tananis@education.pitt.edu
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As the director of the evaluation collaborative, I am ultimately responsible for contracts and grants, evaluation planning and development, hiring and supervision of staff and graduate students and all management and leadership aspects of the Collaborative. As such, I offer this perspective on the issues identified in the panel description and rationale. My role on the panel is both to manage the conversation (to assure ample coverage from each of the presenters' perspectives and the audience) and to present the issues and dilemmas of managing a large evaluation group with staff and students who have no formal evaluation training or experience.
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From the Perspective of Full-time Staff: The Project Manager
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| Cara Ciminillo,
University of Pittsburgh,
ciminill@education.pitt.edu
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As the Project Manager for CEAC and doctoral student in educational leadership (with the Director as my academic advisor), I wear numerous hats. I am the first-line supervisor for the other graduate students who work for CEAC while also being a peer student and evaluator with them on projects. I serve as a peer evaluator with my academic advisor and employer/CEAC Director. I supervise and hire undergraduate students who work as support staff for our unit. While I had no formal evaluation experience prior to working with my advisor and CEAC, I find my continuing academic pursuits and interests being influenced by my work and my work being equally influenced by my academic interests. My perspective is varied and unique among CEAC staff and students.
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From the Perspective of a Doctoral Student: Graduate Assistant
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| Keith Trahan,
University of Pittsburgh,
kwt2@pitt.edu
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I serve as a graduate assistant at CEAC and am a full-time doctoral student in social and comparative analysis in education. I am lead evaluator on a number of projects and also work as a team member on a number of large projects as well. My academic interests include history and philosophy and their interplay in how educational issues are framed and studied. I have worked with CEAC for two years now and offer a perspective of how my work with CEAC has influenced my academic work and how my academic focus has also brought certain features to the evaluation work I do individually and as a team member.
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From the Perspective of a Masters Student: Graduate Assistant
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| Tracy Pelkowski,
University of Pittsburgh,
tlp26@pitt.edu
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I have worked as a graduate assistant for CEAC for one year and am completing a masters degree in social and comparative analysis in education. I have been a K-12 teacher in an urban district for a number of years as well. As both a novice graduate student (hoping to move directly into the doctoral program at the conclusion of my masters degree) and a novice evaluator, my first year at CEAC has been all about learning. Often I come to projects that are well underway and, as such, need to catch up quickly with both an understanding of context as well as evaluation. I bring the perspective of a true novice to CEAC as well as the panel.
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From the Perspective of a Collaborating Faculty Member
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| Junlei Li,
University of Pittsburgh,
jul@pitt.edu
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I am an Assistant Professor in the School of Education and also serve as the Evaluation Director for the Office of Child Development, a department in the School. I have worked with CEAC to consider avenues of professional collaboration and development for our staff to share expertise and learning. Additionally, we have collaborated on a grant proposal and a number of shared projects across our units. I offer the perspective of a faculty colleague as well as a manager of evaluation services.
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