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Session Title: Learning Evaluation Through Apprenticeship: A Continuing Conversation of Evaluation Practice and Theory From the Trenches
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Panel Session 573 to be held in Wekiwa 10 on Friday, Nov 13, 1:40 PM to 3:10 PM
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Sponsored by the Teaching of Evaluation TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Cynthia Tananis, University of Pittsburgh, tananis@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 a faculty member who serves as the Director of 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. This is a continuation of a session begun at the 2008 conference and now looks at lessons learned by each participant as the Center matures another year and across more evaluation projects.
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From the Evaluation Director Perspective
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| Cynthia Tananis, University of Pittsburgh, tananis@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. 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, ciminillo@gmail.com
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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 Graduate Students: Assistantship to Support Graduate Study - Many Roles, Many Pulls
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| Keith Trahan, University of Pittsburgh, kwt2@pitt.edu
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| Tracy Pelkowski, University of Pittsburgh, tlp26@pitt.edu
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| Yuanyuan Wang, University of Pittsburgh, yywang.crystal@gmail.com
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| Rebecca Price , University of Pittsburgh, rhp10@pitt.edu
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As graduate assistants at CEAC and full-time students (three as doctoral and one as masters students, all in social and comparative analysis in education), we serve as evaluators (3) and a communication specialist (1) for CEAC. We explore and discuss how the work of CEAC has influenced our activity, interests, experiences, and progress as graduate students and conversely, how our education and experiences as scholar-practitioners influences our work with CEAC.
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