|
Rural Schools and Uncle Sam: Context Matters
|
| Presenter(s):
|
| Zoe Barley, Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning, zbarley@mcrel.org
|
| Sandra Wegner, Wegner Consulting, sandrawegner611@hotmail.com
|
| Abstract:
This presentation reports on nine case studies of rural schools with low student participation in Supplemental Educational Services (SES) and describes the context that complicates rural school implementation. NCLB mandates that Title I schools in the second year of school improvement provide SES (tutoring), for low income students. Funding at local and state levels comes out of current Title I funds (20% for districts). The state role is to establish an approved service provider list (eligible schools may not be providers), monitor, and evaluate the program. Parent choice is the driver of student participation. In these nine schools, rural parents distrust outsiders and question the value of their programs. Parental poverty limits use of online program delivery and/or transportation to services. Providers struggle to find cost-effective solutions. One more successful school indicates that more nuanced adaptations can make implementation successful. Funding for a stronger state assistance role is recommended.
|
|
Context Matters: How Context Impacts Implementation of the Federal Smaller Learning Communities Program Across Sites
|
| Presenter(s):
|
| Beth-Ann Tek, Brown University, beth-ann_tek@brown.edu
|
| Abstract:
The U.S. Department of Education's Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) program provides funding to assist districts as they plan, implement, or expand SLC activities and components in schools. It is believed that SLC components (i.e., block scheduling, Advisory, and cohorts of teachers with shared students) will improve school climate, create personalized relationships between teachers and students, and foster collaboration among teachers. However, the federal program's flexible guidelines along with the varying needs from district to district contribute to the varied implementation of the SLC program across sites. Context matters, as the implementation of components ranges from simply changing the scheduling of the academic day into a block schedule; to adding an Advisory; to grouping students into academies; to combination of all three and more. Three case studies are presented highlighting the role of context and the methods used to capture this important element and its impact on implementation.
|
|
Adding Value to the Value-added Evaluation Approach: Linking to the Context of Educational Programs
|
| Presenter(s):
|
| Chi-Keung Chan, Minneapolis Public Schools, alex.chan@mpls.k12.mn.us
|
| David Heistad, Minneapolis Public Schools, david.heistad@mpls.k12.mn.us
|
| Mary Pickart, Minneapolis Public Schools, mary.pickart@mpls.k12.mn.us
|
| Colleen Sanders, Minneapolis Public Schools, colleen.sanders@mpls.k12.mn.us
|
| Jon Peterson, Minneapolis Public Schools, robert.peterson@mpls.k12.mn.us
|
| Abstract:
This paper illustrates how to link the value-added evaluation findings on student achievement to the context of three educational programs implemented in Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). The first example is the evaluation of the instructional practices of the kindergarten literacy teachers. The presenters will illustrate how to combine the value-added findings with the video-taped observations to validate the best practices of early literacy instruction. The second example is the evaluation of one of the NCLB compliance program - Supplemental Educational Services (SES). The presenters will illustrate how to use the value-added results with the on-site observations to identify the strengths and weaknesses of various SES providers. The last example is the evaluation of a federal-funded after-school enrichment program - 21st Century Community Learning Centers. The presenters will illustrate how to integrate the value-added data with staff and participants' survey data and program documentation to modify and improve the program components.
|
|
Critical Issues When Starting a Center for Assessment in Education: Taking Advantage of a Challenging Context
|
| Presenter(s):
|
| Alexis Lopez, University of Los Andes, allopez@uniandes.edu.co
|
| Juny Montoya, University of Los Andes, jmontoya@uniandes.edu.co
|
| Diogenes Carvajal, University of Los Andes, dio-carv@uniandes.edu.co
|
| Gary Cifuentes, University of Los Andes, gcifuent@uniandes.edu.co
|
| Abstract:
Educational evaluation in the Colombian context is usually used as a tool for selection, exclusion, classification and/or control, and it often has a negative impact on students as well as on educational institutions. The Center for Research and Development in Education, at the University of Los Andes, created the Center for Assessment in Education. Its basic principles include promoting formative, authentic, participatory, and improvement-focused evaluation. In this paper, we present the way in which this Center will take advantage of some critical context issues in an effort to make an impact in the Colombian educational evaluation culture, and change the negative perception that stakeholders usually have about assessment and evaluation. Previous evaluation processes, both successful and unsuccessful, are used as reference to understand the challenges that the Center faces.
|
| | | |