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Evaluating Your Technology Initiative How do you know it’s working? The MassCUE Evaluators Program Sun Associates Program evaluators State and local initiatives www.sun-associates.com/masscue Our take on evaluation Links vision to goals to actions to measures Is a part of a strategic approach to project planning and implementation MassCUE Evaluators Professional development that helps districts integrate evaluation within projects to... Clearly articulate goals and outcomes Plan and coordinate activities strategically Develop performance measures Develop a baseline – informed by data -- for on-going project implementation and planning How Districts Have Used MCE Conducting a district technology “audit” Westford, Foxborough, Winchester, etc. Provides the initial work for strategic technology planning Helps the district clarify existing goals, develop new goals, and to properly position new initiatives Creates a compelling, data-based, case for technology’s role in teaching and learning Conducting a program evaluation of a new instructional and technology initiative Bedford, Reading, Hudson, Danvers, etc. Helps the project develop clear project goals and performance benchmarks Frames the project work within a research/evaluation framework that clarifies the project impact and outcomes Creates the documentation necessary to ensure and support the continuation of an initiative Bedford Burlington Concord Needham Reading Wayland Danvers Foxborough Hopkinton Hudson Winchester Westford Format Hands-on professional development with a strategic team of stakeholders Curriculum and Instruction DTC/Digital Learning Director Administrators Teachers Board/Community/Paren ts Day 1 – Framing and Indicators Day 2 – Developing Data Collection Questions and Tools Day 3 – Data Collection Methodology Day 4 – Data Analysis, Recommendations, Reporting MCE Helps Articulate and Support “Return on Investment” Define “Return” A Strategic Approach to Articulating Outcomes/Returns MCE starts with your vision How will this initiative positively impact teaching and learning? What outcome do you anticipate from this project? “Project” could mean your entire technology plan, if you are conducting a district technology audit. The main point of evaluation – and hence MCE -- is to assess the degree to which the performance of your initiative is reaching your vision/intended outcomes Current status – documenting the situation before your implementation Formative assessment – documenting the impact your project is having Indicators for Success Indicators Drive Data Collection The next task is to develop data collection tools and to collect data based on the indicators Teachers Students Parents/Community Technical Observations Surveys Focus Groups Relevant Technical and Cost Information Multiple data sources allow for triangulation to find “answers” The collected data is analyzed against the indicators… …resulting in evaluation findings. Findings respond to the points described in the indicators. Recommendations usually follow the findings. How can you improve performance to come closer to meeting the vision/claim? Reporting The whole point of the evaluation is to communicate the progress – formative and summative – of your initiative/project Reporting should be to your school or district community…thereby providing a statement about value to your stakeholders. What We’ve Found “I wish we could meet like this back in the district!” MCE provides the time, and creates a “protected space”, to really focus on your initiative, its outcomes, and and what it takes to create success. “The focus groups were an eye-opener for me. It gave me much more insight into how people were thinking and feeling.” MCE teams learn data collection techniques, and create a substantial collection of data for their projects. “I hope to approach other projects using these guidelines!” MCE-developed skills are transferrable and build district capacity for evaluation. How to Join http://tinyurl.com/masscueval www.masscue.org www.sun-associates.com/masscue