Strengthening a Program Evaluation Plan
{"Image DocumentName": "Strengthening a Program Evaluation Plan", "Image ImageDescription": "Jane Jackson is a curriculum coordinator for Greenlawn County Public Schools and has been working closely with the district\u2019s middle school faculty to implement interdisciplinary instruction as a means to improving students\u2019 academic engagement and achievement. Within each grade, a team of teachers cooperates to develop lessons that are interdisciplinary. Individual members of the team have been assigned responsibility for the areas of English, mathematics, science, and social studies. The program has been implemented for two full years. Anecdotally, the 7th grade Language Arts teachers (there are four of them, as well as collaboration teachers for both special and gifted education) appear to be engaging in interdisciplinary planning and instruction most enthusiastically and most regularly. Working with the school\u2019s assistant principal, Lynnell Perkins, and the School Improvement Team chair, Archie Craun, Ms. Jackson has decided to evaluate the 7th grade Language Arts program . Her evaluation tentatively includes the following: The means of the 6th grade Writing and Language Arts SOL tests from last year compared to the means of the 7th grade Writing and Language Arts SOL tests from this year. Monthly interviews of a random sample of 10% of the 7th grade student population to assess students\u2019 reactions to the Language Arts portion of the instructional program. A comparison of the mean, median, mode, and range of quarterly grades in 7th grade Language Arts for this year\u2019s 7th grade students, last year\u2019s 7th grade students (current 8th graders), and the 7th grade students for the two years immediately prior to implementation of the program (current 9th and 10th graders). Observations by an outside observer twice a month, using a scale she has devised to record pupil interaction during class discussions and activities. A weekly tracking of teacher lesson plans for evidence of planned interdisciplinary instruction. Given what you know about program evaluation, what are some of the strengths of Ms. Jackson\u2019s tentative evaluation plan? What would you advise her to change? What would you advise her to add? Adapted from Fitzpatrick, Sanders, & Worthen. (2004). Program evaluation: Alternative approaches and practical guidelines. (3rd ed.) Boston: Pearson (pp ).", "Image XResolution": "37", "Image YResolution": "37", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Centimeter", "Image Software": "SlidePlayer", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered"}