Project Summary

The Holyoke Public School District (Holyoke, MA) contracted with The Education Alliance to conduct an evaluation of the Transient Opportunity Program, focusing on its first year of operation dedicated to providing services for highly mobile middle school students.

The evaluation questions included: 1) What are the promising practices in mobile student programs? 2) Is staffing adequate? 3) How well have teachers' needs been met in implementing the program? 4) To what extent have program students been appropriately assessed and placed? 5) To what extent have program families been stabilized? and 6) What is the academic and social progress of program students?

Data sources included a literature review, a document review, interviews with staff and district administrators, review of student and school records, student and parent focus groups, and teacher interviews and surveys.