Project Summary

The Education Alliance is leading evaluation efforts to assess the Rhode Island Technology Enhanced Sciences (RITES) program, a major statewide initiative focused on improving middle and high school science and mathematics education. In a $12.5 million award from the National Science Foundation Math & Science Partnership, the RITES program builds on extant initiatives across the state focused on inquiry-based science through a rollout of professional development, online resources, research-based content and partnered support. The evaluation design for the RITES program includes quasi-experimental approaches as well as qualitative data collection to continuously inform program staff on all aspects of program implementation and improvement efforts.

Design

The five-year evaluation plan centers on four components of the RITES program: professional development, classroom instruction, student achievement, and structural systems that include higher education partnerships and state educational systems. Key components to both the implementation and impact of RITES are assessing the quality of the professional development provided and understanding how teachers transfer knowledge gained from the opportunities to improve science instruction and student outcomes. The Alliance will measure aspects of the professional development opportunities and teachers’ perceptions and attitudes toward inquiry-based instruction using a web-based teacher log. The professional development logs will allow evaluators to describe the type, frequency, quality, and content of the RITES activities. Data sources to examine implementation include interviews, focus groups, observations and surveys. In addition, evaluators will conduct an external review of RITES developed curriculum resources and materials.

Building on findings from the implementation evaluation, the summative evaluation will assess the extent to which RITES has enhanced proficiency in science achievement for all students. The summative student achievement analysis will include all targeted secondary grades using the results from the New England Comprehensive Assessment Program (NECAP) test. Additionally, the Alliance will examine the extent to which the program is impacting students’ attitudes and intent to pursue science related careers through surveys, and enrollment in advanced science and mathematics courses. Finally, the evaluation will examine institutional change and sustainability at both the higher education and public school levels.

Implications

The evaluation activities for the RITES program incorporate systematic inquiry and data collection techniques that are integrated into work processes so that program feedback is ongoing. The goal of the evaluation plan is to support stakeholders in understanding (a) how to enhance program implementation to meet overarching objectives, and (b) how to leverage program activities to ultimately contribute to gains in student achievement.

October, 2008 news release announcing the start of the project.