Educational Program Evaluation

Systemic Research provides comprehensive educational program evaluation services for the unique needs of your program or project. We will develop an evaluation framework based on your project’s mission statement, goals, objectives, and implementation plans. The framework guides our evaluation as we identify the most effective performance measures and evaluation strategies to assess program progress. Evaluation components may include data collection and evaluation; survey design, implementation, and analysis; site visits, focus groups; and individual interviews. Evaluation reports are produced in both printed and electronic media.

Evaluations may be formative or summative. Formative evaluations are conducted during project implementation to assess project progress. By identifying strategies that are most effective, and those that are not producing desired results, midterm revisions to the project can be made. Summative evaluations are conducted at the conclusion of a project to measure final outcomes and provide information on the project's effectiveness.

Key Indicator Data Collection and Analysis

Data collection is required in today’s outcome oriented environment. Stakeholders are demanding concrete evidence of program effectiveness. Quantitative and qualitative data is needed for project monitoring and evaluation.

Systemic Research has extensive experience in designing and implementing customized data collection instruments. We will work with you to determine the scope and depth of data needed and design a user friendly spread-sheet or web-based data collection system. The collected data will be analyzed and presented in Fact Book, report, or booklet format. Systemic Research also can provide tables and figures in multiple file formats that can be imported into your documents and presentations such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

Project Highlight Publications

Successful projects should be publicized. Systemic Research can document your accomplishments so that they can be disseminated to stakeholders, potential funders and the general public. We have expertise and experience in producing professionally designed booklets to share your project strategies and successes, and brochures and posters to publicize your project. Systemic Research can also create a supplemental DVD to enhance your printed materials.

• NSF Press Release 07-125                             [September 26, 2007]
  Program Provides Blueprint for Recruiting Minorities to Science and Engineering

  Latest data and follow-on projects bring successful strategies used by the Model Institutions for Excellence to other institutions
  Link: http://nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=110124&org=NSF&from=news

• NSF & NASA's Perspective (Video Interviews) , MIE Master Database and References: 1995-2007(DVD) [August 2007]

  • MIE Historical Background
  
  
  • MIE Uniqueness of the Program
  
  
  • MIE Achievements & Highlights
  
  
  • MIE Disseminating Models of Excellence

• News Release: MIE Fact Book 2005 Highlights Featured in Diverse Issues in Higher Education [July 2007]

• News Release: TCUP STEM Education Indicators and Highlights 2005 Featured in Diverse Issues in Higher Education [March 2007]

Quality STEM Education Leads to Success

Vision of National Science Foundation’s HBCU Undergraduate Program April 2008

The National Science Foundation (NSF) initiated the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) in 1999 to enhance the quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and research at HBCUs. The overarching goal of HBCU-UP is to increase the number of underrepresented minorities who are well prepared to participate in and lead the STEM workforce.

Weaving Native Knowledge into STEM Teaching and Learning at Tribal Colleges and Universities

A Report Based on TCUP Self-Evaluation Templates (TSET) March 2008

The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) was initiated to address the challenges and opportunities of undergraduate STEM education at Alaska Native, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian serving institutions. TCUP promotes increased participation and achievement among Native students through quality STEM teaching and learning. Each institution’s project approaches STEM education improvement based on their unique needs. Typical strategies include course and degree program development, curriculum enhancement, undergraduate research opportunities, student support, use of information technologies, and faculty professional development. Tribal Colleges integrate native culture into their curricula, including STEM disciplines, to provide their students with a holistic education based on Native and Western knowledge. This report highlights achievements and progress of 26 TCUP projects that were active in AY 2005-06.

MIE Fact Book 2005 [August 2007]

The Model Institutions for Excellence (MIE) Program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), was designed in the early 1990s as a long-term initiative to empower institutions of higher education to serve as models to improve the quantity and quality of America’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates at minority-serving institutions (MSIs). MSIs include Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). The ultimate goal was to create a higher quality, more diverse national STEM workforce.

MIE Master Database and References: 1995-2007 (DVD) [August 2007]

This DVD contains the MIE Master Database, which includes various publications and presentations collected during the MIE program period from AYs 1992-93 to 2004-2005. The Master Database contains archived MIE Self-Evaluation Template (MSET) data collected from five MIE institutions and a consortium of tribal colleges between 1995 and 2006. Also included is the MIE Fact Book 2005, published in 2007, which presents a summary of key indicator data showing their progress over a 13-year period.

       

Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn [February 2007]

The Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) in Jacksonville, Florida sought and received a grant from the National Science Foundation in 1998 to establish the Jacksonville Urban Systemic Initiative (JUSI). JUSI’s goal was to reform mathematics and science education through teacher professional development that focuses on an inquiry-based, standards-aligned curriculum and instructional model.

JUSI was the driving force for policy changes in science and mathematics education in DCPS. More students are passing the state assessment test and increasing numbers of students are enrolling in and successfully completing higher level and Advanced Placement mathematics and science courses. Achievement gaps between underserved minority and white students have been narrowed.