EPC 684 Program Evaluation and Assessment



EPC 684 Program Evaluation and Assessment Fall 2003

Course Outline

Conceptual Framework: Michael D. Eisner College of Education

The Michael D. Eisner College of Education as a professional school is committed to advancing learning, teaching and student success. This is accomplished using a developmental approach to promote reflection, critical thinking, and excellence in an inclusive learning community. Its graduates are well educated, highly skilled and caring persons who are lifelong learners prepared to practice in an ever changing, multicultural world. They are committed to promoting achievement of all students as a primary measure of successful educational practice. Graduates assume service and leadership roles in public and private educational, health, and social programs and institutions. The College establishes and maintains productive partnerships throughout campus and with community schools and agencies. The faculty is committed to excellence in teaching, scholarship, service and collaboration with the community and professions. The values for faculty and students that form the foundation of this Conceptual Framework include the following:

1. We value high standards in the acquisition and application of professional knowledge and skills in subject matter, pedagogy, and technology.

2. We value the achievement of students at all levels and advance their success in accordance with national, state, and institutional standards.

3. We value an inclusive learning community.

4. We value creative, critical and reflective thinking and practice.

5. We value ethical practice by caring professionals.

Required Text

Isaac, S. & Michael, W. B. (1997). Handbook in research and evaluation: For education and the behavioral sciences( 3rd ed.). San Diego, CA: Educational and Industrial Testing Services

General Information

Class Time: Wednesday s 4:00 - 6:45 pm

Instructor: Reagan Curtis, Ph.D.

Office: ED 2224

Office Phone: (818) 677-3199

E-Mail Address: reagan.curtis@csun.edu

Office Hours: W, Th 2-3:50pm and others by appointment

Methods of Instruction

Class sessions will include lecture and discussion of the topics, readings, and assignments, applied activities related to those topics, and sessions of direct instruction and applied practice with SPSS doing data analysis.

Course Goals

Students will:

a) acquire knowledge of basic models and principles of program evaluation;

b) have limited experience in designing a formative evaluation for a K-12 school program;

c) learn how to report formative evaluation data to enhance program functioning; and

d) acquire knowledge about how assessment and program evaluation data can be used to make equitable decisions regarding the needs of all students, particularly in consideration of cultural, linguistic, disability, gender and socioeconomic issues.

The following Course Objectives reflect the current CTC standards for School Counselors:

1. Acquire knowledge about formative and summative program evaluation models.

2. Acquire knowledge about needs assessment and develop a needs assessment of an existing educational program at their internship site.

3. Acquire knowledge of how to integrate data gathering and analysis methodology into program evaluation.

4. Have limited experience in gathering and using data to inform program evaluation.

5. Acquire knowledge of how to report evaluation data (in writing and orally) to different audiences and for different purposes.

6. Acquire knowledge about existing assessment instruments (e.g. standardized academic achievement tests, curriculum based assessment systems), basic psychometric characteristics, and interpretation of standardized achievement test results.

7. Acquire knowledge about current assessment issues such as cultural, linguistic, gender and disability bias, current K-12 program evaluation at district and state levels, and public accountability.

8. Acquire knowledge about qualitative methods used in program evaluation.

9. Have limited practice in using qualitative methods for data gathering in a K-12 setting.

10. Acquire skills to use the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for data processing and analysis for decision-making.

EPC 684 Fall 2003 Course Calendar

|Date |Reading |Topics and Assignments |

|8/25/04 |syllabus |In-depth discussion of syllabus. What do we mean by research and evaluation? Why research and program|

| | |evaluation matter to you? |

| | |Assignment: Print one academic content standard from the internet. |

|9/1/04 |pp. iii-34 |Planning evaluation studies: Some theoretical models |

|9/8/04 |pp. 225-235 |Continue theoretical models plus writing objectives |

|9/15/04 | |Library Research Workshop 4pm (Roll will be taken) and discussion of progress on assignments. |

|9/22/04 |pp. 217-224, 35-55 |Begin research studies overview: Starting with the more qualitative end of the spectrum and working |

| | |towards more quantitative designs |

|9/29/04 |pp. 56-104 |Continue research methods: More quantitative designs, validity, confounding, interactions, and other |

| | |issues in research design. |

|10/6/04 |pp. 56-104 |Complete research methods overview |

| | |Quiz#1 (pp. iii-104) |

|10/13/04 |pp. 105-127 |Begin instrumentation and measurement plus relations between test/questionnaire format and inputting |

| | |data into SPSS. |

| | |Assignment 1a due |

|10/20/04 |pp. 127-161 |Continue instrumentation and measurement plus computing reliability coefficients with SPSS |

| | |Quiz#2 (inputting data and computing reliability) |

|10/27/04 |pp. 163-173 |Descriptive statistics in theory and practice using SPSS. Students will be given a database of a K-12|

| | |program with demographic information, standardized achievement test results, attendance and |

| | |discipline referral rates. |

| | |Quiz#3 (frequency charts and descriptive statistics) |

|11/3/04 |pp. 237-245 |Preparing evaluation reports plus discussion of assignment 2 |

| | |Assignment 1b due |

|11/10/04 |pp. 192-201, 208-215 plus |General inferential statistics framework and issues plus |

| |181-184.5, 189.5-191 |t-tests and ANOVA in theory and practice using SPSS. |

| | |Quiz#4 (t-tests and ANOVA) |

|11/17/04 |pp. 174-180, 189.5-191, 202-207 |Correlations and chi square in theory and practice using SPSS |

| | |Quiz#5 (correlations and chi-square) |

|11/24/04 |pp. 163-215 |Flex day for completion and overview of statistical issues plus discussion of assignment 2 progress |

| | |and issues |

|12/1/04 | |Class presentations on evaluation designs |

| | |Assignment 2 (paper) due |

*ALL READINGS SHOULD BE COMPLETED BEFORE DATE INDICATED!

ASSIGNMENTS (Methods of Student Evaluation)

Assignments 1a and 1b will comprise part of your case study. Therefore, use the information to document the academic progress of your case study student(s). As the semester progresses, some of these assignments may be modified in order to make them more meaningful and useful to you.

Assignment 1a (due 10/15 for 100 points)

Think of the students and programs at your fieldwork site. Find out the information listed below. When you write this up, please use the questions below as your subheadings. Your answers should be brief and to the point. This assignment should probably take between 3 and 4 pages double spaced and typed.

For your case study student’s specific grade level, cite two of the content standards for one of the content areas in which your case study student needs assistance (e.g., reading, writing, or mathematics). If you are working with a group of students, then determine one area of need that would apply to the group. Cite the content standards directly from the website: cde.standards.

i) How does the school determine whether students at that grade level have met the

content standards? If it uses tests, cite the specific test.

ii) What is the current status of the performance of students at the same grade level as your case study student(s) and at the same English language level and/or disability category and intensity as your case study student(s) in one of those standards? Do the data suggest that this is an area of need for your student?

iii) Are there any existing intervention programs at your school site regarding these standards? If so, please describe one of these programs briefly (no more than 1 page) OR if there are NO existing intervention programs, then what would you suggest? (No more than a 1 page description of this suggestion).

Assignment 1b (due 11/5 for 100 points)

With the guidance and permission of your field site supervisor, and the permission of teachers: Observe one case study student in the class in which he/she needs assistance. Conduct systematic observations of your case study student’s behavior that is related to learning in this area of need. Do this at least two times in the same teacher’s class. See attached observational tally sheet as an example. Observe these behaviors within a class period. Once you have done this, complete the attached Observational Report Form.

Assignment 2 (due 12/3 for 100 points)

If your Case Study Student(s) is participating in an intervention program at the school site OR if there exists at your school site an intervention program that would be appropriate for your case study student(s). Develop an evaluation design of that intervention program. Provide a report of the evaluation results to your field site supervisor and administrator(s). You will also turn this report in to me and give a presentation of it to the class. As the class progresses, the class will learn how to develop evaluation designs and reports.

Quizzes

Quiz #1 (10/8): Designing evaluation and research studies (pp. iii-104)

Quiz #2 (10/22): Inputting data and computing reliability.

Quiz #3 (10/29): Frequency charts and descriptive statistics using SPSS.

Quiz #4 (11/12): t-tests and ANOVA using SPSS.

Quiz #5 (11/19): Correlations and Chi square using SPSS.

Other Work

Occasionally you will be asked to write a brief reflection paper in class based on the readings and/or your current work on the case studies. If class discussions lead me to believe that the class as a whole is not keeping up with the readings, then pop quizzes on the readings may surface.

GRADING

|Assignment |Points | |Grade |Range |

|1a |100 | |A |450+ |

|1b |100 | |B |400-449 |

|2 |100 | |C |350-399 |

|Presentation | 50 | |D |300-349 |

|Attendance | 50 | |F | ................
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