Evaluating Your Technology Initiative How do you know it’s working? The MassCUE Evaluators Program Let us know you’re here!

zSun Associates yProgram evaluators yState and local initiatives ywww.sun-associates.com/masscue zOur take on evaluation yEvaluation is a part of a strategic approach to project planning and implementation yLinks vision to goals to actions to measures

MassCUE Evaluators zA professional development project that helps districts integrate evaluation within projects: yClearly articulate goals yPlan and coordinate activities strategically yDevelop performance measures zNew this year… MassCUE Evaluators Individual yWorks directly with district teams, in-district, to develop evaluations of specific initiatives

Format zHands-on professional development with a strategic team of stakeholders yCurriculum and Instruction yDTC/Digital Learning Director yAdministrators yTeachers yBoard/Community/Paren ts zDay 1 – Framing and Indicators zDay 2 – Developing Data Collection Questions and Tools zDay 3 – Data Collection Methodology zDay 4 – Data Analysis, Recommendations, Reporting

zBedford zBurlington zConcord zNeedham zReading zWayland zDanvers zDuxbury zHopkinton zHudson zWinchester zWestford

What’s Your Return on Investment? Define “Return”

A Strategic Approach zIt starts with your vision zWe sometimes refer to this as your “central claim” yWhat do you claim as the main benefit of your initiative? yHow will this initiative positively impact teaching and learning? yYour claim/vision should connect to core values of teaching and learning.

zThe main point of evaluation is to assess the degree to which the performance of your initiative is reaching your vision/meeting your claim. yCurrent status – documenting the situation before your implementation yFormative assessment – documenting the impact your project is having

Indicators for Success

zIndicators are developed by a committee of stakeholders to your project … the MassCUE Evaluators team! yTeachers, administrators, technology staff, and others yThis also generates broad buy-in to the project and its perceived value…which is helpful in terms of sustainability

Indicators Drive Data Collection zThe next task is to develop data collection tools and to collect data based on the indicators yTeachers yStudents yParents/Community yTechnical

zObservations zSurveys zFocus Groups zRelevant Technical and Cost Information MassCUE Evaluators learn how to create and use these data collection tools

Analysis zThe collected data is analyzed against the indicators… z…resulting in evaluation findings. yFindings are the “answer” to your basic question about value. yThis answer is enriched by the context provided by the indicators. zRecommendations usually follow the findings. yHow can you improve performance to come closer to meeting the vision/claim?

Reporting zThe whole point of the evaluation is to communicate the progress – formative and summative – of your initiative/project zReporting should be to your school or district community…thereby providing a statement about value to your stakeholders.

Summary Points zCentral Claim/Vision – What are you aiming for? zIndicators – What domains does your project address? What constitutes success? zData Collection – Multiple types of data, tied to your indicators and therefore vision. zReporting – Communicating success and engaging your community in the project’s implementation

How to Join zhttp://tinyurl.com/masscueval zContact us about the “Individual” option (rolling admission) zThe next cohort/group starts in January, 2014 zwww.masscue.org zwww.sun-associates.com/masscue