Evaluating Your Technology Initiative How do you know it’s working?

1. Evaluating Your Technology InitiativeHow do you know it’s working? Let us know you’re here! http://tinyurl.com/masscueval The MassCUE Evaluators Program

2. Sun Associates • Program evaluators • State and local initiatives • www.sun-associates.com/masscue • Our take on evaluation • Evaluation is a part of a strategic approach to project planning and implementation • Links vision to goals to actions to measures

3. MassCUE Evaluators • A professional development project that helps districts integrate evaluation within projects: • Clearly articulate goals • Plan and coordinate activities strategically • Develop performance measures • New this year… MassCUE Evaluators Individual • Works directly with district teams, in-district, to develop evaluations of specific initiatives

4. Format • Hands-on professional development with a strategic team of stakeholders • Curriculum and Instruction • DTC/Digital Learning Director • Administrators • Teachers • Board/Community/Parents • Day 1 – Framing and Indicators • Day 2 – Developing Data Collection Questions and Tools • Day 3 – Data Collection Methodology • Day 4 – Data Analysis, Recommendations, Reporting

5. Bedford • Burlington • Concord • Needham • Reading • Wayland • Danvers • Duxbury • Hopkinton • Hudson • Winchester • Westford

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

7. A Strategic Approach • It starts with your vision • We sometimes refer to this as your “central claim” • What do you claim as the main benefit of your initiative? • How will this initiative positively impact teaching and learning? • Your claim/vision should connect to core values of teaching and learning.

8. The main point of evaluation is to assess the degree to which the performance of your initiative is reaching your vision/meeting your claim. • Current status – documenting the situation before your implementation • Formative assessment – documenting the impact your project is having

9. Indicators for Success

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

11. Indicators Drive Data Collection • The next task is to develop data collection tools and to collect data based on the indicators • Teachers • Students • Parents/Community • Technical

12. Observations • Surveys • Focus Groups • Relevant Technical and Cost Information MassCUE Evaluators learn how to create and use these data collection tools

13. Analysis • The collected data is analyzed against the indicators… • …resulting in evaluation findings. • Findings are the “answer” to your basic question about value. • This answer is enriched by the context provided by the indicators. • Recommendations usually follow the findings. • How can you improve performance to come closer to meeting the vision/claim?

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

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

16. How to Join • http://tinyurl.com/masscueval • Contact us about the “Individual” option (rolling admission) • The next cohort/group starts in January, 2014 • www.masscue.org • www.sun-associates.com/masscue