Evaluating RITES, a Statewide Math and Science Partnership Program
Abstract
The Rhode Island Technology-Enhanced Science project (RITES) is a NSF-MSP Program that seeks to improve science education by providing professional development to science teachers at the 5th through 12th grade levels. At it's heart, RITES is a complex, multifaceted project that is challenging to evaluate because of the nature of its goal: the development of a large, statewide partnership between higher education and K12 public school districts during a time when science education strategies and leadership are in flux. As a result, these difficulties often require flexibility and creativity regarding evaluation, study design and data collection. In addition, the research agenda of the project often overlaps with the evaluator's agenda, making collaboration and communication a crucial component of the project's success. In it's 5th year, RITES and it's evaluators have developed a large number of instruments, both qualitative and quantitative, to provide direction and feedback on the effectiveness of the project's activities. RITES personnel work closely with evaluators and researchers to obtain a measure of how RITES' 'theory-of-action' affects both student outcomes and teacher practice. Here we discuss measures of teacher and student content gains, student inquiry gains, and teacher implementation surveys. Using content questions based on AAAS and MOSART databases, teachers in the short courses and students in classrooms showed significant normalized learning gains with averages generally above 0.3. Students of RITES-trained teachers also outperformed their non-RITES peers on the inquiry-section of the NECAP test, and The results show, after controlling for race and economic status, a small but statistically significant increase in test scores for RITES students. Technology use in the classroom significantly increased for teachers who were 'expected implementers' where 'expected implementers' are those teachers who implemented RITES as the project was designed. This result suggests that RITES teachers, when implementing RITES as designed, used significantly more technology in their classroom after one year of participation than prior to project participation. In addition, the majority of teachers reported retrospectively that RITES participation increased the level of inquiry in their instructional practice in the development and delivery of lessons, and within student assessments. Teachers also reported that RITES increased their collaboration with colleagues and with higher education faculty members. Most telling, teachers noted that RITES rejuvenated their excitement for science and improved their ability to teach the science standards. Teachers noted that the RITES summer short courses, investigations, and technology resources were key program components to supporting their inquiry practices.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AGUFMED53F0683M
- Keywords:
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- 0840 EDUCATION Evaluation and assessment;
- 0805 EDUCATION Elementary and secondary education;
- 0800 EDUCATION