Evaluation in the School Program
Course Description:
This online course is designed for educators and school leaders who are interested in understanding the fundamentals of program evaluation. This course will guide participants through the process of evaluating programs, from design to implementation and assessment. Participants will learn about various approaches, research methods, and data collection techniques to evaluate a program’s impact and success.
The focus of this course is to provide the student with a variety of opportunities to apply data analysis procedures using real or simulated school data sets. The student will be introduced to qualitative and quantitative methods and how these tools can be utilized to evaluate and improve school performance and program improvement. The student will use the following data types: student performance, teacher and community survey, and state and or local reports. The student will be able to analyze the data to facilitate school improvement decision-making and the development of real and simulated school improvement plans.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how to gather and analyze educational data
- Distinguish between the qualitative and quantitative methods
- Understand ethical responsibilities in the evaluation
- Identify the components of an effective evaluation plan
- Learn how to collect data related to program goals and objectives
- Develop skills for analyzing quantitative data using appropriate software tools
- Analyze qualitative data using appropriate coding frameworks such as thematic analysis or grounded theory methods
- Understand best practices for surveying students, parents, teachers, and administrators
- Learn how to write clear and concise reports that present findings in an actionable manner
- Examine ways of communicating findings effectively with stakeholders such as teachers, administrators, parents, and policymakers
- Evaluate whether a program is meeting its intended outcomes based on the gathered evidence
- Understand how to conduct needs assessments within the school district
- Explore various qualitative and quantitative research methods
