Project Description
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The following information is from the grant proposal submitted by Seminole County Public Schools to the Florida DOE for the EETT2 grant. Use the links to access a section quickly.

Overview | Goal | Objectives | Vision | Project Design |
| Project Staff and Management | Coaches | Anticipated Outcomes
Infusion of Technology | Professional Development | Parental Support

(Go to page 2 of Project Description for:
Charter Schools | Research | Data Collection | Replication | Proposed Partners | Support for Strategic Imperatives | Dissemination and Marketing | Evaluation | Case Study Model)

Overview of Project

The proposed project is designed to:
• Expand and enhance the integration of technology in the math and science classrooms through the use of laptop computers and supporting technology devices
• Empower teachers through extensive professional development in content areas, technology, and the creation of math/science classroom environments for authentic learning
• Motivate middle school students to improve academic performance by engaging them in relevant, authentic learning
• Provide interdisciplinary learning experiences
• Make learning relevant and useful to students by establishing connections to community and the work place
• Expand and enhance technology skills of administrators, coaches, teachers, students and parents through ongoing training
• Establish a collaborative relationship between teachers and students
• Enhance the collegial relationships among math and science teachers within a school and from school-to-school
• Expand and enhance the project-related knowledge and skills of administrators to assure project accountability
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The goal of the project is:
To engage teachers and students in a REAL learning environment that is designed to increase student achievement through the integration of laptop computers as a tool for teaching and learning in the classroom.
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Project Objectives:
Objective 1: To increase the number of targeted students who make annual learning gains in mathematics and science by two percent as measured by FCAT
Objective 2: By June 2007, to maximize professional development opportunities for 100% of mathematics and science teachers at the target schools through the use of coaches
Objective 3: By April 2007, to train a minimum of 100 middle school math and science teachers in strategies and methodologies that correlate project based learning and technology integration to teaching higher order thinking skills
Objective 4: By October 2006, to involve the targeted teachers and students in global learning communities by establishing partnerships with a minimum of six community businesses, agencies and institutes of higher education
Objective 5: To ensure the technology literacy of 90% of the targeted teachers and eighth grade students as measured by the Inventory of Teacher Technology Skills and Student Tools for Technology Literacy
Objective 6: Design and implement a case study research-based evaluation model
Objective 7: Increase the technology literacy of 50% of parents/guardians of targeted students
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Vision for the Project:
Imagine a middle school classroom where students have been invited to work with community partners to investigate real issues that concern them, their community and their world and they are being encouraged to make contributions that may lead to solutions. This classroom would be exciting, engaging, and learning-centered. The teacher would be well trained in Project Based Learning, would be comfortable with the use of technology as a teaching tool, and would be connected to peers and others in the community who could enhance the teaching and learning that was taking place. Does this sound like Utopia? Or a classroom that could be found in every school across the state? Middle Schools Get REAL is a pilot project that could make this utopian vision a possibility. It is built on research-based pedagogy that supports increased student performance; increased teacher use of technology in the classroom as a tool for interdisciplinary learning; and increased civic involvement of schools with their community.
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Project Design:
Middle Schools Get REAL is a project that is designed to pilot the use of laptop computers and supporting technology devices in the classroom. The project targets middle school mathematics and science teachers and students in grades 6, 7 and 8. Three middle schools and the middle school grades at one charter school have been selected for participation in the pilot project. The project is designed to help students improve higher order thinking skills, see real world relevancy in mathematics and science, and use technology as a tool to enhance learning. The strong point of the project is intensive, ongoing teacher training that engages teachers in research based strategies and methodology. Teachers will be empowered to explore their full potential as teachers and will be encouraged to bring a new experience of learning to their students. Assisted by the science and mathematics coaches, mathematics and science teachers will co-create interdisciplinary learning for their students that is relevant, engaging and authentic.

Engaging middle school students in authentic learning in the content areas of mathematics and science is a challenge for any classroom teacher, however, the proposed project will demonstrate how to successfully accomplish this in ways that enhance the teaching process, increase student achievement, promote the use of technology, and increase the technology literacy levels of all participants.

Project Based Learning and Understanding by Design will be used as the framework for using technology tools in the classroom. These important strategies support teachers as learning facilitators and empower students to make decisions about how they will find answers and solve problems, consequently improving higher order thinking skills.

Project partners will be invited to work with the Project Support Team to develop a menu of community issues that schools will use to determine the focus and extent of their projects. Each school will elect to work with the partners that are most closely linked to the projects that have been selected. The projects may include, but will not be limited to issues that are pertinent to the environment, urban planning, and/or biotechnology. Once the issues have been selected, then the lead teachers and administrators will meet with the partners and the Project Support Team to determine the scope and sequence of the projects; links to curriculum benchmarks; teacher mentors; and the security safeguards that will be in place for communication between students and the partner’s employees.

Teachers and students will initiate the projects by determining the essential questions and designing the parameters for each project. Students will be expected to work in small groups to do research, communicate with their partners, collect information and data, prepare multimedia presentations, and design and publish project specific web sites.
Internet resources and digital content will be utilized to develop solutions and provide depth to web sites and project presentations.

An integrated mathematics and science curriculum, aligned to standards and benchmarks, will enable students to learn basic skills within the context of the real world issues that they are working to solve.

Teachers will use mobile laptop labs (including software and tools such as LCD projectors, science probes, and cameras) to maximize learning in the classroom. Each grade level at the three pilot middle schools will have access to two mobile labs. The charter school, because of limited student enrollment, will be provided laptops for participating teacher use and one mobile lab. The mobile labs and the tool-based software will provide access to the world beyond the classroom, will invite students to integrate subject area content and the production process, and will emphasize learning as a life-long activity.
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Project Staff and Management:
The project is a collaborative effort of district level staff and school staff with clearly defined roles and responsibilities (See Chart A, p. 16).
Dr. Ann Kohler, Manager, Technology Implementation, will act as the project manager and will oversee all project activities. Dr. Kohler is fully credentialed and has served the district as teacher and instructional technology administrator for more than twenty-five years. She will coordinate all project activities with the district and school administrators, trainers, partners, and coaches. She will act as chairman of the district’s Project Support Team whose membership includes the following:
Dr. Kohler, Chair
Dr. Anna-Marie Cote, Executive Director, Instructional Excellence & Equity
Dr. Ron Pinnell, Executive Director, Middle School Education
John Tracy, CIO
Hugh Harris, Director, Curriculum
Dr. Sallie Jenkins, Director, Professional Development
Dr. Sharon Shrader, Secondary Mathematics Curriculum Specialist
Donna Poniatowski, Secondary Science Curriculum Specialist
Diane Lewis, Instructional Technology Curriculum Specialist
Kathy Rhodus, Professional Development Educational Technology Specialists
Claire Robinson, Information Services Instructional Support
Jeanne Farmer, Coordinator, Resource Development
Elayne Reiss, Manager, Performance Data
Melanie Howard-Miller, Middle School Mathematics Coach
Jenifer Rembert, Middle School Science Coach
TBD, Master Teachers
Each school will establish a REAL Team whose membership will include:
School Administrator
Education Technology Facilitator
Media Specialists
Lead Teacher from each Grade Level
Middle School Mathematics Coach
Middle School Science Coach
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Coaches:
As part of the project design, two middle school coaches will be hired to jointly serve the project schools. One coach will have expertise in mathematics and one in science (see job description Appendices). The coaches will attend extensive training on the hardware and software to be used in this project; the framework models (PBL and UbD); technology integration; and the coaching model. The coaches, following a model for instructional coaches developed by the district, will be responsible for improving classroom instruction that results in higher student achievement by:

• Linking teacher efficacy and increased student performance
• Impacting teacher thinking and delivery of instruction
• Expanding the assessment and instructional processes needed in the classroom to ensure that the needs of all students are identified and addressed
• Enhancing the school culture through improved communication and collaboration
• Integrating technology into classroom lesson designs
• Benefiting teachers professionally

Research conducted by the Puget Sound Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology in Bothell, Washington, suggests that the outcomes of coaching in a technology-rich environment include an increase in the teachers comfort level when using technology in the classroom; improvement in understanding and awareness of how technology can be used to increase student learning; increase in team teaching; and increase in the teachers knowledge of resources available for use in the classroom.

The coaching schedule will include the following:

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Anticipated Outcomes:
As a result of the proposed project, teachers will be more proficient in the use of technology and their training will be immediate and ongoing; students will increase academic performance in mathematics and science and will gain skills in the use of technology. The major components and anticipated outcomes of the project are:

The project’s strategies and methodologies are designed to provide a framework for learning that ensures that the outcomes are realistic and attainable.
As the project unfolds, the pilot will ensure that a process is developed and modeled that can be replicated across the district. Implementation of the coaching model, the online training components, and the resources posted on the web site will make it easier for the middle schools not included in the project to begin implementation of many of the core components.

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Infusion of Technology
Although laptops will be available to the teachers and students in the pilot project, training is the most important factor of this project:

• The project manager, the math and science coaches, and lead teachers will attend the state sponsored summer training institute
• The math and science coaches will attend extensive training in all aspects of the project to ensure that they are well versed in the use of the technology and the strategies and methodologies for infusing the technology into the classroom. They will attend training on Project Based Learning, Understanding by Design, and multimedia presentations
• Teachers and students will participate in extensive training that will enable laptops to become a viable part of the teaching and learning process.

Teacher Empowerment – Teaches will be provided the hardware and software that is essential to the project’s success. The software will include but not be limited to Inspiration, Adobe Premiere Elements 2, Photoshop Elements 4, Microsoft Suite including Word and Excel, Blackboard and School Center. Teachers will attend district sponsored summer institutes and on-going training that will better prepare them to understand the functionality of the computers and supporting devices provided through the project and the “tool-based” software that will be made available for classroom use. The math and science coaches, curriculum specialists, and professional development technology trainers will work closely with teachers to enable them to capitalize on the full capability of the software.

Student Empowerment - Each school will select a community issue and will work with a business/community partner to research, gather data, and hypothesize possible solutions to the issue. The project manager and project support team will meet with the partnering agencies to determine a menu of options for the schools. The menu will be presented to the school team during pre-planning. At this point, the math and science teachers, along with their students will review the suggested list of partners and community issues and will select one that most closely matches their interests. From the general list of issues, essential questions will be determined and the project based learning process will be initiated. Students will receive instruction in the use of the tool-based software and will work individually and in teams to investigate their issue. Through distance learning connections to their partner and other like entities, they will gather information, collect pertinent data, and will make decisions about how to find answers and solve problems. The laptop mobile labs will be shared among the grade levels and students will have weekly access to the tools they will need to develop, manage, and communicate their projects. Each student will describe, assess and plan for multimedia presentations throughout the project period, which they will use to present their solutions to their peers and the partners. This component maximizes the integration of technology with the subject curriculum and authenticates the learning process.

Laptops will be used to:
1) connect students to business and community for the purpose of data collection, analysis, reporting
2) improve technical writing skills
3) increase technology literacy
4) develop presentation skills
5) develop video editing skills

The academic emphasis for the project is integration of math, science and writing through the use of technology. Using laptop computers and supporting devices such as probes, cameras, and microscopes, students will focus on community issues in a project based learning environment. The participating math and science teachers will co-create an integrated curriculum that focuses on solving real world issues. The teachers will work with project partners to select community issues (solving real world problems) such as the environment (water and air quality), urban planning (new development, traffic control), the Wekiva River, and/or biotechnology (medical and horticultural issues) for each school that will give students myriad options for investigation, data gathering, research and information sharing.

Strong partnerships with business and community agencies will be cultivated to ensure that students and teachers have every opportunity to expand and enhance the project’s potential. These may include but not be limited to Lockheed Martin, Central Florida Zoo, Orlando Science Center, St. Johns Water Management District, Department of Transportation, Seminole County Government, and South Seminole Regional Hospital. In addition, there will be collaborative tie-ins to projects currently being implemented in the district that impact math and science such as Gator TRAX, SECME, and the Texas Instrument Project.

Students will use the laptops to connect to their business and community partners for the purpose of data collection, data analysis, and reporting. This communication will form the basis for understanding the issues that need to be resolved. Students will use a teacher supervised and managed email system, like gaggle.net for communication with others.

Students will use the Internet resources to conduct research and to connect to other agencies with like-issues.

The tool-based software selected for the project will enable the students to prepare multimedia presentations, reports, and documentation of project progress. This process will introduce and/or reinforce mathematic and science skills, and will enable students to improve technical writing skills. Students will learn new skills, which include video editing, storyboarding, web creation, and multimedia documentation.

The mobile laptop labs will include probes, microscopes, printers, and a variety of cameras that students will utilize in their investigations and research. Valuable skills will be learned and practiced as students become familiar with these tools and their functions.

Project Based Learning enables students to be engaged in relevant and authentic tasks as a result of connections that are established to the world beyond the classroom. As the students address real world concerns they will use the Internet resources and digital content that will be available in the classroom: 1) Students will make real world connections with businesses, agencies and institutes of higher education, 2) Students will use the Internet for research and data gathering, and 3) Students will be able to use digital content such as video and audio clips to enlarge the scope of their reports and multimedia presentations.

A variety of supporting devices will be included on the laptop mobile labs: 1) laptop computers, 2) printers, 3) probes, 4) LCD projectors, 5) video and still digital cameras, 6) document cameras, 7) microscopes, and 8) TI 84 calculators

Additional technologies will be used to motivate students to develop a global learning community. The teachers and project partners will assist students in designing a network for distance learning that includes connections to real professionals and resources. Students will use authentic methods, practices, and tools to reach authentic audiences through meaningful tasks and learning experiences. Students will learn collaborative skills as they are involved in group decision-making, communication with and feedback from researchers and other students, and facilitation by their teachers. The technology will prompt students to take the initiative in solving complex problems. Each student will participate in the creation and development of project specific web sites, podcasts, technical papers, graphical displays of data, and multimedia presentations.

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Professional Development (more on this topic can be found in the Calendar section of this website)

Two content area coaches – one math and one science - will be hired to provide teacher training and on-going support. The coaches will work with the project manager, district curriculum and professional development specialists, and teachers to develop vertical and horizontal articulation. The vertical articulation will be centered on relating content across grade levels and correlating classroom strategies to the benchmarks and standards. The horizontal articulation will focus on integration of math and science content and the use of technology as a tool for enhancing learning. The following training is core to the project:

Technical Training –

• Use of hardware, including laptops, probes, LCD projectors, microscopes
• Use of software, including Word, Excel, Inspiration, Adobe Premier Elements 2, Photoshop Elements 4
• Strategies for maximizing the use of Internet and digital resources in the classroom

Pedagogical Support –

• Project Based Learning
• Understanding by Design
• Cross-curricular math and science content that meets benchmarks and standards
• Strategies for technology integration
• Higher Order Thinking Skills

Classroom Management –

• Cooperative Learning
• Classroom environments that support Project Based Learning

To build capacity for the project and ensure that there is constancy and consistency of delivery once the funds have terminated, the district will utilize the skills of master teachers as trainers. Two teachers who demonstrate expertise in their field, utilize project based learning methodologies, and implement the Understanding by Design strategies, Trent Daniel (Science Department Chair, Hagerty High) and Dr. Michelle Stephens, Chiles Middle School math teacher) will be included as members of the Project Support Team and will assist in the development of professional development activities for school based trainers of teachers.

Professional Development will be provided to the participating teachers in strategies and methodologies currently being utilized in other projects in the district, including the Texas Instrument project, SECME, and the Gator TRAX project. These initiatives support math and science at the secondary level.

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Parental Support

The district’s information technology magnet school provides laptop computers for all teachers and students and with every graduating class there are a number of laptop computers that are not placed back into the school for use. These computers will be refurbished by the district IS department and offered to the project for use with parents. The parents of participating students will be given opportunities to attend a number of workshops that will be offered throughout the year where they will become actively engaged in project based learning with their child. The parent/child team will select a project that is complementary to the school project and will be invited to work on this project together as an extension of the classroom learning experience. Upon completion of the initial training workshop, parents will be eligible to checkout the refurbished laptops for use at home. The length of checkout time will depend on the number of available computers and the number of requests. The minimum time will be six-weeks.
Parent training sessions will encourage parents to improve their own knowledge and skills and will help close the gap between student homes where technology access is readily available and student homes where technology is an unaffordable luxury.

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Charter Schools

The math and science teachers at Rays of Hope Charter School will be invited to attend all project training sessions and will be provided the equipment and software essential to the success of the project. The coaches will include the school in their weekly coaching activities. The school principal will determine the extent to which the project is implemented at the school and will select a representative for the Project Support Team.

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Research

Current research supports the implementation of the methodology selected as the framework for the proposed project. To ensure that all aspects of the project are consistent with scientifically based research, the project manager will work with the research team from the University of Central Florida to review and evaluate all project components. Research documentation will be included in the end-of-project report.

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Data Collection

The math and science coaches will collect data that is pertinent to the project and submit it to the project manager. The project manager will meet with the UCF research team to review the data prior to submission to the Research Oversight Committee. The data will include but not be limited to:
• Pre- and post-tests that will be included in all training components
• 8th Grade Student Tools for Technology Literacy Inventory
• Inventory of Teacher Technology Skills
• FCAT Math, Science and Writing scores
• Nine-weeks report card grades in math and science

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Replication

The pilot project establishes parameters for replication and expansion of the project beyond the project period:
• Equipment purchased for the project will be placed on the district technology list of equipment that is recommended for all middle schools
• Train the trainer model will enable other teachers to be trained in the projects strategies and methodologies
• Math and science coaches will expand training opportunities to additional schools

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Proposed Partners (more information on partners will be supplied in the Partnership section of this website as projects are designed)

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Support for Strategic Imperatives

The proposed project supports the Florida State Board of Education Strategic Imperatives 1 and 3.

Strategic Imperative 1: Increase the supply of highly effective teachers – Ultimate Goal: A highly effective teacher leads every public school classroom.

Strategic Imperative 3: Improve student rates of learning – Ultimate Goal: Every student is proficient (on grade level) in reading, writing, and mathematics.

Strategic Imperative 1: The core of the project is teacher training and increased teacher effectiveness in the mathematics and science classrooms.

Strategic Imperative 3: The Comprehensive K-12 Reading Plan, approved by Just Read Florida! guides schools in meeting the standards for reading initiated through the Florida Department of Education and the No Child Left Behind Act. The Plan includes the following guidelines:
• Provide a highly prescriptive, daily reading framework in each elementary and secondary school that is scientifically based on reading research.
• Designate staff to support reading initiatives (reading teachers, reading coaches and reading intervention specialists).
• Provide each school with uniform screening, diagnostic, and progress monitoring assessments.
• Provide initial instruction in reading, and based upon the determined need of the student, provide intensive interventions
• Offer reading related professional development on a flexible schedule, including coursework for the reading endorsement.
• Provide age-appropriate, leveled reading materials for secondary students.
• Ensure school media centers support reading initiatives.

The district has also adopted a Mathematics Framework that encourages the integration of reading and writing into the math curriculum. The framework was designed to significantly increase the success rates of students as evidenced by student performance indicators that include FCAT Mathematics proficiency levels. Objectives that support the reading initiative include:
• Exploring an interdisciplinary approach by utilizing appropriate reading strategies in the teaching of mathematics
• Emphasizing vocabulary building, problem solving, and critical thinking skills

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Dissemination / Marketing

The district office makes every effort to share the project outcomes with school personnel, parents, and community members, and with other districts. The district uses the most cost effective and creative means – the Internet – to disseminate and market information to ensure that program awareness is maximized. In addition, to ensure that information is disseminated in a manner that meets the needs of all stakeholders, a variety of other methods are used to disseminate information, including: School newsletters; Reports to school committees; and Parent meetings
Each of the schools will create a web site that will be linked to a district “project” website. The site will be updated and maintained by the schools. The project website will also be used for posting teacher training materials, classroom modules, and other products as appropriate and manageable. Links to resources used by teachers and students will be developed as manageable.
o Identify the products that will be produced and how they will be shared with other districts. This may include professional development, digital content for students, technical assistance, etc. in the form of websites, documents, videos, podcasts, etc.
All products that result from the implementation of the project will be available to other districts. The web sites will be published in a timely manner and will be updated to reflect current project activities. Samples of student-developed materials and presentations will be available upon request. Interested districts will be invited to tour the pilot sites and will be informed of pertinent professional development activities. Online professional development activities will be available statewide. The project manager and members of the Project Support Team will be available to provide technical assistance to interested districts. The technical assistance may be face-to-face or online.
o Describe how parents will be informed about the opportunities available to them through this project.
Parents will be informed about project opportunities in a variety of ways, including information items in school newsletters, flyers, and announcements made via the school’s telephone communication system. All parent activities will be posted on the school’s web page.
o Describe how information about your project will be shared with any additional stakeholders in your project.
The mentoring component will be one method used to share information with the project partners. In addition, the project manager will send a monthly e-newsletter to the partners to ensure that they are updated on all aspects of the project. The Project Support Team meetings will also be a platform for providing information to all stakeholders.
o Each project must maintain a project website that includes a copy of the proposal. A section of the website must be devoted to ongoing progress in meeting the proposal goals. The website shall be updated at least once a month during the project period and the date of the latest update shall be displayed on the site. Include the URL at which the project website will be available. The website must be posted within one month of notification of award. Describe your plan to create and maintain this site.
The project manager will be responsible for maintenance of the project website. The district site will be linked to the school web sites and will be updated no later than the last Friday of each month. The project manager will work closely with district and school staff to ensure that the site is current, consistent and reflective of all aspects of the project. Training calendars will be posted on the site and samples of student projects will be highlighted monthly. The site will also be used to recognize the contributions and assistance provided to the project by the partners.
The URL is www.scps.k12.fl.us

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Evaluation

Methods for evaluation include a project evaluation and a case study model:
An evaluation team composed of selected district personnel, representative teachers and two external evaluators, Dr. Charles Dziuban and Dr. Patsy Moskal, from the Research Initiative for Teaching Effectiveness (RITE) of the University of Central Florida (UCF) will conduct the program impact evaluation. On a quarterly basis, the project manager will oversee and validate collection procedures prior to submission to an evaluation team for analysis and reporting.
This evaluation design conforms to all requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) and data collection elements correspond to the program performance indicators. However, upon request, the team will modify the components of the evaluation to conform to the requirements of the Research Oversight Committee.
The project evaluation is based on the formative/summative model. This model will establish monitoring throughout the entire project period, allow for modifications and adjustments as a result of the systematic reviews that are built into the plan, and provide not only status information, but also reasons why objectives are or are not being met. Due to the comprehensive nature of this project, formative data is critical to maintaining forward momentum. The summative data, coupled with the formative data, will provide an understanding of the project’s success and the processes behind that success.
A multiple methods approach will be used that allows the program to be scrutinized from a variety of angles. The methodology is determined by the data that needs to be collected. Observations, interviews, surveys, questionnaires, needs assessments, and record reviews are included. Multiple methods of data collection offer the coaches and school decision makers’ comprehensive information about the progress of the project at each site.
The Project Support Team will play an important role in the evaluation process. They will develop methodologies and procedures that will be used to evaluate school technology programs. Team observations and a pre- and post- rubric will be used in the fall and spring to review the school’s program and the delivery and assessment methodologies being utilized by the instructional staff. The rubric will include items specifically designed to assess the effectiveness of the program to be implemented at each site. Based on the observations, the rubric, and standardized test scores, the team will make recommendations to the school administrative staff and the coaches on strategies and methodologies that may be used to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of the program.
Included in the team’s plan are areas that will frame the focus of the evaluation: (1) The effectiveness of the project in preparing participating teachers to successfully implement technology integration strategies learned through the training, (2) The effectiveness of the project in preparing participating teachers to successfully implement interdisciplinary strategies learned through the training, (3) The effectiveness of the project to create staff support and reinforcement infrastructures that promote teaching scientifically research-based strategies, (4) The effectiveness of the project to incorporate assessment procedures aligned with the Sunshine State Standards and nationally recommended assessments, (5) The effectiveness of the project to improve teachers’ knowledge, and (6) The effectiveness of the project to raise student performance standards.

Adapting the project based on evaluation
Throughout the project, information and data will be gathered on the implementation activities including: (1) teacher attendance at training activities, (2) the interactions that occur between the coaches and teachers, (3) the quality of the trainings and the participants’ perceptions of the trainings, (4) the implementation of scientifically based research, (5) the development and validation of the assessment process, (6) the involvement of the outside partners, (7) the teacher’s level of implementation within the classroom, and (8) the improvements in student math and science performance. Administrative staff and the coaches will review this information, as well as any other pertinent information, to refine and adapt the model as needed.

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The Case Study Model

A Case Study model will be developed and implemented as part of the evaluation for the proposed project. The case study will utilize a limited sampling and will follow a rigid protocol to examine prescribed variables. The case study involves an in-depth, longitudinal examination of the project components as they relate to actual classroom happenings. It will provide a systematic way of looking at the project, collecting data, analyzing information, and reporting the results.

Dr. Dziuban and Dr. Moskal will work with the Project Support Team to develop the parameters for the case study. The case study will involve three teachers from each of the middle schools and one teacher from the charter school. The teachers will be selected for participation based on the results of the Inventory of Teacher Technology Skills. At each site a level 1, level 2 and level 3-4 teacher will be asked to participate in the study. Student projects/portfolios; nine-week grades; and scores on FCAT Math, Science and Writing will be used to measure progress toward achieving the goals and objectives set forth in the proposal. The evaluators will develop a rubric that will be used to assess:

• teacher attitudes regarding the effective use of laptop computers as a tool for teaching and learning in the classroom
• teacher progress toward achieving technology literacy
• engagment of teacher and students in the project based learning model
• teacher application of training in the classroom
• teacher attitudes regarding the use of technology in the classroom

The evaluators will conduct a minimum of two site visits to the schools during the project period; will observe a minimum of two training sessions; and will conduct a minimum of three interviews with all case study participants.

o How will implementation of the project be monitored at the district, school, and teacher level to ensure it is being implemented according to the project goals?
The project manager will be responsible for monitoring the project at the district level. She will coordinate the evaluation efforts with Dr. Dziuban and Dr. Moskal and will meet with the district’s Performance Data Manager to determine whether project components are being implemented with fidelity. Any discrepancies or concerns will be reviewed by the Project Support Team and discussed with school administrators in an effort to modify and strengthen the overall impact of the project.
The REAL Team at each school will be responsible for monitoring the project at the school level. The team will meet monthly to review the project and assess strengths and weaknesses of the schools implementation plan. The school administrator will discuss any discrepancies or concerns with the project manager.
The coaches will be responsible for monitoring the project at the teacher level. They will meet monthly with school administrators to discuss the project and review the project activities.
All personnel responsible for monitoring the project will use the rubric designed by the project evaluators to ensure project constancy and consistency.

o What data will be available to the Research Oversight Committee and what is the timetable for supplying the data?
At a minimum, the following data will be available to the Research Oversight Committee:

• Pre- and post-tests that will be included in all training components
• 8th Grade Student Tools for Technology Literacy Inventory
• Inventory of Teacher Technology Skills
• FCAT Math, Science and Writing scores
• Nine-weeks report card grades in math and science

o All teachers participating in the proposed project must complete Florida's Inventory of Teacher Technology Skills at both the beginning and the end of the project period. Explain how this data will be utilized.
The project will utilize the Inventory of Teacher Technology Skills to determine the type and amount of technology training that is required for participating teachers. This measure will also be used to determine teacher eligibility for the case study.

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