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EVALUATION OF THE DETERMINING INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES TRAINING PROGRAM A Proposal Submitted to the Far West Laboratory for Educational

and Research Development by Pletcher & Blakley Evaluation Experts

Introduction Far West Laboratory for Educational and Research Development (FWL) recently issued a request for proposal (RFP) for an evaluation of its Determining Instructional Purposes (DIP) training program. The primary intent for this proposal is to present data and recommendations for FWL to make decisions regarding production and distribution of the training units prior to investing its resources. A secondary intent of this proposal is to present information for school administrators to use in making decisions about the purchase and use of the units in this training program.

Program Description Far West Laboratory creates units that instruct administrators and graduate students in educational administration to effectively plan school programs. Far West is looking to expand its program but would like an evaluation to see if this is an area worthy of expansion. The DIP training program is comprised of three units of instruction developed by FWL for the target audience of administrators and graduate students studying educational administration. The program includes a Coordinators Handbook and three units entitled: Setting Goals, Analyzing Problems and Deriving Objectives respectively. The curriculum is broken up in this manner: each of the three units has four-to-six modules that include
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reading material, individual or small group activities and a section for feedback on the activities. Many of the activities are set in real life situations to prepare the participants for actual scenarios encountered on the job. The units are designed such that a district could choose a particular topic to work on for their administrators, rather than all of the units. The units are self-directed and can be completed in a concentrated, short amount of time, or over a period of time. Estimates show that units 1 and 3 require between 10-15 hours to complete and unit 2 requires between 12-18 hours.

Evaluation Methods The following evaluation methods and data sources will be used to evaluate the Determining Instructional Purposes training program: y Observation - The evaluator will participate in at least 3 client training sessions utilizing the DIP units of Instruction. The sessions will be comprised of randomly selected school administrators and graduate students studying educational administration. Unobtrusive observation will be conducted and documented. The purpose of this evaluation method is to collect information on how effectively the instructional materials are being used in actual learning environments. This qualitative data may also be used to determine if there are any discrepancies between the intended use of the instructional materials and the actual use of the materials. y Achievement Test - Criterion-referenced achievement tests will be developed and administered to the learners at the conclusion of each unit. The data from these tests will be compared to the standard score that would be considered passing as determined by the stakeholders. The purpose of this data analysis method is to

measure if an acceptable level of proficiency has been met by assessing learners attainment of skills outlined in the programs instructional objectives. y Attitudes and Opinions - Surveys of the training participants will be conducted to determine their attitudes, opinions and reactions to the training session. The surveys will be administered on paper immediately following each unit of Instruction. Information collected from Likert rating scales will be used to determine areas of strength and weakness. Open ended questions will be employed to gather information on content areas that participants felt were adequately covered and areas that need more development.

Task Schedule Upon acceptance of this proposal, this evaluation can be completed 9 months from the date of commencement. A proposed task schedule is outlined on page 4. This schedule assumes a starting date of January 10, 2011 and a completion date of October 10, 2011. Pletcher & Blakley Evaluation Experts (PBEE) will provide the summative evaluation report on October 10, 2011.

TASK SCHEDULE EVALUATION OF THE DETERMINING INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES TRAINING PROGRAM TASK 1. Meet with FWL to discuss proposal and any desired revisions 2. Meet with FWL to complete evaluation questions needed to draft EDP 3. Submit first draft of EDP for feedback 4. Provide feedback on EDP to evaluator 5. Submit final draft of EDP to FWL 6. Submit data collection plan and drafts of survey and test 7. Provide feedback on survey and test 8. Revise data collection instruments and submit final to FWL 9. Collect all test, attitude and observational data 10. Meet with FWL to present all summarized data 11. Write final evaluation report and submit to FWL RESPONSIBLE PARTY Pletcher & Blakley Pletcher & Blakley DEADLINE* January 18, 2011 January 31, 2011 (If no revisions, all dates can be negotiated sooner) February 14, 2011 February 28, 2011 March 7, 2011 March 14, 2011 March 28, 2011 April 11, 2011

Pletcher & Blakley Pletcher & Blakley Pletcher & Blakley Pletcher & Blakley Far West Laboratory Pletcher & Blakley

Pletcher & Blakley Pletcher & Blakley Pletcher & Blakley

July 30, 2011 August 30, 2011 October 10, 2011

*This schedule assumes a project starting date of January 18, 2011. If the contract is awarded after January 3, 2011, a modified schedule may need to be negotiated.

Project Personnel Latanya Blakley is the senior evaluation specialist who will be managing this evaluation. Ms. Blakley has conducted numerous evaluations for organizational development and training organizations. She has also been a professional in training and development for over 12 years. Ms. Blakley holds a B.S. in Industrial Technology from Eastern Illinois University and is earning a masters degree in Educational Technology from Boise State University. Jennifer Pletcher earned her Bachelor's degree in 2002 from Western Michigan University. She studied Special Education, Elementary Education and has minors in math and science. She has taught a total of 8 years in public education, 2 of which are with a virtual academy. She is currently enrolled in Boise State's Education Technology program and is scheduled to graduate in May of 2011. Jennifer has also received extensive training through Boise State in data collection and program evaluation. Dolly Madison is the project assistant for the evaluation and will be designing the survey and conducting document reviews. She will also assist with the data collection, analysis and summarization. Ms. Madison has a masters degree in Statistical Analysis from University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Michael Jordano is a graduate assistant from DePaul University who will assist Ms. Madison in the data collection and analysis efforts. He is currently pursuing his masters degree in Applied Statistics.

Budget The proposed budget for this evaluation is $58,570. An itemized version of this proposed budget and payment schedule are shown on page 6.
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PROPOSED EVALUATION BUDGET AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE Budget Personnel Latanya Blakley Jennifer Pletcher Dolly Madison Michael Jordano TOTAL PERSONNEL Travel and per Diem 5 Trips to and from observation sites x 2 Rental car for 5 trips (shared) Lodging for 5 trips (shared) $40 per diem for meals @ 27 days of training x 2 TOTAL TRAVEL AND PER DIEM Communications Telephone: estimated $100 per month for 8 months Shipping TOTAL FOR COMMUNICATIONS Supplies, Materials and Photocopying Supplies and Photocopying Materials (includes 60 units and 3 handbooks) TOTAL FOR SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS TOTAL BUDGET $500 $1510 $2010 $2010 $58,570 $800 $100 $900 $900 $3500 $1500 $3000 $2160 $10,160 $10,160 $16,000 $16,000 $8,500 $5,000 $45,500 $45,500

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