Research and Evaluation
Representative Projects
DTI Associates – A Kratos Company:
Expanding the Reach Evaluation
Expanding the Reach (ETR) is a federally funded professional development initiative that seeks to increase students’ reading proficiency by improving teacher knowledge and use of scientifically based reading research. Working with DTI, the project managers, MI conducted the ETR evaluation, examining project impact on teachers and students in six states. Data collection procedures included an MI-developed Teacher Knowledge Test of Reading, staff surveys, classroom observation, extraction and analysis of student achievement data, and interview. A major component of the evaluation was a Program Quality Self- Assessment Tool, an instrument MI designed to guide school leaders and key staff in examining their reading programs with a critical eye toward improvement.
New York State Education Department (NYSED):
Reading First Evaluation
In 2006, MI was awarded a three-year contract by NYSED to evaluate the statewide Reading First program. MI used a systems-based model to conduct the study, examining schoolwide program implementation, teacher use of scientifically based reading research in instruction, program impact on student reading achievement, and the factors that contribute to positive outcomes. Methods included cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons of individual student performance on reading assessments, classroom observations during reading instruction, and interviews and focus groups with key staff. MI synthesized the data from these sources in annual reports to NYSED and through briefings with Reading First state, district, and school stakeholders.
Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE):
21st
Century Community Learning Centers Program Evaluation
In 2009, MSDE contracted with MI to conduct an evaluation of the state’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program, the only federally funded program that supports afterschool opportunities for students. The evaluation has a dual purpose: to assess the effectiveness of the 21st CCLC at both the provider and state levels, and to furnish information necessary for continuous improvement. The evaluation products developed and/or planned include a set of performance measures and indicators that 21st CCLC providers and the state can use to measure growth on a continuous basis; a unified set of instruments for collecting and reporting basic information on the performance measures and indicators; profiles of each provider containing descriptive information and local evaluation highlights; and interim and final reports to MSDE on the progress and effectiveness of the 21st CCLC.
New York State Education Department (NYSED) and
Local School Districts:
Magnet School Research Studies
MI’s work with magnet schools dates back to 1984 when NYSED selected MI to conduct a research study of state-supported magnet programs. Since that time, MI has conducted three statewide and 10 district-level studies, each involving multi-year trend analyses of racial/ethnic and student performance data; teacher, parent, and community surveys; and case study. The most recent evaluation examined the long-term effects of magnet education by surveying former magnet school students 10 years after high school graduation. MI’s work has been widely cited in the literature, with the 1991 study published by the International Research Institute on Educational Choice. This publication led the international law firm, Hogan and Hartson, to seek MI’s expertise in performing a set of services for their Kansas City Missouri School District desegregation case. These services included expert testimony during court proceedings; preparation of court exhibits; and an analysis of desegregation trends for 30 other large city school districts including Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia.
New York State Local Districts and Partnerships:
Safe Schools/Healthy Students Evaluation
Since 1999, the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice have collaborated on the Safe Schools/Healthy Students (SS/HS) Initiative. SS/HS provides communities with federal funding to implement a coordinated plan of activities, curricula, programs, and services focused on creating safe school environments, promoting healthy development, and preventing youth violence and substance use/abuse. Eligible applicants are local educational agencies (LEA) or a consortium of LEAs that partner with local public mental health, law enforcement, juvenile justice agencies, social service agencies, and other community-based organizations. MI currently serves (or has served) as the local evaluator for five SS/HS projects in New York: Cayuga County, Utica City School District, Rome City School District, Sodus Central School District, and Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES. The evaluations have investigated the implementation and impact of targeted programs based on comprehensive logic models. Methods have included student surveys aligned with the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicators; cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons of risk behaviors; documentation systems for tracking program activities and challenges; and site visits.
DTI Associates – A Kratos Company:
Student Achievement In Reading (StAR) Evaluation
The StAR Project (Student Achievement in Reading) is a professional development initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education to translate adult education reading research into practice through a series of validated toolkits. MI evaluated the effectiveness of the pilot project under a contract with DTI Associates, the project managers. The pilot was conducted in 6 states and more than 30 local program sites within these states. MI developed a comprehensive research design to conduct the study, which addressed five areas: state and local program baseline conditions, early implementation of reading strategies, ongoing operations, impact on adult learners, and sustainability of reading strategies. A variety of quantitative and qualitative instruments were used in the study including program administrator and teacher survey, multi-method case study, extant data synthesis, and interview. The study design, methods, and implementation and outcome results were summarized in a reader-friendly report and shared with project leaders for purposes of project improvement.
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