Running head: MATHEMATICS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 1

Braxton County Mathematics Professional Development

Evaluation Plan

Jessica Horton, Jeff Richardson, Caitlin Seabolt, and Cara Youmans

FRIT 7237 - Georgia Southern University

Implementation Evaluation
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Great Southern University’s College of Education, in partnership with the Braxton

County School System, will implement a professional development opportunity for teachers of

mathematics. The experience will prepare the Braxton County teachers for implementation of

the New State Standards for Mathematics and designing authentic learning experiences that

employ instructional technology. The Great Southern University (GSU) evaluation team has

developed an evaluation plan that will analyze the implementation of the project, as well as the

impact of the project. Our evaluation of the implementation of the project seeks to answer the

following questions:

● Were the initial experience and follow up activities implemented as planned?

● What is the quality of the initial program activities?

● Who are the program participants and how were they recruited?

● What is the quality of follow up and support activities?

Data addressing these questions will be collected via tests, surveys, interviews and focus

groups. Testing aligned with learning objectives will provide quantitative measures of subject

growth. Surveys and interviews will provide information on participant perceptions of the study

and how/if the teachers plan to use the results, as well as providing an avenue for follow-up and

support actions. Focus groups will provide ongoing and in-depth information about the

perceived quality of the program as well as insights into any problems with the implementation.

Likewise, our summative evaluation of the impact of the project seeks to answer the

following questions:

● To what extent were teachers able to develop Project Based Learning (PBL) modules that

were connected to local business and industries, aligned with New State Standards for

Math (NSSM), and incorporated appropriate uses of technology?

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● To what extent were teachers able to implement and evaluate those modules?

NSSM standards, participant surveys, as well as the module evaluation rubric will be the

standard of the project outcome evaluation. Great Southern University faculty will employ the

evaluation report in their efforts to improve PBL instruction of the Braxton County School

(BCS) teachers. Braxton County school teachers will be chosen from middle school math

teachers based on their knowledge of local business and industry. An overview of the data

collection schedule is provided below. Test data will determine the scope of stakeholder need

and guide PBL module creation. Implementation data will then be collected, sorted and

categorized. Near the end of the Fall semester of 2015, a final focus group meeting will be held

to collect teacher self-evaluations and discuss the most effective strategies. All student results

may be culturally disaggregated as needed based on the recommendations of the GSU review

board (Frechtling, J., & Mark, M. 2010, p 90).

Evaluation Objective Data Collection Source of Data

Questions Method

Were the initial experience and Interviews of program participants to

follow up activities determine what they know about the
implemented as planned? Interview
program and how they implemented the
activities

What is the quality of the initial Survey Surveys and focus groups after initial
program activities? Focus Groups program activities are complete

Who are the program Individual surveys for each program

participants and how were they Survey participant indicating their background
recruited? and how they learned of the program

What is the quality of follow up Surveys and focus groups after program
Survey
and support activities? and is completed and opportunities for
Focus Groups
follow up/support have been offered

Impact (Summative) Evaluation

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The summative evaluation report is represented by four objectives (above) that are

included within two questions. The initial question is: “To what extent were teachers able to

develop Project Based Learning (PBL) modules that were connected to local business and

industries, aligned with New State Standards for Math (NSSM), and incorporated appropriate

uses of technology?”. This question addresses objective numbers one, two and three. The other

question: “To what extent were teachers able to implement and evaluate those modules?” is

aligned with objective four.

The project will begin the week of June 25th where introductions of the new standards

will be made to both the Braxton County staff as well as the GSU Faculty. The five days will

consist of a professional development experience for teachers that will focus on the application

of New State Standards for Mathematics (NSSM) in the creation and use of mathematics

problem-based-learning (PBL) modules. A two-week refinement period will take place between

July 2-July 20 when teacher participants and GSU faculty will work to refine their modules using

electronic communications.

Once their modules are finalized, teachers will implement the modules with their students

and conduct self-evaluations of the implementation. Data from the self-evaluations will be

shared with project staff members and GSU faculty members will conduct a mid-implementation

meeting with the teacher participants to discuss any questions or concerns that may have arisen

during the implementation process. Teacher participants will take a post survey given by the

GSU staff upon completion of module implementation. A final meeting will be scheduled in

Braxton County at the end of Fall 2015 for teacher participants and project staff to debrief and

discuss the teacher-created self-evaluations, implementation and best practices.

Objective Indicator Source of Data

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Create Problem Based Learning Module content is aligned with

Modules based on local the information, processes, and
Tests
business and industry procedures used in local business
and industry.

Create Problem Based Learning Module content is aligned with

Modules aligned with New the standards contained in the
Tests
State Standards for Mathematics New State Standards for
Mathematics.

Create Problem Based Learning Module activities utilize

Observation
Modules that incorporate technology to effectively support
Self-Evaluation
appropriate technology use student learning.

Implement and Evaluate Modules are implemented with Observation

Problem Based Learning fidelity. Evaluations are Self-
Modules completed. Evaluations

Data Collection Schedule

Data Set Date of Collection Instruments Already Data Collected By

Developed?

Pre-Survey June 2015 Yes GS Faculty

Interview August 2015 Yes GS Faculty

Mid-Implementation September 2015 Yes GS Faculty

Mtg.(Focus Group)

Tests Fall 2015 Yes Braxton County

Teacher Participants

Observation/Self- Fall 2015 Yes GS Faculty

evaluation Braxton County
Teacher Participants

Post Survey Fall 2015 Yes GS Faculty

Project Debrief Fall 2015 Yes GS Faculty

Meeting

References
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Frechtling, J. A., & Mark, M. M. (2010). The 2010 user-friendly handbook of project evaluation.

Retrieved from:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxKlHSuk2nPpbFFyTVU3eVBLakE/view

Hedges, C., (2011). New State Standards for Mathematics and Problem-based Learning;

A Grant Funded Project

Retrieved from:

https://go.view.usg.edu/d2l/le/content/1844602/viewContent/31770512/View