Literacy Collaborative program evaluation at the school/district level

At the school/district level, administrators, literacy coordinators, and teachers analyze and present their own data to provide evidence of effectiveness at the local level.

All Literacy Collaborative schools are responsible for developing a school-level evaluation plan, and for collecting, analyzing, and presenting student outcome data according to the evaluation plan that they have developed. When the Literacy Collaborative implementation is district wide, it is expected that this be done at the school level and be coordinated across schools in the district. The responsibility for coordinating program evaluation at the school level rests with the School Leadership Team, which typically consists of the school principal, the literacy coordinator, a classroom teacher from each grade level, and any other representatives who provide literacy teaching.

The Process

During the literacy coordinator’s initial training year, s/he works with their School Leadership Team to develop a school-level evaluation plan that will allow them to track student progress and guide their assessment of the effectiveness of their implementation. This plan specifies the assessments that the school will use for the next five years, the frequency and timing of the administration of those assessments, and plans for analyzing and presenting results. Assessments can include some of the required Literacy Collaborative classroom assessments, standardized tests such as the TerraNova, or state-mandated tests required under No Child Left Behind. Each school’s evaluation plan is tailored to its individual school, district, and state requirements. Assistance in developing an evaluation plan is provided during the literacy coordinator’s training year and in ongoing professional development sessions.

At the beginning and end of each year thereafter, the School Leadership Team meets to review their school’s data, assess progress, and set goals for professional development and instruction based on their results. Each spring, they develop and write an annual school report that presents an analysis of the data collected, the status of implementation, and a list of future goals. This report is submitted to the university training site, and schools receive feedback on their reports from Literacy Collaborative staff. Consecutive annual reports provide a record of implementation and student achievement over time.

Click here for a flowchart describing the process.

Click here for a chart describing the process.

Participation in National Literacy Collaborative Studies

Schools/districts are also encouraged to participate in national Literacy Collaborative studies. These studies are conducted by internal Literacy Collaborative researchers or outside evaluators. Schools/districts are contacted about possible participation by Literacy Collaborative research staff and are also encouraged to contact their university training site if they are interested in participating in national studies. Individual schools can obtain useful information about the effectiveness of their Literacy Collaborative implementation through their participation in national studies.

Formative Evaluation

Finally, in addition to summative evaluations of student outcome data, formative evaluations of program implementation are encouraged at the school level to provide schools with guidance about how they might improve their implementation. Although formative evaluation is not a Literacy Collaborative requirement at this point, a greater emphasis on formative evaluation is projected in the future.