Evaluation Training Programs: Strategies for Success

American Educational Research Association, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The issue of evaluation for mathematics and science education programs has been a concern for the field of evaluation and NSF for several years. The pool of qualified evaluators is not large enough to keep pace with the growing need for and interest in evaluation. To this end, in 1996 the AERA Grants Program created the Evaluation Training Program (ETP), designed to train doctoral students in state-of-the-art evaluation theory and practice, and to stimulate the development of evaluator training programs at four select higher education institutions. As the ETP winds down, there exists a window of opportunity to evaluate the program and use the experience gained to assist NSF in developing new programs to train qualified evaluators for mathematics and science education programs. This proposal includes a formal evaluation of the ETP, meetings of ETP students and PIs and the creation of an Advisory Panel to assist NSF staff as they consider the next steps for NSF-funded evaluator training.