Rigorous Research

Selected Projects Include

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  Image courtesy of Center for the Future of Teaching & Learning at WestEd

  Teacher Practice Networks

  Rockman et al served as an evaluation partner for the 5-year Teacher Practice Networks (TPN) initiative that was led by the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning at WestEd on behalf of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Over 35 educational organizations with large networks of K–12 teachers were awarded grants to help spread innovative, standards-aligned approaches to college readiness across their teacher networks. REA designed and conducted annual surveys across the networks’ TPN teachers and their teacher leaders to develop an understanding about implementation and outcomes of the teacher practice networks each year. Findings revealed that teacher leaders’ self-efficacy for instructional leadership and instruction increased over time and teachers reported valuable impacts on their standards-aligned teaching.
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  Photo courtesy of Tim Farrell, New Visions.

  New Visions Accessing Algebra through Inquiry (a2i)

  Accessing Algebra Through Inquiry (a2i) was a high school mathematics project conducted by New Visions for Public Schools (New Visions), in partnership with the Silicon Valley Mathematics Initiative (SVMI) and the New York City Department of Education. The project was supported with a 2013 i3 validation grant (#U411B110116) from the U.S. Department of Education. Rockman et al (REA) conducted the independent evaluation of a2i. The central focus of a2i was on the use of high-quality formative assessment processes to help teachers implement high standards and create effective math learning environments. The major categories of support for teachers included: (a) inquiry teams focused on data-driven instructional practices, (b) adaptable formative assessment lessons and strategies, and (c) instructional coaches. A quasi-experimental study involving 40 schools (across 2 cohorts) compared the effectiveness of a2i on students’ achievement in algebra and geometry compared to business-as-usual instruction in matched comparison schools. While the main findings did reveal statistically positive effects of a2i instruction on state standardized test performances, additional analyses by REA found evidence of improved achievement during the second year of the study after professional development was restructured and day-to-day pedagogical practices were introduced. REA evaluation of classroom changes revealed that students engaged in more group work, talked more about math, and solved problems collaboratively.

  Report: Accessing Algebra Through Inquiry Final Report
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  Photo courtesy of mysapl via CC licensing.

  The Big Read

  The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest designed to bring communities together to celebrate reading. REA conducted a 19-month study of The Big Read to learn more about how communities held a Big Read—what books they chose, what partners they enlisted, what promotional and programming strategies they devised, what NEA resources they used, and what audiences they reached. The study, based on data from over 300 communities, also explored the project’s success in its overarching goal of restoring reading to the center of American culture. REA used a mixed-methods design that included feedback forms from Big Read events, surveys of participants and grantees, reviews of grantee reports required by the project, and tabular data on attendance, circulation, and partnerships from Arts Midwest. We also conducted a series of 36 case studies.

  Report: The-Big-Read-Final-Report
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  Photo courtesy of US ED via CC licensing.

  ReadWorks

  ReadWorks worked to support reading comprehension instruction by providing research-based, grade-level aligned instructional materials and tools to over 1 million K–12 teachers and 13 million students. REA partnered with ReadWorks to design and conduct a series of multi-year evaluation studies investigating both the implementation and impact of ReadWorks’ curriculum and teacher training materials. The evaluation research included an investigation of web analytics data, a mixed-methods retrospective study focused on teacher usage of the website and curriculum, a multi-year study of ReadWorks-supported teacher practice networks, and a prospective efficacy study of their Article-A-Day curriculum in high-needs, urban classrooms. Teachers reported valuable gains from using ReadWorks to develop students’ content knowledge, vocabulary, reading comprehension skills, and reading motivation.
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  Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

  Common Sense Media Educator Census

  Together with Common Sense Media and Veraquest Inc., REA developed and conducted a survey of U.S. teachers’ technology use in schools. The Educator Census Survey provided an update on the use and perceived impacts of various classroom technologies, understandings about digital citizenship curricula use, an overview of technology-related policies in schools, and insights into issues of access to educational technology within and outside classrooms. Among the most notable survey findings was that there was a misalignment between the digital tools that teachers used most frequently and the digital tools teachers perceived to be most effective for students.

  Report: Common Sense Media Educator Report
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  Photo courtesy of Enokson via CC licensing.

  Leading with Learning

  To improve teaching for English learners (ELs), WestEd partnered with two, large school districts in California on a multiyear project called Leading with Learning: Systematically Transforming Teaching for English Learners. The Leading with Learning (LwL) project was awarded a three-year development grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Investing in Innovation (i3) fund. Rockman et al conducted the independent evaluation of LwL to study its implementation and to test its effectiveness on elementary student outcomes using a quasi-experimental design. The LwL model involved an intensive, two-year program of professional learning for K–6 teachers, instructional coaches, principals, district co-facilitators, and district leaders. Teacher practice changes were aimed at improving students’ understanding of complex texts, engagement with complex tasks, and understanding of academic English; which was expected to lead to improved academic achievement. Results showed that while the state assessment outcomes did not provide evidence of effectiveness, other data sources revealed important improvements in outcomes for students, teachers, and coaches.

  Report: Leading with Learning Final Report
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  Photo courtesy of GSLC

  Genetic Science Learning Center (GSLC) at University of Utah

  Since 2006, REA has worked with the University of Utah’s Genetic Science Learning Center (GSLC) on evaluation projects for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conference presentations, and peer-reviewed publications. Our collaborations have included conducting randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the impact of high school curriculum supplements on cell biology and epigenetics, and documenting the process of curriculum and assessment development for a National Science Foundation Discovery Research K-12 project on evolution and common ancestry. REA and the GSLC co-authored a paper on randomized controlled trials and a primer on instrument development. They have co-presented on evaluation and educational research topics, such as mixed-methods designs, program implementation and assessment development, at the National Institutes of Health’s Science Education annual meetings.
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  West Virginia Department of Education: ED PACE

  The Educational Development for Planning and Conducting Evaluations (ED PACE) was a three-year research project funded by the U.S. Department of Education to develop, implement, and refine a set of research tools and methods that would enable project personnel at the state and local level to compare student outcomes and achievement data using a quasi-experimental design. The focus of this study was the West Virginia Virtual School Spanish 1A and 1B courses at the middle school level. These courses provide rural students an opportunity to study a foreign language at sites that would not otherwise be able to offer foreign language. For this project, it was necessary to develop and validate a Spanish Proficiency Assessment to use as the outcome measure to compare the Virtual Spanish program with face-to-face Spanish classes.

  Report: ED-PACE Final Report