Component 2

Fourth Year Evaluation Report

Oakland Unified School District

Recommendations and Exemplars

2002-2003

Summary, Conclusions, and Recommendations

The project has completed a successful third year. The project implemented all of its components. It expanded its professional development component. It providing even more resources to teachers in terms of technology, curriculum and in-classroom support. The project has expanded and strengthened its collaborations. The project is also successfully providing a computer training and placement program within families of its secondary students.

The following is a list of the major outcomes of the third year of project implementation. During the 2002-2003 year, the project staff, evaluators and collaborating organizations:

1.     developed and implemented a comprehensive staff development program that is providing instructional and curriculum resources for teachers including an initial two-week Summer Institute, a follow-up one-week Expository Writing Workshop, and monthly workshops;

2.     provided on-going technical support to teachers including in-classroom coaching, modeling, demonstrations and instructional assistance;

3.     purchased and trained staff on the use of several curriculum resources including source materials and databases;

4.     identified, procured, and installed instructional technology in 132 classrooms and over 1,200 homes;

5.     provided high-speed Internet access in each classroom as well;

6.     expanded and strengthened partnerships with universities and community-based organizations; and

7.     undertook a comprehensive process and summative evaluation.

The following are the recommendations and project exemplars:

Recommendations

1. The project staff should continue to explore ways to increase staffing or modify staff scheduling to meet the growing demand for one-to-one assistance.

2.     Parents indicated that some of their computers lacked important technology. Some computers lacked the necessary modem needed for attaining Internet access. A CD-ROM was not included with some the refurbished computers. Project computer systems should include a CD-ROM and a modem.

3.     To insure compatibility, the project should explore the provision of Microsoft Windows and applications with the home computers.

4.     Some of the computers were given out to families with students not in Urban Dreams’ classrooms. The project may want to target the Take-Home Computer program to just those students in Urban Dreams’ classrooms.

5.     It appears that many of the online curriculum resources offered by the project to teachers are not used by many of the instructors. The project staff may want to provide additional training on the use of these resources or no longer make them available.

6.     The project may want to disseminate a bound copy of its teacher-developed lesson plans for wider dissemination and to encourage usage.

7.     As a part of its program validation and sustainability efforts, the project is encouraged to share its best practices and evaluation findings with a wider audience both internally within the district and to the general public.

Exemplars

1.     The professional development opportunities offered by the project continue to be of benefit to teachers.

2.     The project developed a lesson plan rubric that addresses the need to direct teacher lesson plan and curriculum development.

3.     The project’s website has increasing become used as a repository for program information and products.

4.     Modeling of integration of new technology has resulted in requests by teachers in other disciplines for similar equipment.

6.     The Take-Home Computer program is providing both computers and training that is well received by parents. The computers are used by families for important activities such as job training and homework.

7.     The district’s technical staff was very supportive of the project’s evaluation this year including providing access to student data and other important information.