1. UTILIZING FORMATIVE EVALUATION IN A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Tiah Alphonso Louisiana State University Department of Educational Theory, Policy, and Practice Applied Research, Measurement, and Evaluation

2. Central Theory of Action for Teacher Professional Development Professional Development Experience Increase in Knowledge and Skills Change in Teacher Practice Improved Student Performance

3. Considerations  Detecting Change: The amount of change in teacher knowledge and practice must be considerably large to detect even a modest amount of change in student outcomes (Quint & MDRC, 2011).  Timing of Outcome Measures: Professional development effects are often delayed because time is needed to implement the changes that emerge from the professional development activities (Silverstein, Dubner, Jon, Glied, & Loike, 2009).  Proximal Measures: If only student achievement is measured in a study of PD and no impact is found, then without teacher outcome measures, it is not possible to determine the point where or why the causal model failed (Wayne, Yoon, Zhu, Cronen, & Garet, 2008).  Influential Factors: A wide range of factors influence what takes place in the classroom which impacts the degree of transfer of knowledge and skills gained during professional development to classroom practice (Ingvarson, Beavis, Bishop, Peck, & Elsworthet, 2004).

4. LaMSTI Evaluation Participants: 10 members from the 2010 LaMSTI Mathematics Cohort Methodology: Electronically Administered Survey, Focus Group, Interviews, and Content Analysis of Documents

5. Phase I: Evaluation Focus & Goals Evaluation Focus The purpose of this evaluation was to provide feedback on the process of program implementation and to assess outcomes related to specific program activities. Evaluation Goals Ascertain participants’ perceptions of program activities Identify program activities which participants reported as having a direct impact on their classroom practice Collect recommendations for change to the program by participants

6. Phase I: Evaluation Findings The following highlight program activities reported by participants to have influenced their professional beliefs and impacted their classroom practice:  Viewing familiar mathematics content in alternative ways which deepened their understanding of basic concepts and was directly relevant to the classroom  Exposure to pedagogical strategies including the principles of learning and deliberate practice in conjunction with planning for implementation of related personalized goals to their classroom practice  Observing peers present topics from the middle and high school mathematics curriculum  Individualized assignments tailored to advance participants from their current level of proficiency in mathematics with support provided in numerous forms

7. LaMSTI Evaluation Participants: 50 out of 63 LaMSTI participants from science and mathematics cohorts from the past five years Methodology: Electronically administered survey modeled on instruments used in published studies.

8. Professional Development To Improve Student Achievement

9. Phase II: Evaluation Goals Determine the extent participants report: The presence of the following features of professional development in program activities: content focus, coherence, and active learning The following teacher outcomes as a result of their experiences in the program: enhanced knowledge and skills and change in their teaching practice Use path analysis to determine the relationships among: Essential features of professional development (content focus, coherence, active learning, collective participation, and duration) and teacher outcomes (enhanced knowledge and skills and change in their teaching practice) as reported by participants Identify factors participants report: As influencing the transfer of knowledge and skills gained in LaMSTI to their own classroom practice

10. Phase II: Evaluation Findings  Active learning, content focus, and coherence and consequent enhanced knowledge and skills and changes in teacher practice were reported at moderate to high levels.  Factors participants reported as influencing the transfer of knowledge and skills gained in LaMSTI to their own classroom practice: Most Inhibiting FactorsMost Encouraging Factors Time available to plan and prepare for implementation Their own level of motivation to make changes State- mandated standardized testing Confidence in ability to change classroom practice State-mandated curriculum Feedback from students

11. Phase II: Evaluation Goals Path Diagram for Revised Model Based on Regression Analyses

12. Future Goals for Evaluation  Continued work with survey data from Phase II  Investigating alternatives to teacher report as a measure of transfer of enhanced knowledge and skills to classroom practice  Exploring the process by which teachers create change in their classroom practice Contact Information: Tiah Alphonso, talpho3@lsu.edutalpho3@lsu.edu