SECTION II: Narrative Information

4. Describe briefly the progress that you have made in implementing your evaluation plan as described in your application for GEAR UP funding.

Evaluation, as stated in the application for funding, is both quantitative and qualitative and is collected at various levels (student, school, network, and project wide). The evaluation of the Chicago GEAR UP Alliance has evolved each year of the project as the project has continually sought to improve the quality of the data gathered as well as the data gathering processes.

Quantitative data found to be most useful for assessing progress toward includes: standardized test scores (Iowa Test of Basic Skills and Illinois Standards Achievement Tests for elementary schools), student attendance, “On-Track” data (a statistical measure of high school success), and surveys. The utilization of these data has extended beyond their original intent,providing talking points for network coordinators and school principals to plan initiatives. Our continuing partnership with the Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago has also greatly facilitated the analysis of data from a number of perspectives.

The collection and use of student level data has advanced throughout the project (particularly at the high school level where standardized tests are not available for freshmen and sophomores) to the point where a model has been developed and shared across GEAR UP networks. The Student Advocacy Model (SAM) establishes: 1) standards for support each year of high school in terms of what progress needs to be made in order for each student to advance toward postsecondary and 2) a collection system that staff used to follow and shepherd each high school student as they move toward these goals.

Use of student grades has evolved over five years. The Chicago GEAR UP Alliance continues to use student grades at the high school level, not so much to assess progress toward goals as to steer students toward GU programs that might support their success (e.g.; tutoring, summer programs). Teacher assigned grades at the elementary level were gathered in the first several years of the project, as stated in the application. Throughout those years, it was found that the effort to collect those grades (which are not centrally recorded) far outweigh their value in assessing progress or in targeting services. Grades at the elementary level evinced such a subjective nature that they provided modest, if any, value to the project.

Survey implementation and influence has also evolved greatly over five years. In the first three years, sample surveys were collected from all networks for both students and parents. In the final years of the project, there has been a concerted effort by all staff to collect surveys from all GEAR UP students and parents. Also, in the third year of the project, it was determined that a teacher survey would be a valuable tool to assess project impact as well as determine network needs. That comprehensive survey was developed with the input from teachers, professional development leaders, and evaluation staff. It has been implemented project wide for the past two years to help assess impact and inform project development.

Additional quantitative data is gathered through GEAR UP’s various initiatives. Countdown!, Who Wants to Win a Scholarship, Summer B.L.A.S.T. programs, and SAM (Student Advocate Model in the GUTS Network) are examples of data-driven initiatives. Pre-post strategies help assess project impact on learning in B.L.A.S.T. programs in high schools and Summer Academies for elementary students. Those results substantiate significant student learning in technology, reading, math, and science.

Qualitative data has also evolved throughout the years of the project. Video documentation has emerged as one of the strengths of the project. This data has proved very valuable in terms of documentation and dissemination. The Chicago GEAR UP Magazine developed through the Woodlawn Network exemplifies this effort; the website is <http://cuip.net/schools/gearup/chicago>.

Qualitative data in the Chicago GEAR UP Alliance is wide-ranging in terms of approach and includes: action research projects in graduate coursework; collections of transformed lesson plans in intensive professional development projects; digital documentation of parent, student, and teacher involvement; and network narratives.

The Chicago GEAR UP Alliance has progressed wholly in its understanding of and its ability to collect and use data thanks to this project. The evaluation paradigm has made a great shift toward the collection and use of student level data. The importance of this paradigm has impacted other current projects and future project applications at the Chicago Teachers’ Center and the Chicago Education Alliance.

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