A Mixed Methods Study on Evaluations of Virginia's STEM-Focused Governor's Schools

Autor/in	Stith, Krista M.
Titel	A Mixed Methods Study on Evaluations of Virginia's STEM-Focused Governor's Schools
Quelle	(2017), (193 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit Ph.D. Dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
ISBN	978-0-3552-1115-3
Schlagwörter	Hochschulschrift; Dissertation; Mixed Methods Research; STEM Education; School Effectiveness; Educational Assessment; Educational Indicators; Evidence; Scoring Rubrics; Evaluation Criteria; Content Analysis; Research Reports; Interviews; State Standards; Benchmarking; Gifted; Evaluation Methods; Elementary Secondary Education; Item Analysis; Virginia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Thesis; Dissertations; Academic thesis; STEM; Schuleffizienz; Education; assessment; Bewertungssystem; Educational indicato; Bildungsindikator; Evidenz; Scoring formulas; Auswertungsbogen; Inhaltsanalyse; Research report; Forschungsbericht; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Begabter, Hoch Begabter; Itemanalyse
Abstract	Significant emphasis is currently placed on STEM education as a vehicle to encourage American youth to enter science, technology, engineering, and math-related professions. Gifted students are a natural resource of future innovators for these fields; however gifted programs are largely overlooked for program support. Since 1973, the Virginia Department of Education has sponsored a unique model of regional magnet programs for gifted and talented students called the Virginia Governor's Schools. These schools provide accelerated and differentiated curricula, often in the STEM subjects. As evaluation is a strong component to achieve more funding to meet the scientific and technological demands of these programs, the researcher explored the evaluation reports of five STEM-focused Virginia Governor's Schools. The purpose of the study was to collect consequential evidence of an untested rubric instrument used for the evaluations. A descriptive analysis of the instrument's criteria ratings, a content analysis of evaluation reports, and a thematic analysis of eight evaluator interviews were conducted. Results were triangulated to reveal that the five Governor's Schools met (n = 80.0%) or exceeded (n = 13.87%) evaluation metric standards, and shared similar strengths and areas of needed improvement. Triangulated evidence supported the argument that the instrument addresses gifted students as independent learners, faculty as education innovators, and promotes STEM-capable citizens through scientific research and civic service. Information collected during the study was intended to assist evaluation designers in determining rubric efficacy and provide recommendations for planned future revisions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.] (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01