Reports and Other Informational Items from the Study


Final Report Case Studies Interim/Background Studies Newsletters Research Advisory Team (RAT)
Additional Information
Contact:
Dr. Jerry G. Horn
The Evaluation Center
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5237
(405) 707-7143 (phone)
(405) 707-7148 (fax)
jhorneval@aol.com (E-mail)


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NSF's Rural Systemic Initiatives Evaluation Study

An NSF Funded Project

The Rural Systemic Initiatives (RSI) is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded set of public school systemic reform programs focused on economically disadvantaged, rural areas of the United States. The RSIs were created to enhance math, science, and technology education for all students through instructional and policy reforms as well as community development activities. The RSIs serve large geographic areas, frequently as multistate collaboratives.

In December 1998, NSF contracted with The Evaluation Center to conduct an evaluation study of the RSI program. The study was designed to investigate the relationship among the potentially conflicting values in traditional rural communities with the current understanding of educational reform and the goals of the RSI program. Three RSI projects were chosen to examine the impact of these relationships on student learning in science and mathematics. These projects were the Appalachian RSI, UCAN (Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico) RSI, and Delta RSI. In 2000, the NSF expanded the study by adding the Texas, Coastal (North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia), and Michigan RSIs.

The study has four objectives:
  • To develop a system of indicators around each of the identified six drivers of educational system reform.
  • To determine the perceived relative importance and value of each of the drivers and indicators for reform in RSI schools in selected communities.
  • To determine the status of innovation/reform within selected communities with respect to factors thought to support or serve as barriers to innovation and education reform.
  • To determine the ways and the extent to which the perceived importance and value of the drivers and the characteristics of the community impact on systemic reform efforts and student achievement in mathematics, science, and technology.
With the expansion of the study, additional questions were added to the evaluative study. These questions are related to new or different forms of student assessment of achievement and teacher performance, contextual factors within and among the collaboratives that support reform and result in implementation of standards-based curricula, the processes and conditions that are essential for successful partnerships (RSIs), and considerations given to the use of technology for enhancing the accessibility and effectiveness of math and science instruction and communication within and among collaborative members.

In addition to focused case studies of schools and communities in each RSI, a mixed-methods approach is employed to collect data and information that will help NSF and other interested audiences understand the context, needs, and efforts (positive and negative) that contribute to systemic educational reform and the improvement of science, math, and technology education for K-12 students in schools participating in these large, 5 or more year collaboratives funded by the National Science Foundation.

The project staff is supported by a Research Advisory Team whose members participate in case study visits, study and interpret an array of quantitative and qualitative data, and provide general advice and consultation to project personnel. This carefully selected team includes nationally known personnel with expertise in areas such as rural education, student assessment, curriculum development, teacher education, change and innovation, school administration, math, science, technology education, etc.

The project produces a newsletter and a number of interim reports, including individual case study reports and background/substudies. The project is scheduled to conclude its work by June 2002, and a final (end-of-project) report will be submitted to NSF at that time.