May 2004 — Exclusive Series: SBR

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Making the Case: Research Efforts on Educational Technology

By John Bailey

State-Level Studies

Evaluating State Educational Technology Program (ESETP). ESETP is a federal grant program designed to increase the capacity of states to design, conduct and procure high-quality evaluations of educational technology. The grant competition provides more than $15 million over the next three years for states to:

1. Plan and conduct a scientifically based evaluation of an educational intervention that uses technology applications to increase student achievement in one or more core academic subjects.

2. Test and document the methods, practices and instruments used to assess the impact of the intervention on student achievement.

3. Make documented information about the evaluation plan and its implementation available to other states.

The Education Department, through its School Support and Technology Programs Office and its Office of Educational Technology, made grant awards to 10 State Education Agencies. The focus of the studies is described in brief below.

State Educational Technology Evaluation Grants

The U.S. Education Department, through the School Support and Technology Programs Office and the Office of Educational Technology, made grant awards to 10 State Education Agencies. Descriptions of the studies, including the scientifically based methodologies on which the studies are based, are provided below.

Arkansas Department of Education
Evaluation of the EAST (Environmental and Spatial Technology) Initiative
$1.8 million over three years
Online: www.eastproject.org
This project will assess the nature, quality and intensity of EAST program implementation strategies and processes. It will also evaluate their relative outcomes on teachers' attitudes, classroom practices and content knowledge, as well as on students' attitudes, skills and achievements. EAST involves the creation of interdisciplinary school-based technology labs that promote student intellectual growth and technology skills acquisition, as well as teacher training on facilitating student learning through service projects and teamwork. The study will involve 120 projects serving 9,000 students (55% rural, 25% suburban and 20% urban setting). Study results will yield deeper insights into specific participant, environmental and program characteristics that appear to influence student outcomes. In addition, an evaluation sustainability study will assess the extent to which the project's dissemination and aptitude-building activities are serving the capacity of Arkansas and other states to plan, conduct and procure high-quality evaluations.

Iowa Department of Education
Using Technology to Support the Scaling-Up of the Iowa Professional Development Model
$1.9 million over three years
Online: www.state.ia.us/educate
This project will use the Iowa-adopted professional development model, which is based on best practices, as the basis for scaling up an educational intervention system using experimental, quasi-experimental and randomized classroom trials.