Problem-based Learning and New Standards for Mathematics:

Evaluation Plan
Ashley Castellana, Rebecca Erwin, Tiffany Robbins, and Kameron Williams
Georgia Southern University

Project Evaluation Plan

This project is the result of a collaboration between Great Southern University and Braxton County Schools. An evaluation
plan has been executed to ensure that the goal of this project has been met. The implementation evaluation report for this project will
focus on the following four questions: Were the initial experience and follow up activities implemented as planned? What is the
quality of the initial program activities? Who are the program participants and how were they recruited? What is the quality of follow
up and support activities? Information collection methods will focus on surveys, interviews, and document analysis. Surveys will
provide more thorough information regarding program participants and their perceived needs related to the content of the workshop.
Surveys will further aid in planning support and follow-up activities. Interviews and focus groups will provide data related to the

quality of the workshop and support received during follow-up activities. Finally, an analysis of program documents will provide
insight into the schedule of activities that took place during and following the workshop and if they aligned with the program plan.
The summative evaluation report will help answer the following questions: To what extent were teachers able to develop PBL
modules that were connected to local business and industries, aligned with NSSM, and incorporated appropriate uses of technology?
And, To what extent were teachers able to implement and evaluate those modules? The first question is based on the first 3 objectives
and the second question is based on the 4th objective. The data sources that will be used for the outcome evaluation will be the
Module Evaluation Rubric, NSSM Standards and participation surveys. Great Southern faculty will use the results from the evaluation
report to help teachers continue to refine their PBL modules after the workshop. The timeframe for refinement of the PBL modules
will be July 2, 2015 through July 20, 2015. Communication between the Great Southern faculty and teacher participants will be
electronic. Once modules have been finalized, teachers will implement them and conduct a self-evaluation of the implementation. In
the fall of 2015, Great Southern faculty members will meet with teacher participants for a mid-implementation meeting to discuss
questions and concerns related to the PBL modules. In the fall of 2015, a final meeting between the project staff and teacher
participants will be scheduled to discuss teacher self-evaluations, implementation and to identify best practices.
Implementation Evaluation
Evaluation
Questions

Information Needed

Sources of
Information

Method of
Collection

Collection
Procedures

Schedule

Analysis Procedure

P1: Were the

initial
experiences

Schedule of planned
professional
development topics

Workshop
documents;
Interviews with

Surveys;
Interviews;
Document

Participant survey; Surveys

Survey responses,
Post-project Q&As conducted after interview responses,
organized around
the first nine
and testing scores

and follow up
activities
implemented as
planned?

and activities; Post- project leaders

program perceptions and participants
from project leaders
and participants

P2: What is the Participants ratings Pre and postquality of the

and reflections of the workshop
initial program workshop
surveys
activities?

P3: Who are

the program
participants
and how were
they recruited?

Analysis

teacher planning;
benchmark scores
and formative
assessments

weeks grading will all be analyzed

period and
for needed
prior to the
information.
final meeting in
fall of 2015.

Survey

Participant survey

Surveys
Survey responses
conducted prior will be analyzed for
to and
needed information.
following the
conclusion of
initial program
activities

Records of email
and paper mailings
used to advertise
the project;
Participant
registration forms;
Questionnaires

10/11: Survey
assessing
teacher
perceived need
and interest;
7/15: Preworkshop
survey

Focus group with

participants;
Electronic

Focus groups
Responses
will be formed regarding focus
during summer group related

Number of
Program records; Survey;
participants enrolled Surveys
Document
in the program;
Analysis
Number of
mathematics
teachers vs.
administrators
enrolled in the
program; Grade level
taught by
participating
teachers;
Information on how
the participants
learned about the
program.

P4: What is the Participants

quality of
reflections of follow
follow up and up and support

Results of
interviews with
participants;

Interviews;
Focus
Group

Records,
questionnaires, and
participant
registration forms
will be analyzed for
needed information.

support
activities?

activities

Review of
electronic
communication

communication via of 2015.

email and wikis
Emails, wikis,
etc, will be
ongoing from
July 2015 until
conclusion of
project.

questions will be
analyzed for needed
information;
Analysis of wiki use
by participants and
project leaders

Summative Evaluation
Evaluation Questions

Objective

Indicator

Data Source

O1: To what extent were teachers able to develop

PBL modules that were connected to local business
and industries, aligned with NSSM, and incorporated
appropriate uses of technology?

Create PBL Modules

based on local
businesses and
industries

Modules draw on content and Module

processes from local
Evaluation Rubric
businesses and industries

O1: To what extent were teachers able to develop

PBL modules that were connected to local business
and industries, aligned with NSSM, and incorporated
appropriate uses of technology?

Create PBL Modules

addressing NSSM

Module content, tasks, and

assessments are aligned with
appropriate NSSM

Module
Evaluation
Rubric; NSSM
Standards

O1: To what extent were teachers able to develop

PBL modules that were connected to local business
and industries, aligned with NSSM, and incorporated
appropriate uses of technology?

Integrate technology
into PBL experiences

PBL modules contain

activities that effectively use
technology

Module
Evaluation Rubric

O2: To what extent were teachers able to implement

and evaluate those modules?

Implement and
evaluate PBL Modules

Record of implementation
Record of self-evaluation

Focus group
Participant
surveys

Data Collection Schedule

Data set

Date of collection

Instruments already developed?

Data collected by:

Pre- and Post-workshop surveys

July 2015

Yes

Great Southern faculty

Interviews with project leaders and participants

July 2015

Yes

Great Southern faculty

Document analysis of teacher-made lesson plans

Fall 2015

Yes

Evaluation team

Focus group

Fall 2015

Yes

Evaluation team