The Effectiveness of Evaluation: Informing Teacher Professional Development Guided by the PrimeD Framework

Area of Science:

• Educational Leadership
• Program Evaluation
• Teacher Professional Development

Background:

• Implementing novel professional development (PD) programs in teacher preparation presents inherent uncertainties and complexities.
• Existing evaluation designs may not adequately capture the dynamic nature of such initiatives.
• A structured approach is needed to manage and learn from the implementation process.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the evaluation of a novel professional development program using Schwandt's post-normal evaluation design.
• To assess the effectiveness of the PrimeD framework in guiding PD implementation and evaluation.
• To explore the utility of Networked Improvement Community (NIC) meetings and Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles for continuous improvement.

Main Methods:

• Employed Schwandt's post-normal evaluation design across three levels: PD implementation, internal project evaluation, and evaluation design assessment.
• Utilized the PrimeD framework to guide PD implementation and all evaluation activities.
• Collected data through observations of NIC meetings and participant focus groups over a 5-year period.

Main Results:

• The PrimeD framework facilitated collaboration, strengthening project vision and goals across four institutions.
• Monthly NIC meetings and PDSA cycles enabled participants to share ideas and refine practices.
• Evaluation and research became integrated into daily lesson development, leading to program modifications and better alignment across sites.

Conclusions:

• Post-normal evaluation design effectively captures complexities in novel PD implementation.
• Collaborative frameworks like PrimeD and NIC meetings enhance program consistency and improvement.
• Integrating evaluation into practice leads to adaptive, contextually relevant modifications in teacher preparation programs.