SRI International to Evaluate Florida Education Reform Initiatives for Children
Menlo Park, CA.,– April 10, 2008– SRI International, an independent, nonprofit scientific research institute, announced today announced two major contracts to evaluate educational reform efforts in Florida. Both projects will study the effectiveness of initiatives to improve student readiness and long-term academic success.
SRI will conduct a three-year evaluation of Ready Schools Florida, a key reform effort within the state. Ready Schools Florida, co-led by the Lastinger Center for Learning at the University of Florida and by The Early Childhood Initiative Foundation, is among the nation’s most comprehensive efforts to improve the well-being of children at risk of academic, health, and social difficulties. Ready Schools Florida is supported by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, an organization that has made nationwide investments to support infant, child, and youth development. The Ready Schools evaluation was awarded by the Lastinger Center and The Early Childhood Initiative Foundation.
Via a community-centered approach, Ready Schools Florida is creating a system to foster collaboration among Florida's social service agencies, community organizations, health centers, and schools to increase children's access to high-quality early learning environments (from birth to grade 5) and to essential health and developmental services. Ready Schools Florida provides leadership, services and training, infrastructure, and funding to support large-scale change. SRI's evaluation will provide educators and policymakers with concrete information demonstrating whether this community approach works effectively. Key evaluation activities will include a case study of the Ready Schools Florida model, site visits to programs and schools, collection and analysis of data from Ready Schools Florida partners and a report explaining the findings.
The second contract awarded to SRI International by the Lastinger Center is for an evaluation of the school improvement model developed and implemented by the Lastinger Center for Learning. The Lastinger Center draws on the expertise of University of Florida faculty and staff to work inside high-poverty elementary schools, providing support services such as principal and teacher professional development and a job-embedded master's degree program to improve teaching and learning. The Lastinger model seeks to help struggling schools reinvent themselves as learning organizations. Student learning depends on student well-being combined with the quality of teaching in the classroom. This model also recognizes the importance of school districts to support continuous improvement at the school level and to establish relationships with community-based organizations.
As part of its evaluation, SRI will develop and analyze a teacher survey and conduct an analysis that combines survey and student achievement data. SRI's core role will be to assess the effectiveness of the school improvement model and identify critical features that relate to particular student outcomes.
"SRI International's Center for Education Policy and Center for Education and Human Services have the expertise needed to provide a comprehensive analysis of programs that involve early childhood and elementary education, community involvement, and professional development," said Marjorie Wechsler, Ph.D, a senior policy analyst in SRI's Center for Education Policy. "The Lastinger model and Ready Schools Florida are two programs that can potentially impact education policy in Florida and across the nation. SRI is pleased to be selected to conduct these important evaluations, which can contribute to the improvement of education policy and student learning."
About SRI International
Silicon Valley-based SRI International is one of the world's leading independent research and technology development organizations. Founded as Stanford Research Institute in 1946, SRI has been meeting the strategic needs of clients and partners for more than 60 years. The nonprofit research institute performs client-sponsored research and development for government agencies, businesses, and foundations. In addition to conducting contract R&D, SRI licenses its technologies, forms strategic partnerships, and creates spin-off companies.
About SRI International's Center for Education and Human Services
SRI International's Center for Education and Human Services focuses on children, youth, and families facing challenges from economic disadvantage, disability, teenage parenthood, neighborhood decay, and other risk factors. The Center examines the impact of policies and the effectiveness of programs at the federal, state, and local level, including community services, special education and disability policy, school partnerships, and early childhood programs.
About SRI's Center for Education Policy
SRI International's Center for Education Policy evaluates the impact of a variety of educational programs, including improvement efforts for traditionally underrepresented students, models for education reform, initiatives aimed at raising the quality of teachers, and improving systems designed to educate adults. The Center’s goal is to identify what works to improve education and to translate that information to policymakers.
###
