Data Collection and Evaluation
The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit proposals from qualified service providers to perform external grant evaluation work.
The external evaluator will:
1- Be responsible for the design and management of external data collection and evaluation efforts for all E2T2 grantees.
2- Create an electronic monthly update report sent to the Department and the grantee(s) being evaluated.
3- Immediately communicate any problem, issue or other implementation issue to the Department. The Department will be the final arbiter in any dispute with the work of evaluation of the E2T2 grant.
4- Write an annual report written in research format (in electronic form) that integrates and summarizes the external and internal data collection efforts for all E2T2 grantees.
-Within 90 days of the annual report- the external evaluator must provide summary data to each grantee for disaggregation, reporting and analysis.
5- Be responsible for the coordination and oversight of internal and external evaluation efforts for all E2T2 grantees. A schedule (timeline) linking specific tasks to dates will be provided by the external evaluator.
6- Develop data collection instruments in cooperation with grantees, AEAs and The Department (which also reserves the right of approval) that capture:
1-Professional Development activities
2-Professional Development implementation
3-Student Achievement data (irrespective of testing dates)
These data collection instruments must be online with access and data being shared with the Iowa Department of Education, AEAs and Grantees.
7- Collect and distribute data that is SIF (School Interoperability Framework) compliant and exportable into software tools for later aggregate and disaggregate analysis.
8- Gather and obtain baseline data for this 3 year grant cycle to provide accurate measures of teacher progress with integration of technology and student achievement growth as a result of project work.
9- Submit evaluation reports electronically for posting to the Department for posting to the Departments website. The external evaluator is responsible to develop an online survey to collect data about teacher professional development activities and professional development implementation. This online data will be the property of the State of Iowa, Department, AEAs and Grantees.
10- Have competency with tools for distance meetings and must have access to these tools. IP video conferencing (H323), and web meeting tools will be employed to facilitate communication throughout the grant cycle.
11- Be responsible for recruiting and paying for additional evaluators that may be needed to support the evaluation effort state-wide. Content-experts should be provided to observe classroom implementation.
12- Demonstrate an understanding of the educational vision of the Iowa Core Curriculum and provide support with the evaluation efforts to all grantees.
13- Maintain a budget showing all expenses. This budget is to be provided to the evaluation fiscal agent and to the Department.
14- Collect data and provide a report for all approved grantee projects. Grantees that are not reported will not be required to pay for services not delivered based on the percentage of work table.
15- Provide a plan of evaluation approved by the Department. Data collection may include test results, other assessments, projects, professional development implementation, administrative walkthroughs and other data approved by the Department.
16- Provide a cross-validation study between teachers who did not receive professional development and those who did along with students who did not participate in the project compared with those who did.
