OERI should provide leadership to ensure that the same types of data are collected across projects. Each of the projects previously funded under the Star Schools Program included an evaluation component. In most instances, the evaluation strategy involved formative and summative methods. Two of the former projects also included case studies which documented changes in both student behaviors, teacher attitudes,and school climate as a result of participation in the Star Schools activities. Because of the support received during the telecast staff development classes and the science classes for students, teachers indicated that they became more confident in presenting their own lessons and less dependent on the textbook.
Students often take advanced placement classes for college practice rather than for college credit.
Having an opportunity to take difficult and challenging courses in a familiar environment gave students in small, rural schools additional confidence in their own academic abilities and reassurance that they could survive in more competitive post-secondary educational environments. Several students at a Louisiana high school received college credit based on their scores on an AP economics exam. The facilitator at the school stated that the satellite course prepared their students for the entrance exam. The school receives cable, fiber optics and closed circuit transmissions as well as an ethernet system. One of the special programs which was produced by the School District of Philadelphia was used to teach elementary school students about the brain, its physiology, mental operations and other complex aspects.