Evaluation of &quot;We the People: Project Citizen&quot; Summer Institutes. How Professional Development Translates into Classroom Instruction
Author: Nairne, Jennifer
Date: 2008-02-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Faculty Development,Institutes (Training Programs),Summer Programs,Civics,Citizenship Education,Teaching Methods,Program Implementation,Teacher Effectiveness,Teacher Surveys,Public Policy

Graduates of the six regional 2007 &quot;We the People: Project Citizen&quot; professional development summer institutes were surveyed to determine how useful they found their institute experience, and to the extent to which their participation at the Center-sponsored institutes influenced their teaching of civics and government. The study was designed to capture the aspects of the institutes that proved most valuable to teachers, and to improve future institutes. The study was conducted in the fall of 2007, only allowing for a partial semester since the teachers had attended a Project Citizen institute, in an effort to increase response rates. To complete the report by February of 2008, it was necessary to contact participants in the fall although many teachers were not finished with the program in full. A total of 132 summer institute participants were contacted and 67 participants responded to the survey questions, 51% of the population. All findings are based on those that responded to the survey. A battery of questions was developed to measure the extent to which professional development improved the quality of teacher instruction after teachers returned to their respective classrooms. Ninety-seven percent of teachers demonstrated an improved quality of instruction after attending a Project Citizen summer institute in 2007. Results of the study include the following: (1) 97% of teachers demonstrated an improved quality of instruction; (2) 100% agreed or strongly agreed that the institute was a valuable professional development experience; (3) 98% agreed or strongly agreed that the institute was intellectually stimulating; (4) 98% agreed or strongly agreed that they have used knowledge gained from the institute during the school year; (5) 98% agreed or strongly agreed that the training they received at the institute improved the quality of their instruction 91% agreed or strongly agreed that they now use more interactive teaching methods in their classroom; (6) 100% agreed or strongly agreed that the institute increased their knowledge of public policy; (7) 97% agreed or strongly agreed that the institute improved their understanding of how public policy decisions are made; (8) 97% agreed or strongly agreed that the institute increased their knowledge of how to monitor and influence public policy; (9) 100% agreed or strongly agreed that the institute increased their knowledge of and increased their confidence in teaching students how to influence the policy process; (10) 100% agreed or strongly agreed that the institute improved their ability to facilitate classroom discussions and debates about public policy issues in their communities; (11) 97% agreed or strongly agreed that the institute provided them with the skills needed to facilitate cooperative teamwork; (12) 96% agreed or strongly agreed that the institute gave them new ideas on how to teach students about citizens rights and responsibilities; (13) 97% agreed or strongly agreed that the institute inspired their teaching of civics and government; and (14) 100% indicated that they would recommend the institute to other teachers. The recommendation is that the Center should consider options to serve participants of its summer institutes, either through email updates or through its website. Periodic follow-up trainings can be used as a means to address questions teachers may have after implementing the program and to reinforce what they learned during their time at the institute. A collaborative network of teachers may prove invaluable in establishing and/or maintaining continued support for participating teachers after the institutes, or, in the absence of such a network, district and state coordinators should consider recruiting multiple teachers from each school to allow for a built-in support system at each site. Additionally, the Center should consider the viability of allowing for concurrent projects or academic levels within the same classroom, or discuss the reasons why the program is modeled on a single class project.