A Planning Grant for a Culturally Relevant Math and Science Summer Evaluation Training Institute for Mid-Level Experienced Evaluators

提交本提案时认识到，项目和方案评估对于那些强调数学、科学、技术以及具有宝贵信息的工作人员和资助者来说是不可或缺的，以便就项目或方案的实施、进展和成功做出明智的决定。因此，必须对负责规划、收集和分析评价数据的评价员进行培训，使其既能在技术上胜任工作，又能对项目或方案所处的文化背景敏感。这笔规划赠款将为参加者发展暑期培训机构提供结构，以扩大他们对评价模式、方法和标准的了解，并提高他们对评价的一个非常重要的方面--其文化背景--的认识和理解。也就是说，整合在研究所所有培训活动中的一个基本方面将考虑到这样一个现实，即评估不是在真空中进行的，而是与背景相关的，因为项目或方案运行所处的种族、文化、社会经济和其他环境的多样性。因此，迫切需要制定一个框架，以确定构成评价文化内涵的许多“隐藏”变量(例如，陈规定型观念、态度、预期)。这笔规划赠款的一个主要重点将是制定一种与文化相关的评估培训模式，并计划在暑期培训学院使用这种模式，以便中层评估人员能够理解和理解数学和科学教育评估以及其他项目的文化背景的必要性。研训所建成后，学员将能够有效地将所学的理论知识转化为程序性知识，然后在反应迅速和相关的背景下转化为实际的评价实践。

This proposal is submitted with the acknowledgement that project and program evaluations are indispensable to those agencies and organizations that emphasize mathematics, science, technology and staff and funders with valuable information to make informed decisions about the implementation, progress and success of a project or program. Therefore, it is imperative that the evaluators responsible for planning, collecting and analyzing evaluation data are trained to be both technically competent in their work efforts and sensitive to the cultural context in which the project or program takes place. This planning grant would provide the structure for the development of a summer training institute for participants to broaden thier knowledge of evaluation models, methods, and standards, as well as raise both their awareness and understanding of a very important aspect of evaluation - its cultural context. That is, a fundamental aspect integrated throughout all the institute's training activities will attend to the reality that evaluations do not occur in a vacuum but instead are contextual because of the variety of racial, cultural, socio-economic, and other settings in which the project or program is operating. As such, there is a pressing need to develop a framework for identifying the many "hidden" variables (e.g., stereotypes, attitudes, ecpectations) that frame the cultural contex of evaluation. A major focus of this planning grant would be to develop a culturally relevant evaluation training model and plan for its utilization at a summer training institute so that mid-level evaluators will appreciate and understand the need for a cultural context of educational evaluation of math and science and other projects. Upon completion of the Institute, the participants will be able to effectively transfer theoretical knowledge learned to procedural knowledge, and then to actual evaluation practice within a responsive and relevant context.