Program evaluators in the Munroe-Meyer Institute’s Department of Education and Child Development are gearing up to evaluate the Superintendents’ Early Childhood Plan, introduced in the Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties in the fall of 2015.
The plan, which was developed and approved by the 12 superintendents of the public school districts in Douglas and Sarpy counties, offers an innovative, comprehensive approach to reducing achievement gaps for young children from birth through Grade 3 in the Omaha metro area.
MMI evaluators are collaborating with researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln UNL and leaders at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute to measure the impact of the plan on children, families, teachers and schools. Across the metro, 12 schools within six school districts are taking part in the implementation. Data will be collected on a sample of approximately 350 children and 200 teachers from Pre-K to Grade 3.
The collaborations are part of what makes this evaluation exciting, said Rose Zweiback, project director in the education and child development department.
“Sharing strategies and building a system to collect the data across six school districts, 12 schools, over 200 classrooms and more than 350 students and families is complicated,” she said. “But it’s fun to work with a new team across campuses. This is a meaningful endeavor that will help the Learning Community determine if its latest effort is having a positive impact on closing the achievement gap.”
MMI’s role is to coordinate the evaluation at every building, manage the parent consent process, and collect all the data. MMI evaluators will be collecting the data annually over at least the next four years.
“Our team is excited to be a part of a groundbreaking effort to improve educational outcomes for our most vulnerable students,” Zweiback said.