4.+Evaluation+Processes

toc =Evaluation Processes=

Introduction
Ensuring that an evaluation procedure is in place to measure achievement and evaluate both students and staff is paramount in ensuring that standards are met within the school district. I also believe this rings true in other, non-school, settings. Businesses have goals related to certain technological strategies as well; if these strategies are not proving beneficial then they need to be adjusted. Schools measure and evaluate their success on test scores, while businesses base their success on revenue. Either way, evaluation is important and key to overall success.

Basics
From the gathered data, it appears that although most schools and businesses are striving for a 1:1 ratio of computers to individual, the current financial state of most places just doesn’t allow for such a large allocation of funds. This seems to be fairly understandable in that there is really no evaluation in place to measure whether or not funds are getting put to good use. As a teacher who loves to use technology to supplement and reinforce learning I find business and classroom technology priceless, but I also don’t have any way to prove that the technology is solely responsible for the achievement and gains my students are making, nor can I ensure that others around me will use what is available to them in the same capacity.

Comparison
In my comparison of the data, all surveys seemed to be fairly consistent, with the exception of TCAPS, in that little if any specific type of evaluation was done by the district or company on employees themselves. The data suggested that most evaluation came from personal reflection and could be acted on as needed through professional development workshop opportunities. Students on the other hand at both TCAPS and FEAS are both evaluated at the Junior High level on a continuous basis through classroom instruction, and then formally with one annual assessment.

Conclusion
Overall, it appears that although both businesses and schools find evaluation to be important, it is also the most difficult to implement and maintain. Therefore, it often gets tossed aside and a solid plan never gets put into place. Without a solid evaluation procedure, changes in technology are hard to make because there is no data available to support the change or improvement.

Project Conclusion