Science in Pre-K Summative Evaluation

National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC Summative Evaluation for Educational Program, 2016 The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) contracted Randi Korn & Associates, Inc. (RK&A) to conduct a summative evaluation of Science in Pre-K, an onsite and online teacher professional development program that NASM developed for the District of Columbia Public Charter Schools’ (DCPS). The program supports preschool teachers in teaching science through exploration and problem solving. This evaluation is a continuation of a planning and evaluation project initiated in 2013. In 2013, RK&A helped NASM determine realistic strategies and next steps for scaling up its Science in Pre-K program, which included two literature reviews, an evaluation plan, and an assessment of DCPS teachers’ experiences with an initial phase of the program. How did we approach this study? RK&A designed and administered online surveys to participants before and after the program to determine the effectiveness of the program. What did we learn? First, respondents highly rated the program’s usefulness to their teaching. Specifically, post-ratings were consistently higher than pre-ratings in questions about integrating Science in Pre-K concepts and strategies into classroom set-up and lessons. For instance, data show that more respondents integrated open-ended science materials into their classroom after attending the program than before attending the program. Respondents also indicated that students were more engaged in science lessons after they had completed the program than before they had participated in the program. For example, post-responses suggest that students were engaged in a wider variety of inquiry science activities and were learning more about physical science, post-program. And, while respondents’ interest in learning and teaching about physical science was fairly high at the outset, ratings show an increase in their interest after attending the program. Also encouraging is that two-thirds of respondents have shared their Science in Pre-K experience with others, teachers in particular. One-third also recommended the program to others. Their acts of sharing indicate that they value the program and find it useful. What are the implications of the findings? Teachers may still need assistance integrating inquiry science into their classroom pedagogy, as the majority of respondents do so infrequently (once or less than once a month). The majority also indicated that they have not sought out additional inquiry science resources since participating in the program (including visiting the Science in Pre-K web site). Findings do not suggest any program-specific barriers that might explain why they do not integrate science into their pedagogy more often, as respondents rated their enjoyment of science lessons high. They seem to teach from the Science in Pre-K lessons that are available, modifying or designing new ones as needed, and use a variety of inquiry lesson types, including open-ended and focused explorations. Teachers may be facing other challenges, unrelated to the NASM program, that determine what they do in the classroom—for example, district priorities. Nevertheless, it may be worthwhile to explore why integrating science into the classroom occurs so infrequently, so NASM can consider strategies for addressing the barrier.

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