Project Description: WestEd conducted an exploratory, two-part evaluation of the Prince George’s County (MD) Special Education program. Evaluators facilitated a multi-stakeholder group from this large urban district to co-construct a logic model that depicts the theory of action behind the district’s approach to meeting the needs of students with special needs and serves as guidance for goal setting and evaluation of accomplishment of goals.
Formative evaluation activities included cross-school focus groups of special education teachers and regular education teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels; in-depth interviews of central administrators on transportation, facilities, curriculum, and human resources issues related to special education; and site visits to six schools representing a variety of the contexts and programs provided.
The evaluation activities focused on strengths and areas of need in instructional practice related to students with special needs, collaboration between regular education and special education teachers, professional development, and school-parent relationships.
The evaluation raised the awareness within the district of serious issues concerning delivery of special education services. In addition, Prince George’s County Special Education department used the evaluation findings to enhance its program and engage more district educators in school improvement.
WestEd staff involved with this project:
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