Conducting Classroom Observations in First Things First Schools. MDRC Working Papers on Research Methodology

摘要

This working paper presents findings from a classroom observation study conducted as part of a larger study of First Things First, a whole-school reform model that was developed by the Institute for Research and Reform in Education (IRRE) and originally mounted in Kansas City, Kansas. With support from the U.S. Department of Education and several foundations, the reform has subsequently been expanded through the Scaling Up First Things First demonstration. 1 IRRE provides oversight and technical assistance to the expansion sites, while MDRC is evaluating the initiatives implementation and effects. The observational study took place between the spring of 2001 and the spring of 2003 and entailed observations in 427 English/language arts and math classes. 2 The study includes observations from 10 of the 12 schools in Groups I and II.3 Data from the First Things First planning year and two years of program implementation are available for the Group I schools, while data from the planning year and one implementation year are available for the Group II schools.