paper picker press evaluation findings: the first 3 years liz gruenfeld, ed.m. education consultant...
TRANSCRIPT
Paper Picker Press Evaluation Findings:
The first 3 years
Liz Gruenfeld, Ed.M.
Education Consultant
Program Evaluator
Overview:
Evaluation design
Trends in the Findings
Student work!
The Big Ideas:
Creativity as incentive to mastery of literary concepts/devicesDemystifies “elite” literature Personal AuthorshipReading Enjoyment => literacy development through play
The Challenge:
How to measure PPP program impact? – How does creative engagement with literature (play)
impact critical thinking, literacy development & reading enjoyment?
Our Solution: – Create New Instruments! (& adapt prior ones)– Qualitative & Quantitative Design– Control Groups– Comprehensive Studies
Boston Public Schools, 2008
Evaluation: 2nd Grade, after-school program
Evaluation Design
Qualitative Interviews: Read, Discuss, Create– Duckworth Theory, Critical Exploration
Quantitative Analysis: Read, Write, (Create)– Reading Enjoyment
• Elementary Reading Attitude Survey, McKenna & Kear, 1990.
– Literacy Development• Word recognition; Perceived ease reading
– Critical/Higher Order Thinking Development
Elementary => High SchoolBoston & Mexico (8 sites; 5 evaluations)
Higher Order Thinking Development
Bloom’s Taxonomy:
Invert the Pyramid! Thinking critically is thinking creatively
Findings: Chalco/Puebla, Mexico 2008-09
Chalco, Mano Amiga School: 3-7th Grade, after-school program
Puebla: – Bachillerato San Lares de Alfonso: high school;
Museo Amparo: elementary school
Positive, whole school engagement
Positive impact on Critical Thinking, Creative ExpressionIncreased inventiveness, collaboration
Control Group3/4th Grade
Program Group3/4th Grade
Control, 6/7th Grade Program, 6/7th Grade
Control, 5th Grade Program, 5th Grade
“My thoughts are bigger now”
Reading Enjoyment
Increased interest, attention in school, ease
“Any book can let the imagination fly. All books have something to teach. I understand things that I didn’t before”
=> Literacy Development
Perceived Ease while reading increased;
Word recognition increased
“Now with the words I don’t understand, I try to look for their logical meaning and relate them to my feelings. Now… the text fits together well for me and it’s easy to understand”
Improved commitment to Reading & School
Students as teachers
“I’m the oldest. Before, I said to my younger sibling, ‘do this, do that’.
Now… I teach him with games and songs”
Psychosocial Gains
Socialization, self esteem, confidence, voice, emotion regulation, decreased anxiety, consequences
“Now I express myself better, and value myself more… have more confidence in myself,
and know that we are more valuable than others think.”
“I learned to mold the world to myimagination”.
Findings Boston Programs 2009
Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC)
Inquilinos Boriquas en Accion (IBA)
– Summer Programs– Non school settings– Middle & High School Level
Findings were consistent
in categories, by site:
Outcomes were highly
Positive and limited
“I realized there’s no right answer; it’s not like school”
“I learned that there are many ways to see something; it helped
me think outside the box. Creativity is art and literature”
Findings across contexts & Lessons Learned:
Clear positive trends across most contexts in all categories– including psychosocial indicators & artistic development
Best success when strong partnership is present: site/staff/artists/youth/outside institutions
Negative outcomes without committed partnership– Sluggish results in non-academic summer program – Responded with collaborative re-design
Complements academic interventions
In Conclusion, a thought on Arts Integration…
“When will we stop with all the justifications and start facing the fact that if academics were more like the arts, more kids might show up and stay in school?” (Why Our Schools Need the Arts, Hoffman Davis 2008)
Contact Info:
Liz Gruenfeld, Ed.M.
Education Consultant & Evaluator
(206)334-6234
Skype: lizgruenfeld