Applied Research & Evaluation

Arkansas Department of Education: Evaluation of the Environmental and Spatial Technology (EAST) Initiative

From 2003 to 2007, Metis Associates evaluated the EAST (Environmental and Spatial Technology) initiative for the Arkansas Department of Education with funding from a federal Evaluating State Education Technology Programs grant. An interdisciplinary, experience-based process, EAST promotes the use of advanced computer technology, encouraging students to use the knowledge acquired in their classes to solve problems related to school or community issues. Its central concept is based on the importance of students’ responsibility for their own learning. Metis’s evaluation was a rigorous and systematic effort that looked at the relationship between program implementation and teacher and student outcomes. It involved two parallel studies: a three-year, statewide implementation study focused on the variations in implementation of the program in different contexts throughout the state, and a two-year outcomes study to determine the impact of the initiative on teachers’ attitudes, classroom practices, and students’ attitudes, skills, and achievement. Metis used an experimental design, comparing eight EAST schools and eight control schools that were to begin the project at a later date.

Metis analyzed data from facilitator observations, surveys of principals and facilitators, and end-of-year ratings. Most notably, it found that among 16 student outcomes that were studied, participation in EAST appeared to have a positive, statistically reliable impact in five domains that included three aspects of problem-solving, students’ motivation for school, and self-directed learning style.