Project Lead the Way Evaluation

About the Evaluation

The Iowa Department of Education has assembled a team of researchers to evaluate Iowa Project Lead The Way’s ability to improve secondary students outcomes, develop future postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students, and develop a highly-skilled workforce for STEM-related occupations.

The initial phase of the evaluation asks the following questions:

1. What are the demographic characteristics—sociodemographic, academic, and cognitive—of Project Lead the Way students and what characteristics predict entry into the program?
2. Does student absenteeism decrease with Project Lead the Way involvement?
3. Do Project Lead the Way students take more math and science courses than non-Project Lead the Way students?
4. Are Project Lead the Way students more likely to take a high-level mathematics course than non-Project Lead the Way students?
5. Is the cognitive improvement for Project Lead the Way students greater than non-Project Lead the Way students?
6. Are Project Lead the Way students more likely to graduate from high school?
7. Are Project Lead the Way students more likely to transition to higher education?
8. Are Project Lead the Way students more likely transition into STEM-related programs?

Data Set

This project uses longitudinal educational data from Iowa public institutions. Project EASIER, Community College MIS, Iowa Testing Services, National Student Clearinghouse, and transcript data from Iowa’s public universities:

• Project EASIER contains enrollment and course-taking records of all high school students enrolled in a public high school. It is maintained by the Iowa Department of Education.
• Iowa Testing Services contains student performance on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and Iowa Test of Educational Development taken in Iowa. It is maintained by the Iowa Department of Education.
• Community College MIS contained enrollment and course-taking records of all community college students enrolled in Iowa’s community colleges. It is maintained by the Iowa Department of Education.
• National Student Clearinghouse contains enrollment records for over 3,000 higher education institutions in the United States. It is maintained by a non-profit organization.
• Iowa Public Universities (Iowa State University, University of Iowa, and University of Northern Iowa) have graciously agreed to provide limited transcript data to conduct this research.

Method

The evaluation will determine the causal impact of Project Lead The Way on the outcomes listed above. In order to do so, the research team will match and compare similar students. Researchers use data from kindergarten through 8th grade to group similar students (e.g., similar test scores, sociodemographics). In particular, researchers match Project Lead The Way participants to similar nonparticipants. Thus, researchers can use the differences between two similar students to estimate the impact of Project Lead The Way.

Researchers use socio-demographic data, test scores from 8th grade Iowa Test of Basic Skills, and information from student’s schools to calculate the probability of entering Project Lead The Way. These calculations are performed before students decide whether or not to enter the program. Students with similar probabilities are matched together. In the following years, researchers record whether students participate in Project Lead The Way. Sometimes students who seem likely to enter the program will not and sometimes unlikely students will decide to enroll in the program. Researchers then use this information to calculate the impact of Project Lead The Way.

Results

Evaluation results will be posted here as they become available. The initial phase of the evaluation is scheduled to conclude in 2012. See “Publications” and “Presentations” below for more information.


Publications
•    Project Lead The Way Interim Report: July 2009

Presentations & Posters
•    Project Lead The Way: A Longitudinal Evaluation


Research Team Personnel

Tom Schenk Jr.
Consultant – Institutional Effectiveness & Accountability
Iowa Department of Education
Division of Community Colleges & Workforce Preparation
Bureau of Community College Services
400 E. 14th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319
Phone: (515) 281-3753
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dr. Frankie Santos Laanan
Associate Professor
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Iowa State University
N243 Lagomarcino Hall
Ames, IA 50011
Phone: (515) 294-7292
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dr. David Rethwisch
Professor
Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
University of Iowa
4138 Seamans Center
Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone: (319) 335-1413
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dr. Melissa Chapman
Associate Director
Center for Evaluation and Assessment
University of Iowa
210 F Lindquist Center
Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone: (319) 335-5954
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dr. Soko Starobin
Assistant Professor
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Iowa State University
N232A Lagomarcino Hall
Phone: (515) 294-9121
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Leaf Zhang
Graduate Assistant
Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Iowa State University

Disclosure

This research grant is being funded by the Kern Family Foundation, Iowa Board of Regents, Iowa Math Science Education Partnership, Iowa State University, and the University of Iowa.