Inventory and Assessment of K-12 and PTD Programs

Inventory and Assessment of K-12 and Professional Teacher Development Programs in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System

F. RECOMMENDATIONS

National Level Recommendations

Recommendation 5:
Hire a National K-12 and PTD Education Coordinator; Secure Direct and Consistent Funding for any New System-wide K-12 and PTD Programming
If there is a commitment to K-12 and PTD programs from a system-wide standpoint, a central coordinator position needs to be established. Individual ECs currently take the lead on system-wide initiatives with assistance from the national office, however, as evidenced by this assessment, most ECs are over-extended. The coordinator would take the leadership role on any national or system-wide program(s), including design and implementation of the evaluation and performance measurement framework. The coordinator would be able to focus on the big picture while using the input and direction from the Reserve ECs for any initiatives taken.

Most ECs believe that K-12 and PTD programming is at or above capacity at their Reserves and that if there are new system-wide programs initiated, there also needs to be additional funding for those programs.

Recommendation 6:
Provide Assistance to Reserves to Secure Outside Funding
The national office or the national education coordinator could serve as a repository for funding opportunities. It would also be advantageous for certain grants or proposals if Reserves could use other NERRS programs as backup experience for grant applications. The national office could keep a database of template proposal sections to streamline the grant writing process.

In addition, if a system-wide program is initiated, the national coordinator could serve as the lead to write proposals for grants to other federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Science Foundation, as well as private funding sources. The National Science Foundation also awards planning grants of $50,000 for informal science education projects. This may be an excellent source of funding to explore a national initiative. The existing close relationship with the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA) should be maintained as a potential mechanism for channeling funds that are granted only to non-profits.

Recommendation 7:
Maintain a Database of Examples of NERRS K-12 and PTD Programs
Maintaining a database of examples of successful NERRS K-12 and PTD programs and “lessons learned” is more manageable and sustainable with today’s technology. The database could be stored on a NERRS K-12 and PTD website for ECs. A separate website for the public could help market the programs.

Recommendation 8:
Provide Assistance to Correlate all NERRS Programs to State Educational Standards
In most states, educators are under increasing pressure to document that they are teaching to the state educational standards. National standards are not a critical factor for most educators. Although ECs can be trained to correlate programs to state standards themselves, their workload prevents this from being a high priority. The presentation of uncorrelated programs or curricula can become a barrier for student and teacher participation. Correlating programs and curricula to state standards will increase the likelihood that educators will use the materials, come to PTD trainings, and bring their students to Reserve K-12 programs. Depending on the complexity of the standards, the process can be tedious and may require outside assistance or training. State correlations should also be done if a system-wide program is implemented or if there is a national effort to offer programs in states where Reserves do not exist.

Recommendation 9:
Establish National Performance Measures and Reserve Level Goals and Objectives
The national office, with EC input, should develop key national goals that are important and applicable throughout NERRS, and then tie them to measurable objectives. At the Reserve level, the national office should assist with the development of goals and objectives that would relate to each Reserve’s particular target audiences. The objectives could be knowledge, attitude, or action based. The Reserves could mirror state benchmarks or standards for their objectives. Currently there are no system-wide measures of whether K-12 and PTD programs are effective. Table 21 gives an example of how this might be done.

Table 21. Example of National and Reserve Level Goal Setting

National Goal	Increase awareness of the vital role of estuaries in coastal ecosystems.
National Objective	The public will be able to identify the roles of an estuary.
Reserve Goal	Increase awareness in the local community that Padilla Bay is a major stopover site for migratory birds	Increase awareness in the local community that Padilla Bay is the nursery for Puget Sound’s commercial fishing industry
Reserve Elementary School Objectives	75% of the students will be able to match a description of local migratory bird to its picture.	Students will demonstrate they understand that Padilla Bay is a nursery by drawing a picture of a Padilla Bay ecosystem.
Reserve Middle School Objectives	75% of the students will able to list two migratory birds that use Padilla Bay as a stopover site.	75% of the students will be able to identify two key human impacts to the nursery
Reserve High School Objectives	75% of the students will be able to identify four migratory birds by sight.	75% of the students will be able to list two key actions they can take to reduce human impacts to the nursery.
Reserve PTD Objectives	100% of educators will be able meet the objective for the grade level they teach.75% of the participants will implement the curriculum or activities to teach the different objectives.

A Reserve goal may correspond directly to an individual program or set of programs. There also may be more than one objective for a particular goal. It would not be necessary to measure every objective for a particular goal, but rather to focus on measuring high-priority objectives.

Recommendation 10:
Develop and Implement an Evaluation Framework that Would Measure Factors at a National Level and Reserve Level
There is no established evaluation framework at the national level and only a few Reserves consistently evaluate their programs. It is important that Reserves define the level and types of formal evaluation that would be most useful and then create an efficient and consistent plan to evaluate their programs. This commitment to evaluation will document effectiveness and establish whether programs are meeting the needs of target audiences and the funding agencies (i.e. private foundations, EPA, NSF). A formal evaluation framework will help focus K-12 and PTD efforts at a national and Reserve level. This could increase cooperation within and between Reserves, as well as increase the likelihood of obtaining additional funding for K-12 and PTD programs at a national and Reserve level.

After establishing goals and objectives (See Recommendation 9), the evaluation framework would outline the important program data that would be collected at a national level (e.g. number of participants, number of programs, target audience, teacher/participant satisfaction, national program effectiveness). Then the Reserve goals and objectives should be used to determine the evaluation framework at the Reserve level. This framework could be designed to capture data needed for specific grants or reporting purposes.

Each Reserve would use their own data from the Reserve-specific objectives to demonstrate how the national objectives were being met. The framework would outline processes, timeframes, and responsibilities for measuring the objectives and collecting the data. It would be the primary responsibility of the national coordinator (See Recommendation 5) to coordinate and analyze the data supplied by the Reserves.

Recommendation 11:
Provide Assistance for a K-12 and PTD Market Analysis and Needs Assessment for Newer Reserves or Reserves Interested in Re-assessing Their Programs
Reserves are offering a wide array of K-12 and PTD programs and some are very well established while others are just starting up. A market analysis and needs assessment would assist Reserves in the development of effective programs, the development of an evaluation and performance measurement framework, and participation in a system-wide program (See Recommendation 10).

Recommendation 12:
Provide Assistance for a PTD Market Analysis and Needs Assessment for Reserves that Offer or Want to Offer PTD Programs
ECs say that it has been a challenge to get educators to attend PTD programs. Effective PTD programs potentially can reach significantly more students than K-12 programs, considering that one educator can reach 20 to 300 students per year depending on the grade level they teach. Educators are always looking for quality programs and curricula. The challenge for PTD programs is attracting educators and packaging materials that can be easily used in the classroom. In addition, consideration should be given to reaching education students who will be entering the classroom. Table 22 contains sample assessment questions.

Table 22. Sample Questions to Help Develop an Effective PTD program

o Which grade levels are interested in attending workshops?

o How does my program currently fit into the state/community school district?

o How can my program be a better fit for the school system?

o What types of materials best suit teachers’ needs?

o What is the key factor that allows teacher participation in the Reserve workshops?

o What key factors are principals/administrators looking for in PTD programs?

o What are the best times and locations for workshops?

Recommendation 13:
Continue National Marketing to Support Local K-12 and PTD Initiatives
ECs indicate that they appreciate national marketing materials and efforts, such as posters, videos, and brochures about NERRS and estuaries. ECs want more done to supplement their programs or market any system-wide program. There is also a desire for a central NERRS K-12 and PTD website that could be a link among Reserve programs and any national program. Marketing will be especially important if a system-wide program is established.

Recommendation 14:
Develop and Offer a System-Wide NERRS K-12 and PTD Program Focused on Field-based Estuarine Research
Many Reserve educational initiatives already integrate Reserve research and a majority of ECs (96%) indicate that research is a differentiating factor for their K-12 and PTD programs. There are many organizations offering coastal and marine K-12 and PTD education (See Appendix 1), but few of them are filling an estuarine education niche with a research basis. As the name states, NERRS is a system of Estuarine Research Reserves. It makes sense that field-based estuarine research be the focus for a system-wide K-12 and PTD program. Table 23 demonstrates how this type of concept could be translated to different grade levels using an awareness to action type model for environmental education.

Table 23. Concept for National Estuarine Research Education Niche

School	Curriculum and Program Focus	Example Activities
Elementary	Exploratory and discovery	Touch tanks, models, field trips.	Awareness
Middle	Scientific process and monitoring	Transect maps, beach profiles, turbidity measurement.Basic scientific process, data collection, and analysis.	Knowledge Attitudes
High	Monitoring and research development	Hypothesis/Testing, water quality testing and comparisons, Sedimentation comparison studies.Advanced data collection, analysis, sharing scientific data such as SWMP data, reporting research results.	Skills Participation

Most ECs were in favor of a system-wide program but with a number of important caveats that include:

Ability to adapt to local conditions.
Commitment of long-term support and resources
Strong national office promotion and support

There is great potential for an effective national program within NERRS but there will have to be national level coordination and support with guidance from the ECs. It is imperative to recognize Reserve independence and input in the process, but it is also important for ECs to recognize that an effective national program could significantly benefit them. The benefits might include more support from professional staff, more funding, more attention and attendance at Reserve programs, shared resources among Reserves, and more focus for current programs. A national program should be a shift in focus rather than a supplanting of or wholesale change of current programs.