Evaluation of Determining Instructional Purposes Training Program Proposal

Submitted to Far West Laboratory for Educational and Research Development By Good Times Consulting Services

Good Times Consulting Services | 123 Alice Ave., Monroe, CO 80005 | www.beagood.com

Introduction Thank you for your invitation to submit the most effective, efficient proposal for evaluating your Determining Instructional Purposes (DIP) training program. We at Good Times Consulting Services (GTCS) are proud to present an evaluation plan that will inform Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development (FWL) in making decisions regarding the marketing and sale of your DIP units. Our skilled, experienced team will provide research- and data-based recommendations regarding whether or not FWL should commit resources to market the DIP training program package. Our evaluation will also provide information that will be useful to your potential customers, should you decide to invest in this program. Description of Program (DIP) Being Evaluated As stated in the Request for Proposal, the DIP training program, developed by FWL, is a modularized program designed to train “school administrators and graduate students in educational administration skills related to planning effective school programs.” The DIP program is designed for flexible implementation using one or any combination of the following three self-contained training units:

1. Unit 1—Setting Goals (est. training time = 10-15 hours) 2. Unit 2—Analyzing Problems (est. training time = 12-18 hours) 3. Unit 3—Deriving Objectives (est. training time = 10-15 hours)

Each unit comprises between four and six modules involving individual or small-group activities led by a knowledgeable coordinator “either in a concentrated short-term workshop or in individual sessions scheduled over a period of several days or weeks.” Training also involves print reading materials related to the skill taught in each module (priced at $8.95 per single unit or $24.95 for a set of all three) and a Coordinator’s Handbook (priced at $4.50), which contains all the information a coordinator needs to be qualified to administer DIP training. Evaluation Method GTCS’s evaluation of DIP will answer the following questions in order to make a recommendation regarding whether or not FWL should invest in marketing and selling the training program package:

1. Is there a viable market for the DIP materials? 2. Does the DIP training package meet a need that is not currently being met in the

market? 3. Does a test market of school administrators and educational administration graduate

students find value in the program? GTCS will gather and analyze the following information in order to answer the respective questions above:

1. Market analysis—We will use market analytics and targeted surveys to produce detailed personas of potential customers and an analysis of their needs.

2. Competitive analysis—We will research competitive training programs and the current demand for components similar to those constituting the DIP training package, including amount spent on such materials. We will conduct an in-depth comparison of DIP materials and competitors’ products.

3. Test implementation—We will conduct DIP training sessions with a select group of school administrators and/or educational administration graduate students in order to gather their feedback, as well as observational data.

GTCS will draw on its extensive education-industry databases to access market analytics for use in conducting both the market analysis and competitive analysis for the proposed evaluation. Data will be collected and reported electronically, using statistical and graphical representations, at various stages in the evaluation process. See “Task Schedule” section for estimated reporting dates. Participants in the test implementation will be school administrators from district(s) near GTCS’s headquarters in Monroe, CO, and/or graduate students in educational administration or a similar degree track from accredited higher education institution(s) in the same geographic region. There will be approximately nine total participants, who will be invited to participate in DIP training for all three modules. Actual attendance will depend on participants’ availability, but each participant must attend all module trainings for at least one training unit—Setting Goals, Analyzing Problems, or Deriving Objectives. Training sessions will be conducted by a member of the GTCS team who has met the FWL requirements for becoming a coordinator. Proposed test implementation will take place over a six-week period, with three 1-hour sessions per week (1 hour for each of the three training units). Weekly independent reading of course materials will make up the remainder of the training time at an estimated 2 hours or fewer per module per week. Feedback from test implementation participants will be collected in the form of surveys and/or interviews. A member of the GTCS evaluation team will use a checklist and evaluation rubric to collect observational data during the test implementation. FWL will designate a team of stakeholders to which GTCS will report. GTCS will present data and reports to the specified members of the FWL team in accordance with the agreed-upon task schedule (see below). The information presented in the evaluation report and interim data analyses will be useful to FWL in making decisions regarding the sale and marketing of DIP training and materials. This information will also be useful to school administrators in making decisions about the purchase and use of the DIP program. If the program is found to be unmarketable, GTCS will make recommendations for revisions or enhancements, such as offering materials in an ebook format.

Task Schedule The table below defines key tasks and deliverables in GTCS’s proposed evaluation of the DIP training program, with accountable parties and estimated completion dates.* Task

Responsible Parties Date Due

Initial conference call to solidify tasks

Complete GTCS and FWL teams 6/15/16

Submit initial data from market analysis

GTCS team 7/15/16

Submit initial data from competitive analysis

GTCS team 7/15/16

Provide feedback on initial data

FWL team 7/25/16

Select test implementation participants

GTCS team, up to 9 participants 8/1/16

In-person visit (3 days) at FWL office to present complete evaluation plan

2 reps from GTCS, FWL team 8/15/16

Submit data report from FWL visit

GTCS team 9/1/16

Mid-evaluation conference call to discuss data report, solidify next steps

Complete GTCS and FWL teams 9/15/16

Start test implementation

GTCS team 9/19/16

Collect and analyze data from continued market research, interviews, surveys, demos

GTCS team 11/1/16

Create evaluation report

GTCS team 11/15/16

In-person visit (3 days) to present evaluation report and discuss recommendations

2 reps from GTCS, FWL team 12/1/16

Follow up on action items from visit, offer proposal for ongoing assistance as needed

Complete GTCS and FWL teams 12/15/16

*This schedule is based on a project start date of June 15, 2016. Tasks and dates are estimations and will be solidified upon this proposal’s acceptance and a subsequent written contract signed by responsible parties from FWL and GTCS.

Project Personnel We are pleased to introduce you to the members of Good Times Consulting Services who would be working with you throughout the evaluation of your Determining Instructional Purposes training program.

John Bea Good, Ph.D., is an education consultant with more than three decades of experience as a university professor, high school administrator, and classroom teacher. Dr. Good has authored more than 40 research papers published in peer-reviewed journals, as well as an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) practice guide for planning effective school programs. He has been the principal investigator on a Department of Education Office of Education Technology grant researching the use of in-service training programs in urban community colleges. Dr. Good is a frequent presenter at

education industry events and has been invited to present across the United States as well as in China, India, Europe, and Australia. He founded Good Times Consulting Services in 2002.

Rhyssa Monroe, M.Ed., is currently pursuing her doctorate in educational technology at the University of Colorado. Her research areas of expertise include nontraditional students in online degree programs, positive behavior interventions at the intermediate and secondary levels, and integrated curriculum development in middle schools. Ms. Monroe has coauthored a research paper published in a scientific journal and has presented at education industry conferences across the country. She brings 10 years of research experience and four years of experience as a middle school psychologist.

Alice Wunderberg is a research and clerical assistant with more than 25 years of experience in universities and community colleges. She has worked in various academic departments, including student finances and academic enrollment. Ms. Wunderberg is active in a number of charitable organizations, including nonprofit associations dedicated to helping female children obtain access to a quality education in Third World countries. She joined Good Times Consulting Services in 2006.

Project Budget Below is the proposed budget for Good Times Consulting Services’ evaluation of the Determining Instructional Purposes training program. Personnel Dr. John Bea Good: 46 days at $420/day $19,320.00 Rhyssa Monroe: 77 days at $250/day $19,250.00 Alice Wunderberg: 25 days at $115/day $2,875.00

TOTAL PERSONNEL $41,445.00 Travel and per Diem Mileage (incl. to/from test sites)—480 miles at $0.54/mile $259.20 Airfare, CO to LA (2 round trips each for 2 personnel at $630/each) $2,520.00 Per Diem (2 three-day trips for 2 personnel at $250/day) $3,000.00

TOTAL TRAVEL & PER DIEM $5,779.20 Consumables Office supplies and postage $420.00 DIP materials (for 9 test participants at $24.95 per set) $224.55 DIP Coordinator’s Handbooks (for 3 personnel at $4.50 each) $13.50

TOTAL CONSUMABLES $658.05 Other Stipends for 9 test implementation participants at $200/each $1,800.00

OTHER TOTAL $1,800.00

PROJECT TOTAL $49,682.25