Think Tank Session 928 to be held in 207 A
Sponsored by the Pre-K - 12 Educational Evaluation TIG
Presenter:
Alyssa Na'im, Education Development Center, Inc.
Discussant(s):
Jack Mills, Independent Consultant
Kimberle Kelly, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Jennifer Nielsen, Manhattan Strategy Group
Sam Held, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education

Abstract: This session will explore participants’ interest in and capacity for bridging and developing formal networks to cultivate a Community of Practice for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education evaluators. The discussion will continue previous exchanges around sharing information and resources, best practices, and lessons learned in conducting evaluations of STEM education programs. Through facilitated discussion, participants will share successful approaches to evaluation capacity building and professional community building, discuss the development of an AEA TIG focused on STEM education evaluation, and identify ways to expand these opportunities to the broader STEM education field, including practitioners and policymakers. The discussion will also attend to the conference theme by identifying the complex ecologies of STEM education and the evaluator’s role in navigating these circumstances and environments (e.g., responding to various funding agencies and priorities, recognizing differential needs across the STEM education continuum, interpreting project-level contributions to program- or system-level initiatives).