The evaluation methods seek to determine whether the introduction of network-based computing is supporting education reform and whether that correlates positively with increases in community-school interaction and teacher training modelled after Statewide Systemic Initiatives (SSI). They seek to determine the extent to which networking facilitates community involvement and increases support for education reform, as well as those factors that affect organizational change that supports or inhibits reform.
In order to allocate human and capital resources optimally for education reform, we need rich, generalizable evidence of the circumstances under which reforms achieve maximum effectiveness. Currently, little is known from more than anecdotal perspective, about the effectiveness of network applications, including community-school interactions, in combination with constructivist teaching styles and strategies. To evaluate these combined effects, we will conduct structured interviews, surveys, and focus groups with teachers, students, administrators and community members at four school districts in Virginia. The participating sites are selected on the basis of their commitment to the Statewide Systemic Initiative (SSI) in Virginia, VQuest, and to networking applications in the classroom and with the community, as well as overall project goals.