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Selecting Comparison Schools

The document provides guidance on selecting effective comparison schools for evaluating magnet school programs. It instructs the user to define the unique treatment or key program elements of the magnet school, including what is delivered, by whom, and at what cost. A checklist is then provided to assess whether potential comparison schools have significantly different or similar treatments to the magnet program in areas like curriculum content, instructional approaches, professional development, and recruitment activities/target populations. Comparison schools with 4 or more similar treatments should be eliminated to ensure an accurate evaluation of the magnet program's impact.

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56 views2 pages

Selecting Comparison Schools

The document provides guidance on selecting effective comparison schools for evaluating magnet school programs. It instructs the user to define the unique treatment or key program elements of the magnet school, including what is delivered, by whom, and at what cost. A checklist is then provided to assess whether potential comparison schools have significantly different or similar treatments to the magnet program in areas like curriculum content, instructional approaches, professional development, and recruitment activities/target populations. Comparison schools with 4 or more similar treatments should be eliminated to ensure an accurate evaluation of the magnet program's impact.

Uploaded by

wested-magnet-schools
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Practice: Evaluate your outcomes to show your

program is making a difference


Key Action: Define a unique treatment

TOOL: Selecting Comparison Schools

Purpose: Use this table to assess whether a potential comparison school’s program
elements (referred to by evaluators as its “treatment”) are different enough
from your magnet program treatment to serve as an effective comparison
group for a quasi-experimental evaluation.

When you conduct a quasi-experimental evaluation, you should be able to


clearly describe:
• How the magnet program and prospective comparison school are
similar in student demographics and prior achievement
• The “unique treatment” (key program elements) that your magnet
program offers, including who received it, who delivered it, and at
what cost
• How this unique treatment is different from the comparison school’s
treatment

Instructions: 1. Use the table to determine the extent to which potential comparison
schools have a similar treatment to the magnet program you are trying to
evaluate.

2. Eliminate comparison school candidates if there are a significant number


of overlapping treatment elements (4 or more). If you cannot confidently
assess how different a school’s program elements are from the magnet
school’s, you may need to collect additional information about the school.

1
Practice: Evaluate your outcomes to show your
program is making a difference
Key Action: Define a unique treatment

Checklist for Evaluating Prospective Comparison Schools

Comparison school: Comparison school: Comparison school:


_______________________ _______________________ _______________________
Treatment Treatment Treatment Treatment Treatment Treatment
Treatment similar to different from similar to different from similar to different from
magnet magnet magnet magnet magnet magnet

Program content (e.g., science)

Instructional approach (e.g.,


inquiry)

Brand or type of curriculum


materials

Curriculum integration; content


areas integrated

Time students spend on content

Professional development for


teachers and administrators

Specific content of professional


development (e.g., curriculum
content, multicultural approaches)
Recruitment activities

Target population for recruitment


(e.g., age, prior achievement
levels, other relevant
characteristics)

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