This is my first time blogging so i feel like a child learning something new. I would first like to summarize key points from thr meeting. My understanding is that my overall goal is to get a state's eyeview of MI GEAR UP and look at some new/strategic ways to approach evaluation that can give us a richer context for success and challenges. Ok, a lot in a mouthful.... This includes getting detailed information. The Pontiac schools will be the pilot site for this stage of the project. So my first few days i'll be spending learning about the Pontiac school system, the surrounding community and parent involvement. We also discussed what makes MI GEARUP successful and research/evaluation strategies that may better capture and augment those program assets and successes.
We concluded with some logistics talk: deliverables via blogging journal, weekly meeting Friday morning (except this Friday) and office supplies needed such as computer, ability to phone out of the area, umich research account for library data access, etc., eamil address.
After our meeting this past Friday i started downloading info on the schools; what i have collected includes the strategic action plan 2008-2013, map of the school district which inlcludes a list of elementary, middle and high schools and parent involvement information.
Regarding the surrounding context i looked at articles from the Oakland press that related to POntiac school district. These articles described the challenges and turbulence that surrounds Pontiac and other school districts such as teacher layoffs, mismanagement of school funding and financial meltdown coupled with state intervention
Monday, June 18th
Well, i looked at some tutorials on how to blog and decided to go with google since i have agoogle acct. So i successfully created a blog :) Today i also researched more on Pontiac schools and some history of the city. I also identified the Pontiac Schools that are participating in MI GEAR UP; i focused on parent information but so far only have a modicum of information--parent news and announcements, standard MEAP testing-score communication. So now my reading starts, whoooo. I did pull out and look at the final report a few weeks ago. I spent the remainder of the day reviewing this document in light of my readings. I sent an email to Ingrid for a phome meeting about OU as grantee in Pontiac schools and also Tracy's contact information. My goal in the upcoming days and weeks is to better connect the dots--not bad for a MOnday!
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